Strong dipolar effects in a quantum ferrofluid

Year: 2007

Authors: Lahaye T., Koch T., Fröhlich B., Fattori M., Metz J., Griesmaier A., Giovanazzi S., Pfau T.

Autors Affiliation: 5. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany

Abstract: Symmetry-breaking interactions have a crucial role in many areas of physics, ranging from classical ferrofluids to superfluid 3He and d-wave superconductivity. For superfluid quantum gases, a variety of new physical phenomena arising from the symmetry-breaking interaction between electric or magnetic dipoles are expected. Novel quantum phases in optical lattices, such as chequerboard or supersolid phases, are predicted for dipolar bosons. Dipolar interactions can also enrich considerably the physics of quantum gases with internal degrees of freedom. Arrays of dipolar particles could be used for efficient quantum information processing. Here we report the realization of a chromium Bose-Einstein condensate with strong dipolar interactions. By using a Feshbach resonance, we reduce the usual isotropic contact interaction, such that the anisotropic magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between 52Cr atoms becomes comparable in strength. This induces a change of the aspect ratio of the atom cloud; for strong dipolar interactions, the inversion of ellipticity during expansion (the usual

Journal/Review: NATURE

Volume: 448 (7154)      Pages from: 672  to: 675

More Information: We thank L. Santos for discussions and J. Stuhler for contributions in the initial phases of the experiment. We acknowledge financial support by the German Science Foundation (SFB/TRR21) and the EU (Marie-Curie fellowship to T.L.).
KeyWords: chromium, anisotropy; chromium; hydrodynamics; resonance; superconductivity, anisotropy; article; atom; dipole; ferrofluid; gas; hydrodynamics; liquid; molecular interaction; polymerization; priority journal; quantum mechanics
DOI: 10.1038/nature06036

ImpactFactor: 28.751
Citations: 405
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