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APS

Buffer-Gas Cooled Bose-Einstein Condensate

Wolfgang Ketterle, Colin B. Connolly, John M. Doyle, S. Charles Doret

Published Sep 1, 2009• 0 citations
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Abstract

We report the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate using buffer-gas cooling, the first realization of Bose-Einstein condensation using a broadly general method which relies neither on laser cooling nor unique atom-surface properties. Metastable helium ([superscript 4]He[superscript *]) is buffer-gas cooled, magnetically trapped, and evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy. 10[superscript 11] atoms are initially trapped, leading to Bose-Einstein condensation at a critical temperature of 5 μK and threshold atom number of 1.1×10 [superscript 6]. This method is applicable to a wide array of paramagnetic atoms and molecules, many of which are impractical to laser cool and impossible to surface cool.

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We report the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate using buffer-gas cooling, the first realization of Bose-Einstein condensation using a broadly general method which relies neither on laser cooling nor unique atom-surface properties. Metastable helium ([superscript 4]He[superscript *]) is buffer-gas cooled, magnetically trapped, and evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy. 10[superscript 11] atoms are initially trapped, leading to Bose-Einstein condensation at a critical temperature of 5 μK and threshold atom number of 1.1×10 [superscript 6]. This method is applicable to a wide array of paramagnetic atoms and molecules, many of which are impractical to laser cool and impossible to surface cool.
We report the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate using buffer-gas cooling, the first realization of Bose-Einstein condensation using a broadly general method which relies neither on laser cooling nor unique atom-surface properties. Metastable helium (\\(^4\\)He*) is buffer-gas cooled, magnetically trapped, and evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy. 10\\(^{11}\\) atoms are initially trapped, leading to Bose-Einstein condensation at a critical temperature of \\(5 \\mu K\\) and threshold atom number of 1.1×10\\(^6\\). This method is applicable to a wide array of paramagnetic atoms and molecules, many of which are impractical to laser cool and impossible to surface cool.
We report the creation of a Bose-Einstein condensate using buffer-gas cooling, the first realization of Bose-Einstein condensation using a broadly general method which relies neither on laser cooling nor unique atom-surface properties. Metastable helium ((4)He*) is buffer-gas cooled, magnetically trapped, and evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy. 10(11) atoms are initially trapped, leading to Bose-Einstein condensation at a critical temperature of 5 microK and threshold atom number of 1.1 x 10(6). This method is applicable to a wide array of paramagnetic atoms and molecules, many of which are impractical to laser cool and impossible to surface cool.
Bose–Einstein condensation in a gas has now been achieved. Atoms are cooled to the point of condensation using laser cooling and trapping, followed by magnetic trapping and evaporative cooling. These techniques are explained, as well as the techniques by which we observe the cold atom samples. Three different signatures of Bose–Einstein condensation are described. A number of properties of the condensate, including collective excitations, distortions of the wave function by interactions, and the fraction of atoms in the condensate versus temperature, have also been measured.
This article first provides guide lines for the understanding of laser cooling and Bose Einstein Condensation, with a general bibliography of the domain. Some details are given about the case of an ultracold gas of helium atoms in the 23S1 metastable state. Obtention of BEC will be recalled, with discussion of the inhibition of Penning ionization collisions. Recent studies at ENS with photoassociation methods will be summarized, including the formation of giant dimers providing another example of ionization inhibition.
Metastable helium is buffer gas cooled, magnetically trapped, and evaporatively cooled in large numbers. 1011{10}^{11}1011 4He∗^{4}\mathrm{He}^{*}4He∗ atoms are trapped at an initial temperature of 400mK400\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}400mK and evaporatively cooled into the ultracold regime, resulting in a cloud of $2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ atoms at $1.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK}$. Efficient evaporation indicates low collisional loss for 4He∗^{4}\mathrm{He}^{*}4He∗ in both the ultracold and multi-partial-wave regime, in agreement with theory.