Research highlight: Controlling classical magnetism
© Malte Weinberg, UHH
The research team headed by Klaus Sengstock has demonstrated almost free control of the orientation of magnets in a lattice created by laser light. The findings are published in the current issue of „Science“ (Science, 21 July 2011 (10.1126/science.1207239)).
When atoms are detained in a lattice created by laser light at temperatures close to absolute zero, they behave like little magnets: they order in a periodic pattern like compass needles mounted on a grid – the orientation of the magnets depends on the type of grid and whether the interaction between the poles is attractive or repulsive. By shaking the lattice in a newly developed way, the laser physicists could for the first time manipulate the orientation of these magnets freely. They created differently ordered states and observed spontaneously formed long range magnetic order.
The work has been financially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the research unit „Strong Correlations in multiflavor ultracold quantum gases“ and the graduate school „Physics with new advanced coherent radiation sources“. In addition, funds from Hamburg's Excellence initiative provided by the Science and research foundation of hamburg and supported by the Joachim Herz Stiftung, have been available.
News coverage:
UHH news release , also research highlights
Article at Spectrumdirect
Article at pro-physik