Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Uniform Light-Induced Vector Potential

Journal Article · Fri Apr 03 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.130401· OSTI ID:21180324

Lin, Y -J; Compton, R L; Perry, A R; Phillips, W D; Porto, J V; Spielman, I B ^[1]

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1. Joint Quantum Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and University of Maryland, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899 (United States)

We use a two-photon dressing field to create an effective vector gauge potential for Bose-Einstein-condensed {sup 87}Rb atoms in the F=1 hyperfine ground state. These Raman-dressed states are spin and momentum superpositions, and we adiabatically load the atoms into the lowest energy dressed state. The effective Hamiltonian of these neutral atoms is like that of charged particles in a uniform magnetic vector potential whose magnitude is set by the strength and detuning of the Raman coupling. The spin and momentum decomposition of the dressed states reveals the strength of the effective vector potential, and our measurements agree quantitatively with a simple single-particle model. While the uniform effective vector potential described here corresponds to zero magnetic field, our technique can be extended to nonuniform vector potentials, giving nonzero effective magnetic fields.

• OSTI ID: 21180324
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 102; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
DECOMPOSITION
GROUND STATES
HAMILTONIANS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHOTONS
POTENTIALS
RUBIDIUM 87
SINGLE-PARTICLE MODEL