Non-Abelian atom optics [Elektronische Ressource] / von Andreas Jacob

Non-Abelian Atom OpticsVon der Fakultät für Mathematik und Physik derGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannoverzur Erlangung des GradesDoktor der Naturwissenschaften– Dr. rer. nat. –genehmigteDissertationvonDipl.-Phys. Andreas Jacobgeboren am 12. Oktober 1976 in Kyritz2009Referent: Prof. Dr. Luis SantosKorreferent: Prof. Dr. Ernst M. RaselTag der Promotion: 25. 6. 2009AbstractAlthough neutral atoms do not naturally present electromagnetism, artificial gauge fields maybe induced by different means. This thesis is particularly concerned with the physics of coldatomic gases in the presence of artificial electromagnetism, and more specifically with thosesituations in which atoms experience a non-Abelian gauge field. This thesis hence bringstogether two rather disparate areas, namely cold gases and non-Abelian gauge fields, towardswhat we have called non-Abelian atom optics.Gauge potentials, and gauge theories in general, are crucial for the understanding of funda-mental forces between subatomic particles. The simplest example of a gauge potential is thevector potential in the theory of electromagnetism. In this example the different vector com-ponents are scalars, and hence they commute with each other, i.e. the gauge field is Abelian.Non-Abelian situations, where the gauge potential is a matrix whose vector components donot commute, aresurprisingly scarcein nature.