English

Adaptive reflection and focusing of Bose-Einstein condensates

Soft Condensed Matter 2009-11-10 v1

Abstract

We report adjustable magnetic `bouncing' and focusing of a dilute 87^{87}Rb Bose gas. Both the condensate production and manipulation are realised using a particularly straight-forward apparatus. The bouncing region is comprised of approximately concentric ellipsoidal magnetic equipotentials with a centre that can be adjusted vertically. We extend, and discuss the limitations of, simple Thomas-Fermi and Monte-Carlo theoretical models for the bouncing, which at present find close agreement with the condensate's evolution. Very strong focusing has been inferred and the observation of atomic matter-wave diffraction should be possible. Prospects look bright for applications in matter-wave atom-optics, due to the very smooth nature of the mirror.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0306188,
  title  = {Adaptive reflection and focusing of Bose-Einstein condensates},
  author = {A. S. Arnold and C. MacCormick and M. G. Boshier},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0306188},
  year   = {2009}
}