Magnetic Dipolar Interaction in a Bose-Einstein Condensate Atomic Interferometer

We study the role played by the magnetic dipole interaction in the decoherence of a lattice-based interferometer that employs an alkali Bose-Einstein condensate with a tunable scattering length. The different behavior we observe for two different orientations of the dipoles gives us evidence of the anisotropic character of the interaction. The experiment is correctly reproduced by a model we develop only if the long-range interaction between different lattice sites is taken into account. Our model indicates that dipolar interaction can be compensated by a proper choice of the scattering length and that the magnetic dipole interaction should not represent an obstacle for atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates with a tunable interaction.