Atom laser

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An atom laser is a coherent state of propagating atoms. They are created out of a Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms that are output coupled using various techniques. Much like an optical laser, an atom laser is a coherent beam that behaves like a wave.

1 Introduction
2 Physics
3 Applications
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Introduction

The first atom laser was demonstrated at MIT by Professor Wolfgang Ketterle et al in November 1996 ^[1]. Ketterle used an isotope of Rubidium and used an oscillating magnetic field as their output coupling technique, letting gravity pull off partial pieces looking much like a dripping faucet (See movie in External Links).

From the creation of the first atom laser there has been a surge in the recreation of atom lasers along with different techniques for output coupling and in general research. The current developmental stage of the atom laser is analogous to that of the optical laser during its discovery in the 1960's. To that effect the equipment and techniques are in their earliest developmental phases and still strictly in the domain of research laboratories.

[edit] Physics

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The physics of an atom laser is similar to that of an optical laser. The main differences between an optical and an atom laser are that atoms interact with themselves, cannot be created as photons can, and are massive when compared to photons^[2]. The van der Waals interaction of atoms with surfaces makes it difficult to make the atomic mirrors, typical for conventional lasers.

[edit] Applications

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Atom lasers are critical for atom holography. Similar to conventional holography atom holography uses the diffraction of atoms. De Broglie wavelength of the atoms is much smaller than the wavelength of light, so atom laser can create much higher resolution holographic images. Atom holography might be used to project complex integrated-circuit patterns, just a few nanometres in scale, onto semiconductors. Another application, which might also benefit from atom lasers, is atom interferometry.In an atom interferometer an atomic wave packet is coherently split into two wave packets that follow different paths before recombining. Atom interferometers, that are more sensitive than optical interferometers could be used to test quantum theory, and have so high precision that they may even be able to detect changes in space-time.^[3]. This is because the de Broglie wavelength of the atoms is smaller than the wavelength of light, the atoms have mass, and because the internal structure of the atom can also be exploited.