Dynamics of a cold atom cloud in an anharmonic trap

作者:Bertoldi Andrea*; Ricci Leonardo
来源:Physical Review A, 2010, 81(6): 063415.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevA.81.063415

摘要

A combined gravitomagnetic trap was used to measure how the anharmonicity of a trapping potential affects the dynamics of a cold atomic cloud. A displacement of the effective potential minimum as a function of the ensemble temperature was observed. The effect is a direct consequence of the thermal nature of the atomic sample. The results of both a theory approach to the dynamical evolution of the atomic cloud and a numerical simulation are in very good agreement with the experimental observations. The effect can be exploited to devise a novel measurement technique for the temperature of a trapped atomic cloud, as well as to separate thermal and condensed phases in Bose-Einstein condensation experiments.

  • 出版日期2010-6-17