Abstract
We study the dynamics of ultracold atoms trapped in optical double-well potentials in presence of noise generated by an external environment. When prepared in a Fock number state, the system shows phase coherence in the averaged density profile obtained using standard absorption image techniques, that disappears in absence of noise. This effect indicates that also in many-body systems an external environment may enhance quantum coherence, instead of destroying it.
- Received 12 August 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.78.052118
©2008 American Physical Society