Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensates: A Model for Macroscopic Quantum Systems

Fernando Sols, Sigmund Kohler

Kendall B. Davis, M.‐O. Mewes, Michael R. Andrews +4 more

Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) has been observed in a dilute gas of sodium atoms. A Bose-Einstein condensate consists of a macroscopic population of the ground state of the system, and is a coherent state of matter. In an ideal gas, this phase transition is purely quantum-statistical. The study of BEC in weakly interacting systems which can be controlled and observed with precision holds the promise of revealing new macroscopic quantum phenomena that can be understood from first principles.

Matteo Fadel

N. J. van Druten, Dallin Durfee, Kendall B. Davis +4 more

Summary form only given. Bose-Einstein condensation (BEG) has been observed in a dilute gas of sodium atoms. A Bose-Einstein condensate consists of a macroscopic population of the ground state of the system and is a coherent state of matter. In an ideal gas, this phase transition is purely quantum statistical. The study of BEC in weakly interacting systems that can be controlled and observed with precision holds the promise of revealing new macroscopic quantum phenomena that can be understood from first principles.

Claude N. Cohen-Tannoudji

Yan Ke-zhu, TAN WEI-HAN

Based on the numerical wave function solutions of neutral atoms with attractive interaction in a harmonic trap, we propose an exactly solvable model for macroscopic quantum tunneling of a Bose condensate with attractive interaction. We calculate the rate of macroscopic quantum tunneling from a metastable condensate state to the collapse state and analyze the stability of the attractive Bose-Einstein condensation.