Abstract
Our knowledge of ultracold quantum gases is strongly influenced by our ability to probe these objects. In situ imaging combined with single-atom sensitivity is an especially appealing scenario, as it can provide direct information on the structure and the correlations of such systems. For a precise characterization a high spatial resolution is mandatory. In particular, the perspective to study quantum gases in optical lattices makes a resolution well below one micrometre highly desirable. Here, we report on a novel microscopy technique, which is based on scanning electron microscopy and allows for the detection of single atoms inside a quantum gas with a spatial resolution of better than 150 nm. We document the great functionality of this technique by precise density measurements of a trapped Bose–Einstein condensate and the first experimental demonstration of single-site addressability in a submicrometre optical lattice.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank A. Widera, T. Best and D. van Oosten for discussions and C. Utfeld for contributions in the early stage of the experiment. We thank P. van der Straten for the loan of equipment. This work was funded through the DFG and the Forschungsfond of the University of Mainz.
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Gericke, T., Würtz, P., Reitz, D. et al. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy of an ultracold quantum gas. Nature Phys 4, 949–953 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1102
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1102
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