Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 163601 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Physical Review Letters |
Volume | 122 |
Issue number | 16 |
Early online date | 22 Apr 2019 |
Publication status | Published - 26 Apr 2019 |
Abstract
Fluctuations are a key property of both classical and quantum systems. While the fluctuations are well understood for many quantum systems at zero temperature, the case of an interacting quantum system at finite temperature still poses numerous challenges. Despite intense theoretical investigations of atom number fluctuations in Bose-Einstein condensates, their amplitude in experimentally relevant interacting systems is still not fully understood. Moreover, technical limitations have prevented their experimental investigation to date. Here we report the observation of these fluctuations. Our experiments are based on a stabilization technique, which allows for the preparation of ultracold thermal clouds at the shot noise level, thereby eliminating numerous technical noise sources. Furthermore, we make use of the correlations established by the evaporative cooling process to precisely determine the fluctuations and the sample temperature. This allows us to observe a telltale signature: the sudden increase in fluctuations of the condensate atom number close to the critical temperature.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- General Physics and Astronomy
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In: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 122, No. 16, 163601, 26.04.2019.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Observation of Atom Number Fluctuations in a Bose-Einstein Condensate
AU - Kristensen, M. A.
AU - Christensen, M. B.
AU - Gajdacz, M.
AU - Iglicki, M.
AU - Pawłowski, K.
AU - Klempt, Carsten
AU - Sherson, J. F.
AU - Rzazewski, K.
AU - Hilliard, A. J.
AU - Arlt, J. J.
N1 - Funding information: M. A. K., M. B. C., M. G., J. F. S., A. J. H., and J. J. A. acknowledge support from the Villum Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation, and the Danish Council for Independent Research. This work was supported by the (Polish) National Science Center Grants No. 2014/13/D/ST2/01883 (K. P.) and No. 2015/19/B/ST2/02820 (K. R. and M. I.). C. K. acknowledges support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through Grant No. CRC 1227 (DQ-mat), project B01.
PY - 2019/4/26
Y1 - 2019/4/26
N2 - Fluctuations are a key property of both classical and quantum systems. While the fluctuations are well understood for many quantum systems at zero temperature, the case of an interacting quantum system at finite temperature still poses numerous challenges. Despite intense theoretical investigations of atom number fluctuations in Bose-Einstein condensates, their amplitude in experimentally relevant interacting systems is still not fully understood. Moreover, technical limitations have prevented their experimental investigation to date. Here we report the observation of these fluctuations. Our experiments are based on a stabilization technique, which allows for the preparation of ultracold thermal clouds at the shot noise level, thereby eliminating numerous technical noise sources. Furthermore, we make use of the correlations established by the evaporative cooling process to precisely determine the fluctuations and the sample temperature. This allows us to observe a telltale signature: the sudden increase in fluctuations of the condensate atom number close to the critical temperature.
AB - Fluctuations are a key property of both classical and quantum systems. While the fluctuations are well understood for many quantum systems at zero temperature, the case of an interacting quantum system at finite temperature still poses numerous challenges. Despite intense theoretical investigations of atom number fluctuations in Bose-Einstein condensates, their amplitude in experimentally relevant interacting systems is still not fully understood. Moreover, technical limitations have prevented their experimental investigation to date. Here we report the observation of these fluctuations. Our experiments are based on a stabilization technique, which allows for the preparation of ultracold thermal clouds at the shot noise level, thereby eliminating numerous technical noise sources. Furthermore, we make use of the correlations established by the evaporative cooling process to precisely determine the fluctuations and the sample temperature. This allows us to observe a telltale signature: the sudden increase in fluctuations of the condensate atom number close to the critical temperature.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065139512&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.48550/arXiv.1812.03064
DO - 10.48550/arXiv.1812.03064
M3 - Article
C2 - 31075024
AN - SCOPUS:85065139512
VL - 122
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
SN - 0031-9007
IS - 16
M1 - 163601
ER -