Optimizing Optical Potentials With Physics-Inspired Learning Algorithms

We present our experimental and theoretical framework, which combines a broadband superluminescent diode with fast learning algorithms to provide speed and accuracy improvements for the optimization of on-dimensional optical dipole potentials, here generated with a digital micromirror device. To characterize the setup and potential speckle patterns arising from coherence, we compare the superluminescent diode to a single-mode laser by investigating interference properties. We employ machine-learning tools to train a physics-inspired model acting as a digital twin of the optical system predicting the behavior of the optical apparatus including all its imperfections. Implementing an iterative algorithm based on iterative learning control we optimize optical potentials an order of magnitude faster than heuristic optimization methods. We compare iterative model-based "offline" optimization and experimental feedback-based "online" optimization. Our methods provide a route to fast optimization of optical potentials, which is relevant for the dynamical manipulation of ultracold gases.