arXiv · 1108.5993
A Strongly Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensate of Dysprosium
Abstract
We report the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of the most magnetic atom, dysprosium. The Dy BEC is the first for an open f-shell lanthanide (rare-earth) element and is produced via forced evaporation in a crossed optical dipole trap loaded by an unusual, blue-detuned and spin-polarized narrow-line magneto-optical trap. Nearly pure condensates of 1.5x10^4 164Dy atoms form below T = 30 nK. We observe that stable BEC formation depends on the relative angle of a small polarizing magnetic field to the axis of the oblate trap, a property of trapped condensates only expected in the strongly dipolar regime. This regime was heretofore only attainable in Cr BECs via a Feshbach resonance accessed at high magnetic field.
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Mingwu Lu, Nathaniel Q. Burdick, Seo Ho Youn, Benjamin L. Lev. 2011-09-27. A Strongly Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensate of Dysprosium. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.107.190401
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