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A quantum point contact for neutral atoms

J. H. Thywissen, R. M. Westervelt, M. Prentiss

physics.atom-pharXiv:physics/9909020

Abstract

We show that the conductance of neutral atoms through a tightly confining waveguide constriction is quantized in units of lambdadB2/pi, where lambdadB is the de Broglie wavelength of the incident atoms. Such a constriction forms the atom analogue of an electron quantum point contact and is an example of quantum transport of neutral atoms in an aperiodic system. We present a practical constriction geometry that can be realized using a microfabricated magnetic waveguide, and discuss how a pair of such constrictions can be used to study the quantum statistics of weakly interacting gases in small traps.

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