Bose-Einstein condensation in a magnetic double-well potential

TL;DR

This paper reports the first experimental realization of Bose-Einstein condensation in a magnetic double-well potential, demonstrating control over condensate dynamics and excitations using combined magnetic trapping techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a novel magnetic double-well trap using Ioffe-Pritchard and TOP methods, enabling rapid switching and manipulation of condensates.

Findings

Successful creation of Bose-Einstein condensates in a magnetic double-well.

Controlled excitation of vortices and quadrupole oscillations.

Ability to switch between double and single harmonic traps rapidly.

Abstract

We present the first experimental realisation of Bose-Einstein condensation in a purely magnetic double-well potential. This has been realised by combining a static Ioffe-Pritchard trap with a time orbiting potential (TOP). The double trap can be rapidly switched to a single harmonic trap of identical oscillation frequencies thus accelerating the two condensates towards each other. Furthermore, we show that time averaged potentials can be used as a means to control the radial confinement of the atoms. Manipulation of the radial confinement allows vortices and radial quadrupole oscillations to be excited.