Phase Coherence of an Atomic Mott Insulator

Journal Article · Fri Jul 29 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.050404· OSTI ID:20699244

Gerbier, Fabrice; Widera, Artur; Foelling, Simon; Mandel, Olaf; Gericke, Tatjana; Bloch, Immanuel ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet, 55099 Mainz (Germany)

We investigate the phase coherence properties of ultracold Bose gases in optical lattices, with special emphasis on the Mott insulating phase. We show that phase coherence on short length scales persists even deep in the insulating phase, preserving a finite visibility of the interference pattern observed after free expansion. This behavior can be attributed to a coherent admixture of particle-hole pairs to the perfect Mott state for small but finite tunneling. In addition, small but reproducible kinks are seen in the visibility, in a broad range of atom numbers. We interpret them as signatures for density redistribution in the shell structure of the trapped Mott insulator.

• OSTI ID: 20699244
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 95, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.050404; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATOMS
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION
BOSE-EINSTEIN GAS
BOSONS
DENSITY
HOLES
INTERFERENCE
TRAPPING
TUNNEL EFFECT
VISIBILITY