Atom-Molecule Coherence in a Bose-Fermi Mixture

Feshbach resonances have become a powerful tool for controlling the interaction between atoms in an ultracold gas. Experiments have shown that it is possible to create a coherent superposition of atoms and molecules when starting from a BEC. This presentation will show evidence indicating that it is also possible to create an atom-molecule superposition from a thermal Bose-Fermi mixture of Rb-87 and K-40 atoms. In particular, preliminary investigations into which experimental parameters influence the contrast and coherence time of the atom-molecule oscillations will be discussed. This could provide new insight into what the leading decoherence or dephasing mechanisms are for this novel quantum superposition state.