Research Data for Absorption Imaging of Quantum Gases Near Surfaces Using Incoherent Light

The dataset is used in the paper published on ArXiv. It is a collection of measurement data such as raw images, optical density, atomic column density or integrated atomic density data, obtained by analysing raw images, and current calibration data. All data is in standard data formats such as png and txt. From the dataset all figures can be reproduced, and the folder structure and naming convention helps to identify each file for this purpose. The folders contain readme.txt files for further guidance.<b>Abstract:</b> We introduce an absorption imaging technique for ultracold gases that suppresses interference fringes and coherence-induced artifacts by reducing the transverse spatial coherence of the imaging light. The method preserves the narrow spectral bandwidth required for resonant absorption imaging and is implemented as a modular extension to standard imaging setups using a rotating diffuser. We demonstrate tunability of the illumination light's coherence without modifying the imaging optics. Using this approach, we achieve reliable imaging of ultracold atomic clouds in micron-scale proximity to complex surfaces, where standing waves, edge diffraction, and speckle severely limit conventional absorption imaging.