Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/55660

Download PDF (Accepted manuscript) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, -1 bytes)

Title

Fringe spacing and phase of interfering matter waves

Author(s)

Vainio, O.;  Vale, C. J.;  Davis, M. J.;  Heckenberg, N. R.;  Rubinsztein-Dunlop, H.

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the outcoupling of atoms from Bose-Einstein condensates using two radio-frequency (rf) fields in the presence of gravity. We show that the fringe separation in the resulting interference pattern derives entirely from the energy difference between the two rf fields and not the gravitational potential difference between the two resonances. We subsequently demonstrate how the phase and polarization of the rf radiation directly control the phase of the matter wave interference and provide a semiclassical interpretation of the results.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Physical Review A: Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, Vol. 73, no. 6 (2006), Article no. 063613

Publication year

2006

FOR Code(s)

0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics;  0204 Condensed Matter Physics;  0205 Optical Physics

Keyword(s)

Bose-Einstein condensates;  Fringe spacing;  Gravimeters;  Gravitational potential difference;  Interfering matter waves;  Light interference;  Natural frequencies;  Quantum theory;  Radio-frequency fields;  Resonance;  RF

Publisher

American Physical Society

ISSN

1050-2947

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.73.063613

Copyright

Copyright © 2006 American Physical Society. The accepted manuscript is reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Full text

Peer reviewed