Phys.org June 14, 2022
Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) are important to quantum simulation and sensing. A long-standing constraint for quantum gas devices has been the need to execute cooling stages time-sequentially, restricting these devices to pulsed operation. Researchers in the Netherlands demonstrated continuous Bose–Einstein condensation by creating a continuous-wave (CW) condensate of strontium atoms that lasts indefinitely. The coherent matter wave is sustained by amplification through Bose-stimulated gain of atoms from a thermal bath. By steadily replenishing this bath while achieving 1,000 times higher phase-space densities than previous works they maintained the conditions for condensation. Their experiment is the matter wave analogue of a CW optical laser with fully reflective cavity mirrors. This proof-of-principle demonstration provides a new piece of atom optics, enabling the construction of continuous coherent-matter-wave devices…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Detection of the CW BEC. Credit: Nature (2022)Â