Self-consistent finite-temperature model of atom-laser coherence properties

We present a mean-field model of a continuous-wave atom laser with Raman output coupling. The noncondensate is pumped at a fixed input rate which, in turn, pumps the condensate through a two-body scattering process obeying the Fermi golden rule. The gas is then coupled out by a Gaussian beam from the system, and the temperature and particle number are self-consistently evaluated against equilibrium constraints. We observe the dependence of the second-order coherence of the output upon the width of the output-coupling beam, and note that even in the presence of a highly coherent trapped gas, perfect coherence of the output matter wave is not guaranteed.