Guided systems for coherent matter waves are expected to offer substantial improvements over unguided systems, but adiabatic coupler proposals have proven difficult to realize. We outline instead considerations for a coherence-preserving diabatic approach enabling filters, couplers, and interferometers that can accept multimode guide inputs of up to magneto-optical-trap temperatures.

• Received 22 November 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.180404