Atoms and molecules in lattices: condensates built on a shared vacuum

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how atomic superpositions in optical lattices can be coherently converted into molecular condensates, revealing quantum coherence effects in many-body systems.

Contribution

It introduces a method to convert atomic pairs into molecules in optical lattices while preserving quantum coherence, enabling the creation of molecular condensates.

Findings

Controlled conversion of atomic pairs into molecules while maintaining coherence

Observation of macroscopic molecular condensates from lattice superpositions

Quantum coherence between vacuum and molecular states in optical lattices

Abstract

In optical lattices where each site is occupied in its lowest energy state by a superposition of zero, one and two atoms, one can in a controllable manner convert the atomic pair into a molecule while retaining the vacuum and one-atom amplitudes. The microscopic quantum coherence on each site between the vacuum and the single molecule component leads to a macroscopically populated molecular condensate when the lattice is removed.