Optical Confinement of a Bose-Einstein Condensate

Bose-Einstein condensates of sodium atoms have been confined in an optical dipole trap using a single focused infrared laser beam. This eliminates the restrictions of magnetic traps for further studies of atom lasers and Bose-Einstein condensates. More than 5×106 condensed atoms were transferred into the optical trap. Densities of up to 3×1015cm−3 of Bose condensed atoms were obtained, allowing for a measurement of the three-body loss rate constant for sodium condensates as K3=1.1(3)×10−30cm6s−1. At lower densities, the observed 1/e lifetime was longer than 10 s. Simultaneous confinement of Bose-Einstein condensates in several hyperfine states was demonstrated.

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5 pages, 4 figures

03.75.Fi
05.30.Jp
64.60.-i
32.80.Pj

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