University of Freiburg
Institute of Physics
Experimental Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
fabian.thielemann(at)physik.uni-freiburg.de
Atoms and ions interacting at ultracold temperatures
In our research we explore the interplay between trapped ions and ultracold atoms—two cornerstones of modern quantum physics. We embed a single ion, trapped by radio-frequency electrical fields, in a cloud of ultracold atoms. By precisely tuning the kinetic energy of the ion, we explore the complex dynamics of atom-ion Feshbach resonances. To understand the signature that collision energy leaves on the shape of the resonance, we develop a model to describe inelastic atom-atom-ion recombination at energies around, and below, the s-wave threshold. Our experimental results mark a new pathway to achieving ultracold temperatures in hybrid systems, as well as introducing a novel method to tune the atom-ion system to a scattering resonance.
