Observation of Harmonic Generation and Nonlinear Coupling in the Collective Dynamics of a Bose-Einstein Condensate

G. Hechenblaikner; O. M. Maragò; E. Hodby; J. Arlt; S. Hopkins; C. J. Foot

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.692

Observation of Harmonic Generation and Nonlinear Coupling in the Collective Dynamics of a Bose-Einstein Condensate

G. Hechenblaikner, O. M. Maragò, E. Hodby, J. Arlt, S. Hopkins, and C. J. Foot

Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 692 – Published 24 July 2000

Abstract

We report the observation of harmonic generation and strong nonlinear coupling of two collective modes of a condensed gas of rubidium atoms. Using a modified time averaged orbiting potential trap we changed the trap anisotropy to a value where the frequency of the $m = 0$ high-lying mode corresponds to twice the frequency of the $m = 0$ low-lying mode, thus leading to strong nonlinear coupling between these modes. By changing the anisotropy of the trap and exciting the low-lying mode we observed significant frequency shifts of this fundamental mode and also the generation of its second harmonic.

Received 31 March 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.692

Authors & Affiliations

G. Hechenblaikner, O. M. Maragò, E. Hodby, J. Arlt^*, S. Hopkins^†, and C. J. Foot

Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom

^*Present address: IQO, University of Hannover, Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover, Germany.
^†Present address: SCOAP, CPES, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, United Kingdom.