Dynamically generating arbitrary spin-orbit couplings for neutral atoms

Abstract: Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) can give rise to interesting physics, from spin Hall to topological insulators, normally in condensed matter systems. Recently, this topical area has extended into atomic quantum gases in searching for artificial/synthetic gauge potentials. The prospects of tunable interaction and quantum state control promote neutral atoms as nature's quantum emulators for SOC. Y.-J. Lin {\it et al.} recently demonstrated a special form of the SOC $k_x\sigma_y$: which they interpret as an equal superposition of Rashba and Dresselhaus couplings, in bose condensed atoms [Nature (London) \textbf{471}, 83 (2011)]. This work reports an idea capable of implementing arbitrary forms of SOC by switching between two pairs of Raman laser pulses like that used by Lin {\it et al.}. While one pair affects $k_x\sigma_y$ for some time, a second pair creates $k_y\sigma_y$ over other times with Raman pulses from different directions and a subsequent spin rotation into $\pm k_y\sigma_x$. With sufficient many pulses, the effective actions from different durations are small and accumulate in the same exponent despite that $k_x\sigma_y$ and $\pm k_y\sigma_x$ do not commute. Our scheme involves no added complication, and can be demonstrated within current experiments. It applies equally to bosonic or fermionic atoms.