Cold Trapped Atoms: A Mesoscopic System
Abstract
Description
The Bose-Einstein condensates recently created in trapped atomic gases are mesoscopic systems, in two senses: (a) Their size fall between macroscopic and microscopic systems; (b) They have a quantum phase that can be manipulated in experiments. We review the theoretical and experimental facts about trapped atomic gases, and give examples that emphasize their mesoscopic characters. One is the dynamics of collapse of a condensate with attractive interactions. The other is the creation of a 1D kink soliton that can be used as a mode-locked atom laser.
21 pages, 18 eps figures; email to huang@lns.mit.edu ; Expanded version of an invited talk given at the third joint meeting of Chinese physicists worldwide, Chinese University of Hong Kong, August, 2000
21 pages, 18 eps figures; email to huang@lns.mit.edu ; Expanded version of an invited talk given at the third joint meeting of Chinese physicists worldwide, Chinese University of Hong Kong, August, 2000