`Flat Phase' Loading of a Bose-Einstein Condensate into an Optical Lattice

Abstract

It has been proposed that the adiabatic loading of a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) into an optical lattice via the Mott-insulator transition can be used to initialize a quantum computer [D. Jaksch, {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 81}, 3108 (1998)]. The loading of a BEC into the lattice without causing band excitation is readily achievable; however, unless one switches on an optical lattice very slowly, the optical lattice causes a phase to accumulate across the condensate. We show analytically and numerically that a cancellation of this effect is possible by adjusting the harmonic trap force-constant of the magnetic trap appropriately, thereby facilitating quick loading of an optical lattice for quantum computing purposes. A simple analytical theory is developed for a non-stationary BEC in a harmonic trap.