Large-area 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate in a clipped-Gaussian optical dipole trap

We demonstrate a production of large-area Rb-87 Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using a non-Gaussian optical dipole trap (ODT). The ODT is formed by focusing a symmetrically truncated Gaussian laser beam, and it is shown that the beam clipping causes the trap geometry to be elongated and flattened along the beam axis direction. In the clipped-Gaussian ODT, an elongated, highly oblate BEC of Rb-87 is generated with a length and width of approximately 470 and 130 mu m, respectively, where the condensate healing length is estimated to be xi approximate to 0.25 mu m at the trap center. The ODT is characterized to have a quartic trapping potential along the beam axis and the atom density of the condensate is uniform within 10% over 1000 xi in the central region. Finally, we discuss the prospect of conducting vortex shedding experiments using the elongated condensate.

Automated summary

A large-area Rb-87 Bose-Einstein condensate was successfully produced using a non-Gaussian optical dipole trap (ODT) with elongated and flattened geometry. The atom density of the condensate is uniform within 10% over 1000 healing lengths in the central region, which facilitates vortex shedding experiments.