Ultracold mixtures of Cs and Yb atoms

This project concerns the study of ultracold and quantum degenerate mixtures of Cs and Yb atoms confined in optical traps and lattices. Cs and Yb have contrasting atomic structure that opens up new opportunities in the context of ultracold physics experiments. Cs has a single valence electron making it sensitive to magnetic potentials. Amongst other things this leads to broad Feshbach resonances that allow the control of intraspecies interactions. In contrast Yb has two valence electrons in a closed shell, making Yb insensitive to magnetic potentials and leading to narrow intercombination lines suitable for laser cooling to ultracold temperatures. Moreover, Yb has several stable isotopes suitable for study, extending the range of experimental possibilities and allowing for the preparation of Bose-Bose and Bose-Fermi mixtures with Cs. Finally the different transition wavelengths in Cs and Yb allow for species-specific trapping and manipulation with optical fields. All of these properties will be exploited in the study of new physics with Cs and Yb. Specifically the project targets high-resolution imaging of the gas in the droplet phase where beyond mean-field effects stabilise the system.