Waveguide for Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract

We report on the creation of Bose-Einstein condensates of 87Rb in a specially designed hybrid, optical dipole and magnetic trap. This trap naturally allows the coherent transfer of matter waves into a pure optical dipole potential waveguide based on a doughnut beam. Specifically, we present studies of the coherence of the ensemble in the hybrid trap and during the evolution in the waveguide by means of an autocorrelation interferometer scheme. We observe a mean-field dominated acceleration in the waveguide on a much longer time scale than in the free three-dimensional expansion. ©2001 The American Physical Society.