2024/05/23 by Roy Eid, Eid, Roy, Alfred Hammond +5
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph) #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #FOS: Physical sciences #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #Quantum optics and atomic interactions
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2405.14466
openalex publication_date 2024/05/23 · openalex created_date 2024/10/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
We realize textbook experiments on Bose-Einstein condensate tunnelling through thin repulsive potential barriers. In particular, we demonstrate atom tunnelling though a single optical barrier in the quantum scattering regime where the De Broglie wavelength of the atoms is larger than the barrier width. Such a beam splitter can be used for atom interferometry and we study the case of two barriers creating an atomic Fabry-Pérot cavity. Technically, the velocity of the atoms is reduced thanks to the use of a 39K Bose-Einstein condensate with no interactions. The potential barriers are created optically and their width is tunable thanks to the use of a digital micro-mirror device. In addition, our scattering experiments enable in-situ characterization of the optical aberrations of the barrier optical system.