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

We have observed Bragg scattering of photons from quantum degenerate Rb-87 atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. Bragg scattered light directly probes the microscopic crystal structure and atomic wave function whose position and momentum width is Heisenberg limited. The spatial coherence of the wave function 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.