High-order sideband effect with two-level atoms in a shaken optical lattice

The system of cold two-level atoms inside an optical lattice potential has been used to simulate various models encountered in fundamental and condensed-matter physics. When the optical lattice is periodically shaken, some interesting dynamical effects were observed. In this work, by utilizing the ultra-narrow linewidth of the dipole-forbidden transition in $^{87}$Sr atoms loaded in a shaken optical lattice, we reach a new operation regime where the shaking rate is much larger than linewidth of the two-level transition but much smaller than the frequency interval of the harmonic lattice potential, which was not realizable before. Under such unique conditions, an interesting quantum dynamical effect, the high-order sideband effect (HSE), has been experimentally observed. All the results can be well explained by a developed theoretical model with analytical solution. This HSE is governed by different mechanism as the similar phenomenon observed in semiconductors and has unique characteristics.