2000/12/25 by C. P. Search, Christopher P. Search, P. R. Berman
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum Information and Cryptography #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.64.013612
20 Pages RevTex, 3 Figures
arxiv created 2000/12/25 · openalex publication_date 2001/06/06 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present a scheme for determining if the quantum state of a small trapped atomic Bose-Einstein condensate is a state with a well-defined number of atoms, a Fock state, or a state with a broken U(1) gauge symmetry, a coherent state. The proposal is based on the observation of Ramsey fringes. The population difference measured by a Ramsey fringe experiment will exhibit collapse and revivals due to the mean-field interactions. The collapse and revival times depend on the relative strengths of the mean-field interactions for the two components and the initial quantum state of the condensate.