Effect of anharmonicities in the critical number of trapped condensed atoms with attractive two-body interaction

We determine the quantitative effect, in the maximum number of particles and other static observables, due to small anharmonic terms added to the confining potential of an atomic condensed system with negative two-body interaction. As an example of how a cubic or quartic anharmonic term can affect the maximum number of particles, we consider the trap parameters and the results given by Roberts et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4211 (2001)]. However, this study can be easily transferred to other trap geometries to estimate anharmonic effects.Comment: Total of 5 pages, 3 figures and 1 table. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Phases, many-body entropy measures and coherence of interacting bosons in optical lattices

Already a few bosons with contact interparticle interactions in small optical lattices feature a variety of quantum phases: superfluid, Mott-insulator and fermionized Tonks gases can be probed in such systems. To detect these phases -- pivotal for both experiment and theory -- as well as their many-body properties we analyze several distinct measures for the one-body and many-body Shannon information entropies. We exemplify the connection of these entropies with spatial correlations in the many-body state by contrasting them to the Glauber normalized correlation functions. To obtain the ground-state for lattices with commensurate filling (i.e. an integer number of particles per site) for the full range of repulsive interparticle interactions we utilize the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree method for bosons (MCTDHB) in order to solve the many-boson Schr\"odinger equation. We demonstrate that all emergent phases -- the superfluid, the Mott insulator, and the fermionized gas can be characterized equivalently by our many-body entropy measures and by Glauber's normalized correlation functions. In contrast to our many-body entropy measures, single-particle entropy cannot capture these transitions.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, software available at http://ultracold.or

Critical number of atoms for attractive Bose-Einstein condensates with cylindrically symmetrical traps

We calculated, within the Gross-Pitaevskii formalism, the critical number of atoms for Bose-Einstein condensates with two-body attractive interactions in cylindrical traps with different frequency ratios. In particular, by using the trap geometries considered by the JILA group [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4211 (2001)], we show that the theoretical maximum critical numbers are given approximately by $N_c = 0.55 ({l_0}/{|a|})$. Our results also show that, by exchanging the frequencies $\omega_z$ and $\omega_\rho$, the geometry with $\omega_\rho < \omega_z$ favors the condensation of larger number of particles. We also simulate the time evolution of the condensate when changing the ground state from $a=0$ to $a<0$ using a 200ms ramp. A conjecture on higher order nonlinear effects is also added in our analysis with an experimental proposal to determine its signal and strength.Comment: (4 pages, 2 figures) To appear in Physical Review

Stability and Decay Rates of Non-Isotropic Attractive Bose-Einstein Condensates

Non-Isotropic Attractive Bose-Einstein condensates are investigated with Newton and inverse Arnoldi methods. The stationary solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation and their linear stability are computed. Bifurcation diagrams are calculated and used to find the condensate decay rates corresponding to macroscopic quantum tunneling, two-three body inelastic collisions and thermally induced collapse. Isotropic and non-isotropic condensates are compared. The effect of anisotropy on the bifurcation diagram and the decay rates is discussed. Spontaneous isotropization of the condensates is found to occur. The influence of isotropization on the decay rates is characterized near the critical point.Comment: revtex4, 11 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Stability of trapped Bose-Einstein condensates

In three-dimensional trapped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), described by the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii-Ginzburg equation, we study the effect of initial conditions on stability using a Gaussian variational approach and exact numerical simulations. We also discuss the validity of the criterion for stability suggested by Vakhitov and Kolokolov. The maximum initial chirp (initial focusing defocusing of cloud) that can lead a stable condensate to collapse even before the number of atoms reaches its critical limit is obtained for several specific cases. When we consider two- and three-body nonlinear terms, with negative cubic and positive quintic terms, we have the conditions for the existence of two phases in the condensate. In this case, the magnitude of the oscillations between the two phases are studied considering sufficient large initial chirps. The occurrence of collapse in a BEC with repulsive two-body interaction is also shown to be possible.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

Coupled Bose-Einstein condensate: Collapse for attractive interaction

We study the collapse in a coupled Bose-Einstein condensate of two types of bosons 1 and 2 under the action of a trap using the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The system may undergo collapse when one, two or three of the scattering lengths $a_{ij}$ for scattering of boson $i$ with $j$, $i,j = 1, 2$, are negative representing an attractive interaction. Depending on the parameters of the problem a single or both components of the condensate may experience collapse.Comment: 5 pages and 9 figures, small changes mad

Stabilizing an Attractive Bose-Einstein Condensate by Driving a Surface Collective Mode

Bose-Einstein condensates of $^7$Li have been limited in number due to attractive interatomic interactions. Beyond this number, the condensate undergoes collective collapse. We study theoretically the effect of driving low-lying collective modes of the condensate by a weak asymmetric sinusoidally time-dependent field. We find that driving the radial breathing mode further destabilizes the condensate, while excitation of the quadrupolar surface mode causes the condensate to become more stable by imparting quasi-angular momentum to it. We show that a significantly larger number of atoms may occupy the condensate, which can then be sustained almost indefinitely. All effects are predicted to be clearly visible in experiments and efforts are under way for their experimental realization.Comment: 4 ReVTeX pages + 2 postscript figure

Numerical study of the coupled time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation: Application to Bose-Einstein condensation

We present a numerical study of the coupled time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which describes the Bose-Einstein condensate of several types of trapped bosons at ultralow temperature with both attractive and repulsive interatomic interactions. The same approach is used to study both stationary and time-evolution problems. We consider up to four types of atoms in the study of stationary problems. We consider the time-evolution problems where the frequencies of the traps or the atomic scattering lengths are suddenly changed in a stable preformed condensate. We also study the effect of periodically varying these frequencies or scattering lengths on a preformed condensate. These changes introduce oscillations in the condensate which are studied in detail. Good convergence is obtained in all cases studied.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, accepted in Physical Review

Bose-Einstein condensate collapse: a comparison between theory and experiment

We solve the Gross-Pitaevskii equation numerically for the collapse induced by a switch from positive to negative scattering lengths. We compare our results with experiments performed at JILA with Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb-85, in which the scattering length was controlled using a Feshbach resonance. Building on previous theoretical work we identify quantitative differences between the predictions of mean-field theory and the results of the experiments. Besides the previously reported difference between the predicted and observed critical atom number for collapse, we also find that the predicted collapse times systematically exceed those observed experimentally. Quantum field effects, such as fragmentation, that might account for these discrepancies are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure