Ultracold fermionic atoms in disordered potentials

This thesis describes the construction of an experimental apparatus to study disorder physics using ultracold fermionic atomic gases. We use this apparatus to realize 3D Anderson localization for the first time for quantum matter waves. We provide the first measurement of how the mobility edge—a hallmark of 3-dimensionality—and of localization lengths depend on the disorder strength. In a second experimental study, we add an optical lattice to the disorder potential to realize the disordered Fermi-Hubbard model, which is a minimal model for strongly correlated electronic solids. The interplay of interactions and disorder is investigated. We find an Anderson-like disorder-driven metal-to-insulator transition as well as disorder-induced breaking of the Mott gap in the strongly interacting regime.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Kondov, Stanimir

Contributors dc:contributor

• DeMarco, Brian L.
• Kwiat, Paul G.
• Vishveshwara, Smitha
• Cooper, S. Lance

• ultracold
• Fermion
• potassium
• Anderson
• metal-to-insulator transition
• Hubbard

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Stanimir Kondov

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/46688

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/46688