APS » PROLA » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 87 » Issue 16
< Previous article | Next article >

Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 160405 (2001) [4 pages]

Exploring Phase Coherence in a 2D Lattice of Bose-Einstein Condensates

Download: PDF (246 kB) or Buy this Article (Use Article Pack) Export: BibTeX or EndNote (RIS)

Markus Greiner, Immanuel Bloch, Olaf Mandel, Theodor W. Hänsch *, and Tilman Esslinger
Sektion Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Schellingstrasse 4/III, D-80799 Munich, Germany and Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, D-85748 Garching, Germany

Received 4 May 2001; published 1 October 2001

Bose-Einstein condensates of rubidium atoms are stored in a two-dimensional periodic dipole force potential, formed by a pair of standing wave laser fields. The resulting potential consists of a lattice of tightly confining tubes, each filled with a 1D quantum gas. Tunnel coupling between neighboring tubes is controlled by the intensity of the laser fields. By observing the interference pattern of atoms released from more than 3000 individual lattice tubes, the phase coherence of the coupled quantum gases is studied. The lifetime of the condensate in the lattice and the dependence of the interference pattern on the lattice configuration are investigated.


©2001 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.160405
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.160405
PACS: 03.75.Fi, 03.65.Nk, 05.30.Jp, 32.80.Pj

* Also at Department of Physics, University of Florence, Italy.

[ Abstract  |  Previous article  |  Next article  |  Issue 16 ]