Matter-wave amplification in a seeded ^23Na spinor Bose-Einstein condensate
Abstract
In an F=1 spinor condensate, spin-changing interactions of atoms in the |mFA,mFB>= |0,0> state can only produce the |0,0> (unchanged) or |1,-1> states. Because of the ideally perfect correlation in the production of mF=-1 and mF=+1 atoms, the magnetization m=nmF=+1-nmF=-1 is a squeezed quadrature of the system. Here we use a microwave-dressed ^23Na Bose-Einstein condensate to create a nonlinear matter-wave amplifier which can produce spin-squeezed states. We then use microwaves to transfer a fraction of the mF=0 condensate into a coherent seed of mF=+1 atoms. After some evolution time, we show that nmF=+1 can be used as a large amplitude measurement of only a few atoms initially in the mF=-1 state. This kind of measurement may be important in achieving high phase sensitivity in Heisenberg-limited matter-wave interferometers.
- Publication:
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APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- June 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012APS..DMP.B2006W