English

Reversible Formation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate

Statistical Mechanics 2009-10-31 v1

Abstract

We present a method of adiabatically changing the local phase-space density of an ultracold gas, using a combination of magnetic and optical forces. Applying this method, we observe phase-space density increases in a gas of sodium atoms by as much as 50-fold. The transition to Bose-Einstein condensation was crossed reversibly, attaining condensate fractions of up to 30%. Measurements of the condensate fraction reveal its reduction due to interactions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9805022,
  title  = {Reversible Formation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate},
  author = {D. M. Stamper-Kurn and H. -J. Miesner and A. P. Chikkatur and S. Inouye and J. Stenger and W. Ketterle},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9805022},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

4 pages with 4 figures