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Fast coherent splitting of Bose-Einstein condensates

Yevhenii Kuriatnikov1, Nikolaus Würkner2, Karthikeyan Kumaran1, Tiantian Zhang1, M. Venkat Ramana1, Andreas Kugi2,3, Jörg Schmiedmayer1, Andreas Deutschmann-Olek2,*, and Maximilian Prüfer1,†

  • 1Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology, Atominstitut, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
  • 2Automation and Control Institute, TU Wien, Gußhausstraße 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
  • 3AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Giefinggasse 4, 1210 Vienna, Austria

  • *Contact author: Deutschmann@acin.tuwien.ac.at
  • †Contact author: maximilian.pruefer@tuwien.ac.at
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043108 – Published 27 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pjqv-r3p6

Abstract

Preparation of nontrivial quantum states without introducing unwanted excitations or decoherence remains a central challenge in utilizing ultracold atomic systems for quantum simulation. We employ optimal control methods to realize fast, coherent splitting of a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate, achieving negligible classical excitations while preserving quantum correlations. Furthermore, we explore two-step protocols in which controlled classical motion is first induced and subsequently suppressed via tailored control sequences. Our experiments highlight the potential of optimal control for quantum state engineering and dynamical control in many-body quantum systems.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 043108– Published 27 October, 2025
  • Received 9 July 2025
  • Accepted 29 September 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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