Article abstract
Nature Physics
Published online: 19 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nphys1102
High-resolution scanning electron microscopy of an ultracold quantum gas
Tatjana Gericke, Peter Würtz, Daniel Reitz, Tim Langen & Herwig Ott
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.
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz, Germany
Correspondence to: Herwig Ott e-mail: ott@uni-mainz.de
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