Mapping out the quasicondensate transition through the dimensional crossover from one to three dimensions

By measuring the density fluctuations in a highly elongated weakly interacting Bose gas, we observe and quantify the transition from the ideal gas to a quasicondensate regime throughout the dimensional crossover from a purely one-dimensional (1D) to an almost three-dimensional (3D) gas. We show that that the entire transition region and the dimensional crossover are described surprisingly well by the modified Yang-Yang model. Furthermore, we find that at low temperatures the linear density at the quasicondensate transition scales according to an interaction-driven scenario of a longitudinally uniform 1D Bose gas, whereas at high temperatures it scales according to the degeneracy-driven critical scenario of transverse condensation of a 3D ideal gas.