Diffraction of a Released Bose-Einstein Condensate by a Pulsed Standing Light Wave

Yu. B. Ovchinnikov; J. H. Müller; M. R. Doery; E. J. D. Vredenbregt; K. Helmerson; S. L. Rolston; W. D. Phillips

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.284

Diffraction of a Released Bose-Einstein Condensate by a Pulsed Standing Light Wave

Yu. B. Ovchinnikov, J. H. Müller, M. R. Doery, E. J. D. Vredenbregt, K. Helmerson, S. L. Rolston, and W. D. Phillips

Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 284 – Published 12 July 1999

Abstract

We study the diffraction of a released sodium Bose-Einstein condensate by a pulsed standing light wave. The width of the momentum distribution of the diffracted atoms exhibits strong oscillations as a function of the pulse duration, corresponding to periodic focusing and collimation of the condensate inside the standing light wave. Applications of this thick grating regime of diffraction to atom interferometry are discussed.

Received 17 November 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.284

Authors & Affiliations

Yu. B. Ovchinnikov, J. H. Müller^*, M. R. Doery, E. J. D. Vredenbregt^†, K. Helmerson, S. L. Rolston, and W. D. Phillips

Atomic Physics Division, PHYS A-167, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899

^*Present address: INFM UdR Pisa, Universita di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
^†Permanent address: Physics Dept., Eindhoven University of Tech., P.O. Box 513, 5600 M Eindhoven, the Netherlands.