Interference of a variable number of coherent atomic sources

Abstract

We have studied the interference of a variable number of independently created $m_F=0$ microcondensates in a CO${}_2$-laser optical lattice. The observed average interference contrast decreases with condensate number N. Our experimental results agree well with the predictions of a random walk model. While the exact result can be given in terms of Kluyver's formula, for a large number of sources a $1/\sqrt{N}$ scaling of the average fringe contrast is obtained. This scaling law is found to be of more general applicability when quantifying the decay of coherence of an ensemble with N independently phased sources.

References in corpus (4)

• Interference of an array of independent Bose-Einstein condensates
• Correlation functions of cold bosons in an optical lattice
• Bose-Einstein Condensation in a CO_2-laser Optical Dipole Trap
• Interference between a large number of independent Bose-Einstein condensates

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• Experimental generalized quantum suppression law in Sylvester interferometers
• Order indices and entanglement production in quantum systems
• Entanglement production with Bose atoms in optical lattices
• Order in the interference of a long chain of Bose condensates with unrestricted phases
• Quantum suppression law in a 3-D photonic chip implementing the Fast Fourier Transform
• Interference of an array of atom lasers
• Transient first-order interference of two independent thermal light beams