What is an atom laser?
| dc.creator | Wiseman, Howard M. | |
| dc.date | 1996-11-20 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T06:14:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T06:14:03Z | |
| dc.description | An atom laser is a hypothetical device which would produce an atomic field analogous to the electromagnetic field of a photon laser. Here I argue that for this analogy to be meaningful it is necessary to have a precise definition of a laser which applies equally to photon or atom lasers. The definition I propose is based upon the principle that the output of a laser is well-approximated by a classical wave of fixed intensity and phase. This principle yields four quantitative conditions which the output of a device must satisfy in order for that device to be considered a laser. While explaining these requirements, I analyse the similarities and differences between atom and photon lasers. I show how these conditions are satisfied first by an idealized photon laser model, and then by a more generic model which can apply to atom lasers also. Lastly, I briefly discuss the current proposals for atom lasers and whether they could be true lasers. | |
| dc.description | 18 pages, LaTeX. No figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. A on 19 November 1996 | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9611033 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9611033 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/93321 | |
| dc.subject | Quantum Physics | |
| dc.title | What is an atom laser? | |
| dc.type | text |