Quantum Optics Laboratory

Speaker: Prof. Cheng Chin 金政教授 (James Franck institute, Enrico Fermi institute, Department of Physics, University of Chicago, USA)

Abstract: Reactive scatterings in the quantum degeneracy regime are described by nonlinear mixing of matterwave fields. Quantum coherent and collective reactions, dubbed“super-chemistry", promise new applications in quantum control of chemistry and quantum sensing. Here we report the observation of coherent and collective conversion between atomic and molecular quantum gases induced by a Feshbach resonance. Starting with an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate, the reaction begins with a fast growth of molecules, followed by coherent atom-molecule oscillations. The oscillations strongly depend on the particle number, indicating Bose enhancement of the reaction coupling. Our observation demonstrates a new framework that describes chemical reactions in the many-body regime.