Abstract
As a consequence of their extremely low energy scale and superfluid nature, Bose-Einstein condensates show excellent promise in their development as probes for precision measurement of near surface potentials. We have developed a novel hybrid atom chip that combines a perpendicularly magnetised GdTbFeCo film with a current-carrying wire structure. Using standard laser cooling and magnetic trapping techniques we have produced a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of rubidium which is confined in a unique trapping potential created by the magnetic film [1]. Small spatial variations of the magnetic field near the film surface corrugate this magnetic potential and fragmentation of trapped ultracold atoms and BEC has been observed. While the corrugation potential does not vary in time, the strength of the corrugation is height dependent and can be simply controlled by varying the atom-surface separation. Moreover as the trap is moved closer to the surface higher order harmonics appear in the corrugation potential. We have identified an interesting single-well to double-well system that can be realised by applying a time varying homogenous magnetic field Bbias. Furthermore, the asymmetry of this double-well can be tuned by applying a small linear magnetic gradient. In this paper we will report on experiments that have used this double well system. For example, we have investigated the dynamic splitting of a single BEC by transforming a single well into an asymmetric double-well potential. In this experiment the relative population of the two wells is extremely sensitive to the presence of small gravitational or magnetic field gradients [2].
© 2007 IEEE
PDF ArticleMore Like This
C. Ottaviani, V. Ahufinger, R. Corbalán, and J. Mompart
EC_P5 European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC) 2009
Thomas Ernst, Tobias Paul, Peter Schlagheck, and Joachim Brand
QME15 Quantum-Atom Optics Downunder (QAO) 2007
S. Tojo, M. Iwata, A. Tomiyama, T. Kuwamoto, and T. Hirano
IB_18 International Quantum Electronics Conference (IQEC) 2007