Superradiant light scattering from a moving Bose–Einstein condensate

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 233; no. 1; pp. 155 - 160
• Main Authors: Bonifacio, R, Cataliotti, F.S, Cola, M, Fallani, L, Fort, C, Piovella, N, Inguscio, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.03.2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Collective atomic recoil; Cooperative phenomena; superradiance and superfluorescence; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Mechanical effects of light on atoms, molecules, electrons, and ions; Optics; Physics; Quantum optics; Superradiance; Collective atomic recoil; 03.75.−b; 42.50.Vk; 42-50.Fx; Superradiance; Rayleigh scattering; Theoretical study; Quantum optics; Atomic coherence; Experimental study; Laser beams; Cooperative phenomenon; Bose-Einstein condensation
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2004.01.027

We investigate the interaction of a moving BEC with a far detuned laser beam. Superradiant Rayleigh scattering arises from the spontaneous formation of a matter-wave grating due to the interference of two wavepackets with different momenta. The system is described by the CARL-BEC model which is a generalization of the Gross–Pitaevskii model to include the self-consistent evolution of the scattered field. The experiment gives evidence of a damping of the matter-wave grating which depends on the initial velocity of the condensate. We describe this damping in terms of a phase-diffusion decoherence process, in good agreement with the experimental results.