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Molecular Fraction of the BEC-BCS Crossover State

ORAL

Abstract

We have created a molecular Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) from pairs of fermionic $^6$Li atoms. This BEC is used as a starting point to probe the many body wavefunction of the molecules/pairs in the BEC-BCS crossover regime in proximity to the broad Feshbach resonance near 837 G. These molecules/pairs are superpositions of atoms in an electronic triplet state and deeply-bound singlet molecules. A laser tuned to an excited singlet molecular state projects out the singlet component, which results in a loss. This loss is measured for fields between 680 G and 850 G. We find that the molecular contribution is more than $\sim$10$\%$ inside the strongly interacting regime. This is orders of magnitude larger than that expected from two-body physics. We have also observed coherent oscillations between atoms and molecules.

Authors

  • G. B. Partridge

  • R. I. Kamar

  • K. E. Strecker

  • M. W. Jack

  • R. G. Hulet

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston TX, 77251