title: Dynamic of cold-atom tips in anharmonic potentials.
abstract: Background:Understanding the dynamics of ultracold quantum gases in an anharmonic potential is essential for applications in the new field of cold-atom scanning probe microscopy. Therein, cold atomic ensembles are used as sensitive probe tips to investigate nanostructured surfaces and surface-near potentials, which typically cause anharmonic tip motion.Results:Besides a theoretical description of this anharmonic tip motion, we introduce a novel method for detecting the cold-atom tip dynamics in situ and real time. In agreement with theory, the first measurements show that particle interactions and anharmonic motion have a significant impact on the tip dynamics.Conclusion:Our findings will be crucial for the realization of high-sensitivity force spectroscopy with cold-atom tips and could possibly allow for the development of advanced spectroscopic techniques such as Q-control.
authors.affiliation: Physikalisches Institut, Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Menold
authors.affiliation: Physikalisches Institut, Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Federsel
authors.affiliation: Physikalisches Institut, Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rogulj
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrostrukturtechnik, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hölscher
authors.affiliation: Physikalisches Institut, Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: József
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fortágh
authors.affiliation: Physikalisches Institut, Eberhardt-Karls-Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Günther
keywords: anharmonic motion; cold-atom scanning probe microscopy; dephasing; dynamic mode; tip oscillation