title: Superposition of macroscopic numbers of atoms and molecules.
abstract: We theoretically examine photoassociation of a nonideal Bose-Einstein condensate, focusing on evidence for a macroscopic superposition of atoms and molecules. This problem raises an interest because, rather than two states of a given object, an atom-molecule system is a seemingly impossible macroscopic superposition of different objects. Nevertheless, photoassociation enables coherent intraparticle conversion, and we thereby propose a viable scheme for creating a superposition of a macroscopic number of atoms with a macroscopic number of molecules.
authors.affiliation: Helsinki Institute of Physics, PL 64, FIN-00014 Helsingin yliopisto, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calsamiglia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mackie
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Suominen