Tunable Spin-Orbit Coupling via Strong Driving in Ultracold-Atom Systems

Spin-orbit coupling is an essential ingredient in topological materials, conventional and quantum-gas-based alike. Engineered spin-orbit coupling in ultracold-atom systems—unique in their experimental control and measurement opportunities—provides a major opportunity to investigate and understand topological phenomena. Here we experimentally demonstrate and theoretically analyze a technique for controlling spin-orbit coupling in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate using amplitude-modulated Raman coupling.

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.125301

Position-dependent spin-orbit coupling for ultracold atoms; S.-W. Su, S.-C. Gou, I.-K. Liu, I. B. Spielman, L. Santos, A. Acus, A. Mekys, J. Ruseckas and G. Juzeliunas; New J. Phys. 17, 033045 (2015). doi:10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033045