Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:cond-mat/0203286 · Physical Review Letters

Generation of Macroscopic Pair-Correlated Atomic Beams by Four-Wave Mixing in Bose-Einstein Condensates

J. M. M. J. Vogels, K. Xu, Wolfgang Ketterle

Published Jun 24, 2002• 131 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

By colliding two Bose-Einstein condensates, we have observed strong bosonic stimulation of the elastic scattering process. When a weak input beam was applied as a seed, it was amplified by a factor of 20. This large gain atomic four-wave mixing resulted in the generation of two macroscopically occupied pair-correlated atomic beams.
DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.89.020401

Related papers

Paired-atom laser beams created via four-wave mixing

R. G. Dall, L. J. Byron, Andrew G. Truscott +3 more

A method to create paired-atom laser beams from a metastable helium atom laser via four-wave mixing is demonstrated. Radio-frequency outcoupling is used to extract atoms from a Bose-Einstein condensate near the center of the condensate and initiate scattering between trapped and untrapped atoms. The unequal strengths of the interactions for different internal states allows an energy-momentum resonance which leads to the creation of pairs of atoms scattered from the zero-velocity condensate. The resulting scattered beams are well separated from the main atom laser in the two-dimensional transverse atom laser profile. Numerical simulations of the system are in good agreement with the observed atom laser spatial profiles and indicate that the scattered beams are generated by a four-wave mixing process, suggesting that the beams are correlated.

arXiv:0806.0212•Physical Review A•Jan 9, 2009•42 citations

Atom-atom correlations in spontaneous four wave mixing of two colliding Bose-Einstein Condensates

A. Perrin, Hong Chang, Valentina Krachmalnicoff +4 more

We study atom scattering from two colliding Bose-Einstein condensates using a position sensitive, time resolved, single atom detector. In analogy to quantum optics, the process can also be thought of as spontaneous, degenerate four wave mixing of de Broglie waves. We find a clear correlation between atoms with opposite momenta, demonstrating pair production in the scattering process. We also observe a Hanbury Brown and Twiss correlation for collinear momenta, which permits an independent measurement of the size of the pair production source and thus the size of the spatial mode. The back to back pairs occupy very nearly two oppositely directed spatial modes, a promising feature for future quantum optics experiments.

•Apr 23, 2007•0 citations

Observation of Atom Pairs in Spontaneous Four-Wave Mixing of Two Colliding Bose-Einstein Condensates

A. Perrin, Hong Chang, Valentina Krachmalnicoff +4 more

We study atom scattering from two colliding Bose-Einstein condensates using a position sensitive, time resolved, single atom detector. In analogy to quantum optics, the process can also be thought of as spontaneous, degenerate four-wave mixing of de Broglie waves. We find a clear correlation between atoms with opposite momenta, demonstrating pair production in the scattering process. We also observe a Hanbury Brown-Twiss correlation for collinear momenta, which permits an independent measurement of the size of the pair production source and thus the size of the spatial mode. The back-to-back pairs occupy very nearly two oppositely directed spatial modes, a promising feature for future quantum optics experiments.

arXiv:0704.3047•Physical Review Letters•Oct 12, 2007•159 citations

The Onset of Matter-Wave Amplification in a Superradiant Bose-Einstein Condensate

Dominik Schneble, Yoshio Torii, Micah Boyd +3 more

The interaction of short and strong laser pulses with an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate is found to generate patterns of recoiling atoms that are different from those seen in previous light-scattering experiments. This phenomenon can only be explained by optical stimulation, showing that the previous description of superradiance as atomic stimulation is incomplete and that matter-wave amplification in Bose-Einstein condensates is suppressed at short times. Our experiments clarify the nature of bosonic stimulation in the four-wave mixing of light and atoms.

Science•Apr 17, 2003•187 citations

Useful models of four-wave mixing in Bose–Einstein condensates

E. Infeld, Marek Trippenbach

A recent experiment demonstrated four-wave mixing of wavepackets in a sodium Bose–Einstein condensate (Deng et al 1999 Nature 398 218). This was followed by a theoretical and numerical treatment of the experiment (Trippenbach et al 2000 Phys. Rev. A 62 02368). In the experiment, a short period of free expansion of the condensate, after release from the magnetic trap, was followed by a set of two Bragg pulses which created moving wavepackets. These wavepackets, due to nonlinear interaction and under phase-matching conditions, created a new momentum component in a four-wave mixing process. We propose simple mathematical models for this process. Next we suggest that, instead of exactly matching the frequencies as in the abovementioned experiments, we introduce a small mismatch in the energies, and therefore the frequencies Δω. We show that such a small mismatch can compensate for the initial phases that are built on the condensate during free expansion. A physical explanation is offered. This compensation can improve the efficiency of four-wave mixing; in some cases even increasing it by a factor of 2. We also deal with the situation where two strong wavepackets are accompanied by a weak input beam applied as a seed both with and without a mismatch. Here the influence of the mismatch is less obviously beneficial. We also comment on recent work by Ketterle's group (Vogels et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 020401).

