Bragg Scattering as a Probe of Atomic Wave Functions and Quantum Phase Transitions in Optical Lattices

Hirokazu Miyake, Georgios A. Siviloglou, Graciana Puentes, David E. Pritchard, Wolfgang Ketterle, David M. Weld
2011 Physical Review Letters  
We have observed Bragg scattering of photons from quantum degenerate ^87Rb atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. Bragg scattered light directly probes the microscopic crystal structure and atomic wavefunction whose position and momentum width is Heisenberg-limited. The spatial coherence of the wavefunction leads to revivals in the Bragg scattered light due to the atomic Talbot effect. The decay of revivals across the superfluid to Mott insulator transition indicates the loss of superfluid coherence.
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.107.175302 pmid:22107532 fatcat:vc4k3kj4i5dspkulfa6rbbilci