Browsing by Author "Sackett, C. A."

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    Bose-Einstein condensation of lithium
    (SPIE, 1997) Hulet, Randy G.; Bradley, Curtis C.; Sackett, C. A.
    Bose-Einstein condensation of 7Li has been studied in a magnetically trapped gas. Because of the effectively attractive interactions between 7Li atoms, many-body quantum theory predicts that the occupation number of the condensate is limited to about 1400 atoms. We observe the condensate number to be limited to a maximum value between 650 and 1300 atoms. The measurements were made using a versatile phase-contrast imaging technique. We discuss our measurements, the current theoretical understanding of BEC in a gas with attractive interactions, and future experiments we hope to perform.
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    Superfluidity of Spin-Polarized 6Li
    (American Physical Society, 1996) Stoof, H.T.C.; Houbiers, M.; Sackett, C. A.; Hulet, R.G.; Rice Quantum Institute
    We study the prospects for observing superfluidity in a spin-polarized atomic gas of 6Li atoms, using state-of-the-art interatomic potentials. We determine the spinodal line and show that a BCS transition to the superfluid state can indeed occur in the (meta)stable region of the phase diagram if the densities are sufficiently low. We also discuss the stability of the gas due to exchange and dipolar relaxation and conclude that the prospects for observing superfluidity in a magnetically trapped atomic 6Li gas are particularly promising for magnetic bias fields larger than 10 T.