Abstract

We have investigated magnetic dipole–dipole interaction in a gas of Bose–Einstein condensed chromium atoms. The shape of the gaseous cloud within the atom trap and during expansion after release from the trap shows an anisotropic deformation that depends on the direction of a homogeneous magnetic field which magnetizes the Cr cloud but leaves the atom trap unchanged. This effect constitutes the observation of magnetostriction in a gas, previously seen only in magnetic solids and liquids. Our results are consistent with the theory of dipolar quantum gases. Being the first experimentally accessible model system to study dipole–dipole interactions in gases, a chromium Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) opens fascinating perspectives, e.g. for new quantum phases or magnetic ordering of spin-3 multi-component dipolar BECs.

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