Atom holography

We study the conditions under which atomic condensates can be used as holographic recording media and then suggest a scheme which allows us to reconstruct the original object with an atomic reading beam. The recording method relies on the observation that the shape of a condensate in the Thomas-Fermi limit closely follows the form of the confining potential. Holographic information can thus be stored as density modulations. The reading scheme proceeds in analogy to optical Fresnel sideband holography with an atomic beam replacing the reading laser.