This is the first book devoted to Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) as an interdisciplinary subject, covering atomic and molecular physics, laser physics, low temperature physics and astrophysics. It contains 18 authoritative review articles on experimental and theoretical research in BEC and associated phenomena. Bose–Einstein condensation is a phase transition in which a macroscopic number of particles all go into the same quantum state. It has been known for some time that this phenomenon gives rise to superfluidity in liquid helium but recent research has focused on the search for BEC in other condensed matter systems, such as excitons, spin-polarised hydrogen, laser-cooled atoms, high-temperature superconductors and subatomic matter. This unique book gives an in-depth report on progress in this field and suggests promising research topics for the future. It will be of interest to graduate students and research workers in condensed matter, low temperature, atomic and laser physics.
This is the first book devoted to Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) as an interdisciplinary subject, covering atomic and molecular physics, laser physics, low temperature physics and astrophysics. It contains 18 authoritative review articles on experimental and theoretical research in BEC and associated phenomena. Bose–Einstein condensation is a phase transition in which a macroscopic number of particles all go into the same quantum state. It has been known for some time that this phenomenon gives rise to superfluidity in liquid helium but recent research has focused on the search for BEC in other condensed matter systems, such as excitons, spin-polarised hydrogen, laser-cooled atoms, high-temperature superconductors and subatomic matter. This unique book gives an in-depth report on progress in this field and suggests promising research topics for the future. It will be of interest to graduate students and research workers in condensed matter, low temperature, atomic and laser physics.
Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons is a unique effect in which the electronic states of a solid can self-organize to acquire quantum phase coherence. The phenomenon is closely linked to Bose-Einstein condensation in other systems such as liquid helium and laser-cooled atomic gases. This is the first book to provide a comprehensive survey of this field, covering theoretical aspects as well as recent experimental work. After setting out the relevant basic physics of excitons, the authors discuss exciton-phonon interactions as well as the behaviour of biexcitons. They cover exciton phase transitions and give particular attention to nonlinear optical effects including the optical Stark effect and chaos in excitonic systems. The thermodynamics of equilibrium, quasi-equilibrium, and nonequilibrium systems are examined in detail. The authors interweave theoretical and experimental results throughout the book, and it will be of great interest to graduate students and researchers in semiconductor and superconductor physics, quantum optics, and atomic physics.
Following an explosion of research on Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) ignited by demonstration of the effect by 2001 Nobel prize winners Cornell, Wieman and Ketterle, this book surveys the field of BEC studies. Written by experts in the field, it focuses on Bose–Einstein condensation as a universal phenomenon, covering topics such as cold atoms, magnetic and optical condensates in solids, liquid helium and field theory. Summarising general theoretical concepts and the research to date - including novel experimental realisations in previously inaccessible systems and their theoretical interpretation - it is an excellent resource for researchers and students in theoretical and experimental physics who wish to learn of the general themes of BEC in different subfields.
As was shown by Einstein in 1924, Bose-Einstein statistics gives rise to a phase transition in which a macroscopic part of a gaseous state condenses into a phase with ground state properties, offering a unique view on the behavior of matter at zero temperature. From the very start the nature of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) has provoked statements concerning its relation with respect to superconductivity in electron gases (Einstein 1925) and the superfluidity of liquid helium (London 1938), but this connection is not easily grasped experimentally. Remarkably, although the concept of BEC appears routinely in very different contexts, ranging from excitons in semiconductors to nuclear matter, it had never been observed in its pure form, i.e., in a gaseous phase, until in 1995 BEC in ultracold Rb vapor was reported by Cornell and Wieman. Bose-Einstein condensation is probably the most exciting phenomenon currently under experimental investigation in ultracold atomic gases. In the tutorial the physics will be addressed which is at the roots of the current interest of BEC in atomic gases.
The study of Bose-Einstein condensation has undergone a remarkable expansion during the last twenty years. Observations of this phenomenon have been reported in a number of diverse atomic, optical, and condensed matter systems, facilitated by remarkable experimental advances. The synergy of experimental and theoretical work in this broad research area is unique, leading to the establishment of Bose-Einstein condensation as a universal interdisciplinary area of modern physics. This chapter reviews the broad expansion of Bose-Einstein condensation physics in the past two decades. Introduction The field of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) has undergone an explosive expansion during the past twenty years. Newcomers to this field are now often introduced to this as a universal phenomenon, which nonetheless exhibits diverse (and sometimes strikingly different) manifestations. Despite such differences, the common underlying theme creates a unique identity across many different energy and length scales. The study of BEC as a universal phenomenon was highlighted in a focused conference in 1993, leading to the publication of the well-known “green book” [1], which surveyed the breadth of the field of condensate physics at that time. The success of the conference led to a second meeting in 1995, at which Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman announced the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation of ultracold 87 Rb atoms in a harmonic trap. That work began an explosion of new research in the field of cold atoms, which has continued to this day, and this very success inevitably led many of those studying cold atoms to pay less attention to other types of condensates. Wolfgang Ketterle gives a historical overview of this exciting period of time in Chapter 3. Recently, various scientific meetings have worked to re-establish the physical connections across different BEC systems, and in 2013 a workshop was held with the focused goal of improving communications across disciplines. This present book is an outgrowth of that meeting. The Situation Before the Revolution Because of the great success of the cold atom BEC and other BEC systems in the past twenty years, it may be hard for young scientists to understand the climate of BEC research in the early 1990s. At that time, there was only one known example of BEC, namely liquid helium-4, and there was a small but vocal minority of scientists who questioned whether BEC was established even in that system.
Bose-Einstein condensation is an exciting physical phenomenon. It was predicted in 1924 and experimentally produced in 1995 using powerful laser cooling techniques. Bose condensed gases become one of most emerging field of modern physics, embracing many area namely atomic and molecular physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, quantum optics, and condensed matter physics. The advent of these quantum degenerate gases opens intriguing prospects for precision measurements, quantum information, and novel phases of matter. The book presents a new thorough theory treating Bose condensed gases at finite temperatures with extremely distinct background. The approach proved useful, efficient and successful as a theoretical mean to study all aspects of ultracold gases at finite temperatures. Equilibrium and dynamic properties, superfluidity and vortices, anomalous correlations, quantum mixtures and long range interactions are among the topics covered in this book. The book is written in a pedagogical style and features sufficient elementary background material. It can be therefore, accessible to all scientists from graduate students to senior researchers in cold atoms physics.
This reference book explains the fundamentals of Bose Einstein Condensation (BEC) in excitons and polaritons. It presents five chapters exploring fundamental concepts and recent developments on the subject. Starting with a historical overview of BEC, the book progresses into the origins and behaviors of excitons and polaritons. Chapters also cover the unique thermalization and relaxation kinetics of excitons, and the distinctive features of polaritons, such as lasing, superfluidity, and quantized vortices. The chapters dedicated to BEC in excitons and polaritons detail experimental techniques, theoretical modeling, recent advancements, and practical applications in a simplified way for beginners. This book serves as a resource for researchers, physicists, and students interested in the phenomena of BEC, providing insights into both the theoretical foundations and the practical implications of excitons and polaritons.