Macroscopic superpositions of phase states with Bose-Einstein condensates

Year: 2008

Authors: Piazza F., Pezzé L., Smerzi A.

Autors Affiliation: CNR-INFM BEC Center and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, I-38050 Povo, Italy;
Institut d’Optique, Campus Polytechnique, F-91127 Palaiseau, France

Abstract: Quantum superpositions of macroscopically distinguishable states having distinct phases can be created with a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a periodic potential. The experimental signature is contained in the phase distribution of the interference patterns obtained after releasing the traps. Moreover, in the double-well case, this distribution exhibits a dramatic dependence on the parity of the total number of atoms. We finally show that, for single-well occupations up to a few hundred atoms, the macroscopic quantum superposition can be robust enough against decoherence to be experimentally revealable within current technology.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW A

Volume: 78 (5)      Pages from: 051601  to: 051601

KeyWords: bose-einstein condensates; entanglement;
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.78.051601

Citations: 35
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