Abstract : We investigate theoretically an original route to achieve Bose-Einstein condensation using dark power-law laser traps. We propose to create such traps with two crossing blue-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian optical beams. Controlling their azimuthal order ℓℓ allows for the exploration of a multitude of power-law trapping situations in one, two and three dimensions, ranging from the usual harmonic trap to an almost square-well potential, in which a quasi-homogeneous Bose gas can be formed. The usual cigar-shaped and disk-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates obtained in a 1D or 2D harmonic trap take the generic form of a « finger » or of a « hockey puck » in such Laguerre-Gaussian traps. In addition, for a fixed atom number, higher transition temperatures are obtained in such configurations when compared with a harmonic trap of same volume. This effect, which results in a substantial acceleration of the condensation dynamics, requires a better but still reasonable focusing of the Laguerre-Gaussian beams.
Amine Jaouadi 1, 2 Naceur Gaaloul 3 Bruno Viaris de Lesegno 4 Mourad Telmini 1 Laurence Pruvost 4 Eric Charron 5, *
* Auteur correspondant
1 LSAMA – Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Atomique, Moléculaire et Applications
2 ISMO – Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay
3 IQ – Institut für Quantenoptik [Hannover]
4 LAC – Laboratoire Aimé Cotton
5 Approches théoriques en dynamique quantique
ISMO – Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay
