arXiv:cond-mat/0012463 · Physical Review A
Testing broken U(1) symmetry in a two-component atomic Bose-Einstein condensate
Christopher P. Search
Abstract
We present a scheme for determining if the quantum state of a small trapped atomic Bose-Einstein condensate is a state with a well-defined number of atoms, a Fock state, or a state with a broken U(1) gauge symmetry, a coherent state. The proposal is based on the observation of Ramsey fringes. The population difference measured by a Ramsey fringe experiment will exhibit collapse and revivals due to the mean-field interactions. The collapse and revival times depend on the relative strengths of the mean-field interactions for the two components and the initial quantum state of the condensate.