Observation of Resonance Condensation of Fermionic Atom Pairs

C. A. Regal, M. Greiner, and D. S. Jin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 040403 – Published 28 January 2004

Abstract

We have observed condensation of fermionic atom pairs in the BCS-BEC crossover regime. A trapped gas of fermionic K40 atoms is evaporatively cooled to quantum degeneracy and then a magnetic-field Feshbach resonance is used to control the atom-atom interactions. The location of this resonance is precisely determined from low-density measurements of molecule dissociation. In order to search for condensation on either side of the resonance, we introduce a technique that pairwise projects fermionic atoms onto molecules; this enables us to measure the momentum distribution of fermionic atom pairs. The transition to condensation of fermionic atom pairs is mapped out as a function of the initial atom gas temperature T compared to the Fermi temperature TF for magnetic-field detunings on both the BCS and BEC sides of the resonance.

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  • Received 13 January 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.040403

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. A. Regal, M. Greiner, and D. S. Jin*

  • JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA

  • *Permanent address: Quantum Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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Vol. 92, Iss. 4 — 30 January 2004

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