Atom number fluctuations in Bose gases—statistical analysis of parameter estimation

Abstract

The investigation of atom number fluctuations in quantum gases at finite temperatures showcases the ongoing challenges in understanding complex quantum systems. Recently, the microcanonical nature of atom number fluctuations in weakly interacting Bose–Einstein condensates was observed. This motivates an investigation of the thermal component of partially condensed Bose gases, due to the conservation of the total atom number. Here, we present a combined analysis of both components, including a comprehensive analysis of the uncertainties in the preparation and parameter extraction of partially condensed quantum gases. This enables a complementary observation of the thermal atom number fluctuations and yields and improved value of the peak BEC atom number fluctuations ΔNp,02=(3.7±7)×105 close to the critical temperature. This corresponds to a reduction by 41% with respect to previous analysis and corroborates the microcanonical nature of the fluctuations. The analysis of noise contributions due to the preparation and evaluation of partially condensed Bose gases is based on Monte Carlo simulations of optical density profiles. Importantly, this allows for an estimation of the technical noise contributions to the atom number and temperature, which is generally applicable in the field of ultracold atoms.