Long phase coherence time and number squeezing of two Bose-Einstein condensates on an atom chip.
We measure the relative phase of two Bose-Einstein condensates confined in a radio frequency induced double-well potential on an atom chip. We observe phase coherence between the separated condensates for times up to approximately 200 ms after splitting, a factor of 10 longer than the phase diffusion time expected for a coherent state for our experimental conditions. The enhanced coherence time is attributed to number squeezing of the initial state by a factor of 10. In addition, we demonstrate a rotationally sensitive (Sagnac) geometry for a guided atom interferometer by propagating the split condensates.
Jo
G-B
GB
MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Shin
Y
Y
Will
S
S
Pasquini
T A
TA
Saba
M
M
Ketterle
W
W
Pritchard
D E
DE
Vengalattore
M
M
Prentiss
M
M