1997/07/30 by Eddy Timmermans, E. Timmermans, Robin Côté +1 · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Atom (system on chip) #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Atomic physics #Bose–Einstein condensate #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Evaporative cooler #Impurity #Limiting #Lithium (medication) #Physics #Quantum #Quantum mechanics #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #Superfluidity #Thermodynamics #Ultracold atom #cond-mat
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.80.3419
13 pages,2 figures
arxiv created 1997/07/30 · openalex publication_date 1998/04/20 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The dynamical structure of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate limits the efficiency of the condensate in cooling slow impurity atoms. To illustrate the point, we show that an impurity atom moving in a homogeneous zero-temperature condensate is not scattered incoherently if its velocity is lower than the condensate sound velocity c, limiting cooling to velocities v\ensuremath≥c. This striking effect is an expression of superfluidity and provides a direct means to detect the fundamental property of superfluidity in atomic condensates. Furthermore, we show that the fermionic lithium isotope, 6Li, is a reasonable candidate for sympathetic cooling by a 23Na condensate.