Optical lattice

An optical lattice is a periodic potential for neutral atoms created by interfering laser beams. It lets physicists arrange atoms in a controllable, crystal-like pattern without a material lattice.

Optical standing wave: A stationary light pattern formed by two counterpropagating waves of the same frequency. Counterpropagating lattice beams form standing waves whose intensity pattern sets the potential wells.
Optical interference: The redistribution of light intensity when electromagnetic waves superpose. The spatially repeating intensity pattern arises from interference among lattice beams.
Bose–Hubbard model: A lattice model of interacting bosons with tunneling between sites and on-site interactions. Ultracold bosons in a lattice realize its competition between mobility and interaction.
Optical tweezer array: An arrangement of independently focused laser traps that confines atoms at chosen positions. Tweezers place sites individually, whereas interference creates a regular lattice collectively.
AC Stark effect: The shift in atomic energy levels caused by an oscillating electric field. The light field shifts atomic energies, producing attractive or repulsive lattice sites.
Recoil energy: The kinetic energy an atom gains when it absorbs or emits a photon. Recoil energy provides the natural scale for lattice depth and atomic motion.
Fermi–Hubbard model: A lattice model of interacting fermions with hopping and local interactions. Spinful fermionic atoms in optical lattices provide a tunable realization of this model.
Optical superlattice: A periodic optical potential formed by combining lattices with different spatial periods. Superlattices add a larger repeating unit cell and tunable site offsets.
Laser detuning: The frequency difference between a laser and a relevant atomic resonance. Detuning controls the sign and strength of the light-induced potential while limiting photon scattering.
Bloch theorem: A theorem stating that eigenstates in a periodic potential have a plane-wave form multiplied by a periodic function. It describes the wavefunctions and energy bands of atoms in an ideal lattice.

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