323 research outputs found
Measuring the temporal coherence of an atom laser beam
We report on the measurement of the temporal coherence of an atom laser beam
extracted from a Rb Bose-Einstein condensate. Reflecting the beam from a
potential barrier creates a standing matter wave structure. From the contrast
of this interference pattern, observed by magnetic resonance imaging, we have
deduced an energy width of the atom laser beam which is Fourier limited by the
duration of output coupling. This gives an upper limit for temporal phase
fluctuations in the Bose-Einstein condensate.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Hybrid apparatus for Bose-Einstein condensation and cavity quantum electrodynamics: Single atom detection in quantum degenerate gases
We present and characterize an experimental system in which we achieve the
integration of an ultrahigh finesse optical cavity with a Bose-Einstein
condensate (BEC). The conceptually novel design of the apparatus for the
production of BECs features nested vacuum chambers and an in-vacuo magnetic
transport configuration. It grants large scale spatial access to the BEC for
samples and probes via a modular and exchangeable "science platform". We are
able to produce \87Rb condensates of five million atoms and to output couple
continuous atom lasers. The cavity is mounted on the science platform on top of
a vibration isolation system. The optical cavity works in the strong coupling
regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics and serves as a quantum optical
detector for single atoms. This system enables us to study atom optics on a
single particle level and to further develop the field of quantum atom optics.
We describe the technological modules and the operation of the combined BEC
cavity apparatus. Its performance is characterized by single atom detection
measurements for thermal and quantum degenerate atomic beams. The atom laser
provides a fast and controllable supply of atoms coupling with the cavity mode
and allows for an efficient study of atom field interactions in the strong
coupling regime. Moreover, the high detection efficiency for quantum degenerate
atoms distinguishes the cavity as a sensitive and weakly invasive probe for
cold atomic clouds
Fringe spacing and phase of interfering matter waves
We experimentally investigate the outcoupling of atoms from Bose-Einstein
condensates using two radio-frequency (rf) fields in the presence of gravity.
We show that the fringe separation in the resulting interference pattern
derives entirely from the energy difference between the two rf fields and not
the gravitational potential difference. We subsequently demonstrate how the
phase and polarisation of the rf radiation directly control the phase of the
matter wave interference and provide a semi-classical interpretation of the
results.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Dynamical coupling between a Bose-Einstein condensate andacavity optical lattice
A Bose-Einstein condensate is dispersively coupled to a single mode of an ultra-high finesse optical cavity. The system is governed by strong interactions between the atomic motion and the light field even at the level of single quanta. While coherently pumping the cavity mode the condensate is subject to the cavity optical lattice potential whose depth depends nonlinearly on the atomic density distribution. We observe optical bistability already below the single photon level and strong back-action dynamics which tunes the coupled system periodically out of resonanc
Optics with an Atom Laser Beam
We report on the atom optical manipulation of an atom laser beam. Reflection,
focusing and its storage in a resonator are demonstrated. Precise and versatile
mechanical control over an atom laser beam propagating in an inhomogeneous
magnetic field is achieved by optically inducing spin-flips between atomic
ground states with different magnetic moment. The magnetic force acting on the
atoms can thereby be effectively switched on and off. The surface of the atom
optical element is determined by the resonance condition for the spin-flip in
the inhomogeneous magnetic field. A mirror reflectivity of more than 98% is
measured
Exploring phase coherence in a 2D lattice of Bose-Einstein condensates
Bose-Einstein condensates of rubidium atoms are stored in a two-dimensional
periodic dipole force potential, formed by a pair of standing wave laser
fields. The resulting potential consists of a lattice of tightly confining
tubes, each filled with a 1D quantum gas. Tunnel-coupling between neighboring
tubes is controlled by the intensity of the laser fields. By observing the
interference pattern of atoms released from more than 3000 individual lattice
tubes the phase coherence of the coupled quantum gases is studied. The lifetime
of the condensate in the lattice and the dependence of the interference pattern
on the lattice configuration are investigated.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
An Atom Laser with a cw Output Coupler
We demonstrate a continuous output coupler for magnetically trapped atoms.
Over a period of up to 100 ms a collimated and monoenergetic beam of atoms is
continuously extracted from a Bose- Einstein condensate. The intensity and
kinetic energy of the output beam of this atom laser are controlled by a weak
rf-field that induces spin flips between trapped and untrapped states.
Furthermore, the output coupler is used to perform a spectroscopic measurement
of the condensate, which reveals the spatial distribution of the magnetically
trapped condensate and allows manipulation of the condensate on a micrometer
scale.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Spectral Properties of Coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates
We investigate the energy spectrum structure of a system of two (identical)
interacting bosonic wells occupied by N bosons within the Schwinger realization
of the angular momentum. This picture enables us to recognize the symmetry
properties of the system Hamiltonian H and to use them for characterizing the
energy eigenstates. Also, it allows for the derivation of the single-boson
picture which is shown to be the background picture naturally involved by the
secular equation for H. After deriving the corresponding eigenvalue equation,
we recast it in a recursive N-dependent form which suggests a way to generate
the level doublets (characterizing the H spectrum) via suitable inner
parameters. Finally, we show how the presence of doublets in the spectrum
allows to recover, in the classical limit, the symmetry breaking effect that
characterizes the system classically.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev. A. The present extended
form replaces the first version in the letter forma
Real-time phase-shift detection of the surface plasmon resonance
We investigate a method to directly measure the phase of a laser beam
reflected from a metallic film after excitation of surface plasmon polaritons.
This method permits real time access to the phase information, it increases the
possible speed of data acquisition, and it may thus prove useful for increasing
the sensitivity of surface plasmon based sensors
Superfluid to Mott insulator transition in one, two, and three dimensions
We have created one-, two-, and three-dimensional quantum gases and study the
superfluid to Mott insulator transition. Measurements of the transition using
Bragg spectroscopy show that the excitation spectra of the low-dimensional
superfluids differ significantly from the three-dimensional case
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