Hannover 2016 – scientific programme
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 26: Ultra-cold atoms, ions and BEC II (with Q)
A 26.3: Talk
Wednesday, March 2, 2016, 15:00–15:15, f303
Interaction-free measurements with ultracold atoms — Jan Peise1, •Bernd Lücke1, Luca Pezzé2, Frank Deuretzbacher1, Wolfgang Ertmer1, Jan Arlt3, Augusto Smerzi2, Luis Santos1, and Carsten Klempt1 — 1Leibniz Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1, 30167 Hannover, Germany — 2Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), and European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), 50125 Firenze, Italy — 3QUANTOP, Institut for Fysik og Astronomi, Aarhus Universitet, 8000 Arhus C, Denmark
Interaction-free measurements (IFMs) permit the detection of an object without the need of any interaction with it. Existing proposals for IFMs demand a single-particle source. Here, we realize a new many-particle IFM concept based on an indirect quantum Zeno effect in an unstable spinor Bose-Einstein condensate. For IFMs, it is necessary to discriminate between zero and a finite number of particles. We overcome this considerable experimental challenge by implementing an unbalanced homodyne detection for ultracold atoms. This new technique achieves single-particle sensitivity and serves as an important tool for future experiments in the field of quantum atom optics.