= Atom laser
An <atom laser> produces a coherent output of matter waves, often by extracting atoms from a <Bose-Einstein condensate>. Unlike an optical <laser>, its output consists of massive <atoms> and responds strongly to gravity and atomic interactions.
In the demonstrated radio-frequency output-coupling method, a pulse transfers part of a trapped condensate into an untrapped magnetic substate. The released atoms leave the trap while retaining coherence associated with the condensate. Varying the pulse controls the extracted fraction. The experiment makes the analogy with a laser concrete, while an output coupler alone does not imply that the reservoir is continuously replenished.<Nobel lecture: When atoms behave as waves: Bose-Einstein condensation and the atom laser by Wolfgang Ketterle>[Atom-laser and output-coupling discussion]{ref}
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