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arXiv:cond-mat/0107032 · Physical Review Letters

Atom Laser Divergence

Yann Le Coq, Joseph H. Thywissen, S. A. Rangwala, Fabrice Gerbier, S. Richard, Guillaume Delannoy, Philippe Bouyer, Alain Aspect

Published Oct 8, 2001• 75 citations
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Abstract

We measure the angular divergence of a quasicontinuous, rf-outcoupled, free-falling atom laser as a function of the outcoupling frequency. The data are compared to a Gaussian-beam model of laser propagation that generalizes the standard formalism of photonic lasers. Our treatment includes diffraction, magnetic lensing, and interaction between the atom laser and the condensate. We find that the dominant source of divergence is the condensate-laser interaction.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.87.170403

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