The role of Mie scattering in the seeding of matter-wave superradiance
Résumé
Matter-wave superradiance is based on the interplay between ultracold atoms coherently organized in momentum space and a backscattered wave. Here, we show that this mechanism may be triggered by Mie scattering from the atomic cloud. We show that the system evolves into a superposition of states, where the scattering process imprints a {\it phase grating} on the atomic dipoles. This grating generates coherent emission even when there is at most one excited atom in the system at a time, contributing to the backward light wave onset. The atomic recoil 'halos' created by the scattered light exhibit a strong anisotropy, in contrast to single-atom scattering.
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