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Oct 14, 2003•2 citations

Atomic four-wave mixing via condensates collisions

A. Perrin, C. M. Savage, Valentina Krachmalnicoff +4 more

We perform first principles quantum simulations of atomic four-wave mixing via a collision of two Bose-Einstein condensates of metastable helium atoms. We analyse the collinear and back-to-back pair correlations of atoms on the s-wave scattering halo. The results provide qualitative and quantitative understanding of the recent experiments at Orsay [A. Perrin et al., arXiv: 0704.3047].

Quantum-Atom Optics Downunder (QAO)•Jan 1, 2007•1 citation
A method to create paired-atom laser beams from a metastable helium atom laser via four-wave mixing is demonstrated. Radio-frequency outcoupling is used to extract atoms from a Bose-Einstein condensate near the center of the condensate and initiate scattering between trapped and untrapped atoms. The unequal strengths of the interactions for different internal states allows an energy-momentum resonance which leads to the creation of pairs of atoms scattered from the zero-velocity condensate. The resulting scattered beams are well separated from the main atom laser in the two-dimensional transverse atom laser profile. Numerical simulations of the system are in good agreement with the observed atom laser spatial profiles and indicate that the scattered beams are generated by a four-wave mixing process, suggesting that the beams are correlated.
We study atom scattering from two colliding Bose-Einstein condensates using a position sensitive, time resolved, single atom detector. In analogy to quantum optics, the process can also be thought of as spontaneous, degenerate four wave mixing of de Broglie waves. We find a clear correlation between atoms with opposite momenta, demonstrating pair production in the scattering process. We also observe a Hanbury Brown and Twiss correlation for collinear momenta, which permits an independent measurement of the size of the pair production source and thus the size of the spatial mode. The back to back pairs occupy very nearly two oppositely directed spatial modes, a promising feature for future quantum optics experiments.
We study atom scattering from two colliding Bose-Einstein condensates using a position sensitive, time resolved, single atom detector. In analogy to quantum optics, the process can also be thought of as spontaneous, degenerate four-wave mixing of de Broglie waves. We find a clear correlation between atoms with opposite momenta, demonstrating pair production in the scattering process. We also observe a Hanbury Brown-Twiss correlation for collinear momenta, which permits an independent measurement of the size of the pair production source and thus the size of the spatial mode. The back-to-back pairs occupy very nearly two oppositely directed spatial modes, a promising feature for future quantum optics experiments.
The interaction of short and strong laser pulses with an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate is found to generate patterns of recoiling atoms that are different from those seen in previous light-scattering experiments. This phenomenon can only be explained by optical stimulation, showing that the previous description of superradiance as atomic stimulation is incomplete and that matter-wave amplification in Bose-Einstein condensates is suppressed at short times. Our experiments clarify the nature of bosonic stimulation in the four-wave mixing of light and atoms.
A recent experiment demonstrated four-wave mixing of wavepackets in a sodium Bose–Einstein condensate (Deng et al 1999 Nature 398 218). This was followed by a theoretical and numerical treatment of the experiment (Trippenbach et al 2000 Phys. Rev. A 62 02368). In the experiment, a short period of free expansion of the condensate, after release from the magnetic trap, was followed by a set of two Bragg pulses which created moving wavepackets. These wavepackets, due to nonlinear interaction and under phase-matching conditions, created a new momentum component in a four-wave mixing process. We propose simple mathematical models for this process. Next we suggest that, instead of exactly matching the frequencies as in the abovementioned experiments, we introduce a small mismatch in the energies, and therefore the frequencies Δω. We show that such a small mismatch can compensate for the initial phases that are built on the condensate during free expansion. A physical explanation is offered. This compensation can improve the efficiency of four-wave mixing; in some cases even increasing it by a factor of 2. We also deal with the situation where two strong wavepackets are accompanied by a weak input beam applied as a seed both with and without a mismatch. Here the influence of the mismatch is less obviously beneficial. We also comment on recent work by Ketterle's group (Vogels et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 020401).