Rayleigh superradiance and dynamic Bragg gratings in an end-pumped Bose-Einstein condensate

We study superradiant Rayleigh scattering from a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a parameter regime where pump depletion and the exchange of photons between the end-fire modes are important. Through experiments and simulations, we show that collective atom-light coupling leads to the self-organized formation of dynamic Bragg gratings within the sample. These gratings lead to an efficient backscattering of pump photons and optical resonator structures within the BEC.