Observation of atomic Wannier-Stark ladders in an accelerating optical potential

We report observation of Wannier-Stark ladders with ultracold sodium atoms in an accelerating one-dimensional standing wave of light. Atoms are trapped in a far-detuned standing wave that is accelerated for a controlled duration. A small oscillatory component is added to the acceleration, and the fraction of trapped atoms is measured as a function of the oscillation frequency. Resonances are observed where the number of trapped atoms drops dramatically. The separation between resonant peaks is found to be proportional to the acceleration. We show that this resonant structure can also be understood as a temporal quantum interference effect. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}