Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid
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Macroscopic quantum phenomena in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates

Fernando Sols and Sigmund Kohler
in Macroscopic Quantum Coherence and Quantum Computing, edited by D. Averin, B. Ruggiero, and P. Silvestrini (Kluwer Academic, New York, 2001), p.41-50
We review some aspects of the physics of macroscopic quantum phenomena in Bose-Einstein condensates. Depending on the relative strength of the interaction and Josephson coupling energies, a double condensate may exhibit three different regimes: Rabi, Josephson, and Fock. In a macroscopic quantum interference experiment, the relative phase of two independent condensates may become well-defined when atoms emitted from them are forced to interfere. This process competes with the ballistic randomization of the phase due to interactions. A steady state is reached when the phase becomes defined by the detections at the same rate at which it is randomized. The resulting quantum phase uncertainty sets a fundamental limit to the achievable phase resolution.

[ICMM-CSIC] [Condensed Matter Theory]
last modified: 18.11.2024 by Sigmund Kohler