Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations via dissociation of a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate

Murray Olsen

ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Atom Optics, School of Physical Sciences,
University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia

We combine two of Einstein's contributions to twentieth century physics, Bose-Einstein condensation and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox, to propose a test of local realism with mesoscopic numbers of massive particles. Using dissociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of homonuclear diatomic molecules, we demonstrate that strongly entangled output atomic beams may be produced which possess nonlocal EPR correlations in particular field quadratures. These are directly analogous to the position and momentum correlations originally considered by EPR.