Abstract
We have studied the characteristics of an atom laser created by removing atoms from a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) via a two-photon Raman process. In contrast with outcoupling by RF transitions, Raman outcoupling offers spatial selectivity within the condensate and delivers significant momentum transfer to the outcoupled atoms. We develop a version of zero-temperature mean-field theory for BECs which includes the internal state of the atom and the effect of laser fields focused into the cloud. For a model condensate we find that the outcoupled matter wave develops sharp peaks at spatial positions where the two-photon Raman process is resonant with the hyperfine splitting of the atomic ground state. As time proceeds the width of the outcoupled wave expands and a steady stream of matter waves travels outside the condensate volume.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2935-2950 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics |
Volume | 32 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 28 1999 |