Observation of Anomalous Spin-State Segregation in a Trapped Ultracold Vapor

Authors

Dwight L. Whitaker, Pomona CollegeFollow
H. J. Lewandowski
D. M. Harber
E. A. Cornell

Document Type

Article

Department

Physics (Pomona)

Publication Date

1-30-2002

Keywords

Condensed matter

Abstract

We observe counterintuitive spin segregation in an inhomogeneous sample of ultracold, noncondensed rubidium atoms in a magnetic trap. We use spatially selective microwave spectroscopy to verify a model that accounts for the differential forces on two internal spin states. In any simple understanding of the cloud dynamics, the forces are far too small to account for the dramatic transient spin polarizations observed. The underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated.

Comments

Publisher pdf posted with permission. Previously linked to as: http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/u?/irw,510

Rights Information

© 2002 American Physical Society

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.070403

Recommended Citation

"Observation of Anomalous Spin-State Segregation in a Trapped Ultracold Vapor," H. J. Lewandowski, D. M. Harber, D. L. Whitaker, and E. A. Cornell, Phys. Rev. Lett., 88, 070403, (2002). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.070403.