Spatial interference of coherent atomic waves by manipulation of the internal quantum state

Year: 2001

Authors: Fort C., Maddaloni P., Minardi F., Modugno M., Inguscio M.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia – European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS),
Largo E. Fermi 2, I-50125 Firenze, Italy;
Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Universitá di Padova via F. Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy, and
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Firenze, Largo E. Fermi 2, I-50125 Firenze, Italy

Abstract: A trapped Rb-87 Bose-Einstein condensate is initially put into a superposition of two internal states. Under the effect of gravity and by means of a second transition, we prepare two vertically displaced condensates in the same internal state. These constitute two coherent sources of matter waves with adjustable spatial separation. Fringe patterns, observed after free expansion, are associated with the interplay between internal and external degrees of freedom and substantially agree with those for a double-slit experiment. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.

Journal/Review: OPTICS LETTERS

Volume: 26 (14)      Pages from: 1039  to: 1041

KeyWords: Fringe patterns, Coherent light; Degrees of freedom (mechanics); Gravitation; Interferometers; Photons; Wave interference, Quantum optics
DOI: 10.1364/OL.26.001039

Citations: 12
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