Abstract

Aidan Arnold

SUPA , Dept. of Physics, University of Strathclyde, http://www.photonics.phys.strath.ac.uk/

The concept of atoms as particles is familiar to many, however at the microscopic level classical physics breaks down, and we enter the wave-like realm of quantum mechanics. If vapours of bosons are cold and dense enough a phase transition occurs in which all of the atoms coalesce into the same (lowest energy) quantum state – a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), in which all of the atomic wave-functions are coherent. These “atom lasers” are extremely cold (~50nK) and allow textbook quantum mechanics to be played out on a simple CCD camera. I will give an overview of the processes required to obtain BEC , before discussing how we make our 10cm diameter BEC storage ring and present recent experimental results including a gravitational beamsplitter for BECs. Our system will be ideal for studying condensate collisions and for precise Sagnac interferometry. Future plans for ring and ring lattice BEC experiments at Strathclyde will also be summarised.