1997/01/31 by M. R. Andrews, C. G. Townsend, H.‐J. Miesner +3 · 14 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
paper · doi:10.1126/science.275.5300.637
openalex publication_date 1997/01/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Interference between two freely expanding Bose-Einstein condensates has been observed. Two condensates separated by approximately 40 micrometers were created by evaporatively cooling sodium atoms in a double-well potential formed by magnetic and optical forces. High-contrast matter-wave interference fringes with a period of approximately 15 micrometers were observed after switching off the potential and letting the condensates expand for 40 milliseconds and overlap. This demonstrates that Bose condensed atoms are "laser-like"; that is, they are coherent and show long-range correlations. These results have direct implications for the atom laser and the Josephson effect for atoms.