Thermodynamics of a Bose Einstein condensate with free magnetization

Abstract

We study thermodynamic properties of a gas of spin 3 52Cr atoms across Bose Einstein condensation. Magnetization is free, due to dipole-dipole interactions (DDIs). We show that the critical temperature for condensation is lowered at extremely low magnetic fields, when the spin degree of freedom is thermally activated. The depolarized gas condenses in only one spin component, unless the magnetic field is set below a critical value, below which a non ferromagnetic phase is favored. Finally we present a spin thermometry efficient even below the degeneracy temperature.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure