4,708 research outputs found
Snell's Law for a vortex dipole in a Bose-Einstein condensate
A quantum vortex dipole, comprised of a closely bound pair of vortices of
equal strength with opposite circulation, is a spatially localized travelling
excitation of a planar superfluid that carries linear momentum, suggesting a
possible analogy with ray optics. We investigate numerically and analytically
the motion of a quantum vortex dipole incident upon a step-change in the
background superfluid density of an otherwise uniform two-dimensional
Bose-Einstein condensate. Due to the conservation of fluid momentum and energy,
the incident and refracted angles of the dipole satisfy a relation analogous to
Snell's law, when crossing the interface between regions of different density.
The predictions of the analogue Snell's law relation are confirmed for a wide
range of incident angles by systematic numerical simulations of the
Gross-Piteavskii equation. Near the critical angle for total internal
reflection, we identify a regime of anomalous Snell's law behaviour where the
finite size of the dipole causes transient capture by the interface.
Remarkably, despite the extra complexity of the surface interaction, the
incoming and outgoing dipole paths obey Snell's law.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, Scipost forma
Loading a vapor cell magneto-optic trap using light-induced atom desorption
Low intensity white light was used to increase the loading rate of Rb
atoms into a vapor cell magneto-optic trap by inducing non-thermal desorption
of Rb atoms from the stainless steel walls of the vapor cell. An increased Rb
partial pressure reached a new equilibrium value in less than 10 seconds after
switching on the broadband light source. After the source was turned off, the
partial pressure returned to its previous value in times as short as 10
seconds.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure
Persistent current formation in a high-temperature Bose-Einstein condensate: an experimental test for c-field theory
Experimental stirring of a toroidally trapped Bose-Einstein condensate at
high temperature generates a disordered array of quantum vortices that decays
via thermal dissipation to form a macroscopic persistent current [T. W. Neely
em et al. arXiv:1204.1102 (2012)]. We perform 3D numerical simulations of the
experimental sequence within the Stochastic Projected Gross-Pitaevskii equation
using ab initio determined reservoir parameters. We find that both damping and
noise are essential for describing the dynamics of the high-temperature Bose
field. The theory gives a quantitative account of the formation of a persistent
current, with no fitted parameters.Comment: v2: 7 pages, 3 figures, new experimental data and numerical
simulation
Prospects for p-wave paired BCS states of fermionic atoms
We present theoretical prospects for creating p-wave paired BCS states of
magnetic trapped fermionic atoms. Based on our earlier proposal of using dc
electric fields to control both the strength and anisotropic characteristic of
atom-atom interaction and our recently completed multi-channel atomic collision
calculations we discover that p-wave pairing with K and Rb
in the low field seeking maximum spin polarized state represent excellent
choices for achieving superfluid BCS states; and may be realizable with current
technology in laser cooling, magnetic trapping, and evaporative/sympathetic
cooling, provided the required strong electric field can be applied. We also
comment on the prospects of similar p-wave paired BCS states in Li, and
more generally on creating other types exotic BCS states. Our study will open a
new area in the vigorous pursuit to create a quantum degenerate fermionic atom
vapor.Comment: to be publishe
Coherent Evolution of Bouncing Bose-Einstein Condensates
We investigate the evolution of Bose-Einstein condensates falling under
gravity and bouncing off a mirror formed by a far-detuned sheet of light. After
reflection, the atomic density profile develops splitting and interference
structures which depend on the drop height, on the strength of the light sheet,
as well as on the initial mean field energy and size of the condensate. We
compare experimental results with simulations of the Gross-Pitaevski equation.
A comparison with the behaviour of bouncing thermal clouds allows to identify
quantum features specific for condensates.Comment: 4 page
Origin of ferroelectricity in the multiferroic barium fluorides BaMF4
We present a first principles study of the series of multiferroic barium
fluorides with the composition BaMF4, where M is Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni. We discuss
trends in the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties, and we show that
the ferroelectricity in these systems results from the "freezing in" of a
single unstable polar phonon mode. In contrast to the case of the standard
perovskite ferroelectrics, this structural distortion is not accompanied by
charge transfer between cations and anions. Thus, the ferroelectric instability
in the multiferroic barium fluorides arises solely due to size effects and the
special geometrical constraints of the underlying crystal structure.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 3 table
Bistability and macroscopic quantum coherence in a BEC of ^7Li
We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of in a situation where
the density undergoes a symmetry breaking in real space. This occurs for a
suitable number of condensed atoms in a double well potential, obtained by
adding a standing wave light field to the trap potential. Evidence of
bistability results from the solution of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. By
second quantization, we show that the classical bistable situation is in fact a
Schr\"odinger cat (SC) and evaluate the tunneling rate between the two SC
states. The oscillation between the two states is called MQC (macroscopic
quantum coherence); we study the effects of losses on MQC.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figures. e-mail: [email protected]
Local Spin-Gauge Symmetry of the Bose-Einstein Condensates in Atomic Gases
The Bose-Einstein condensates of alkali atomic gases are spinor fields with
local ``spin-gauge" symmetry. This symmetry is manifested by a superfluid
velocity (or gauge field) generated by the Berry phase of the
spin field. In ``static" traps, splits the degeneracy of the
harmonic energy levels, breaks the inversion symmetry of the vortex nucleation
frequency , and can lead to {\em vortex ground states}. The
inversion symmetry of , however, is not broken in ``dynamic"
traps. Rotations of the atom cloud can be generated by adiabatic effects
without physically rotating the entire trap.Comment: Typos in the previous version corrected, thanks to the careful
reading of Daniel L. Cox. 13 pages + 2 Figures in uuencode + gzip for
On the applicability of the classical dipole-dipole interaction for polar Bose-Einstein condensates
We argue that the classical form of the dipole-dipole interaction energy
cannot be used to model the interaction of the bosons in a dilute Bose-Einstein
condensate made of polar atoms. This fact is due to convergence of integrals,
if no additional restrictions are introduced. The problem can be regularized,
in particular, by introducing a hard sphere model. As an example we propose a
regularization consistent with the long range behavior of the effective
potential and with the scattering amplitude of the fast particles.Comment: submitted to Phys. Re
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