Binary Quantum Turbulence Arising from Countersuperflow Instability in Two-Component Bose-Einstein Condensates

We theoretically study the development of quantum turbulence from two counter-propagating superfluids of miscible Bose-Einstein condensates by numerically solving the coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations. When the relative velocity exceeds a critical value, the counter-superflow becomes unstable and quantized vortices are nucleated, which leads to isotropic quantum turbulence consisting of two superflows. It is shown that the binary turbulence can be realized experimentally in a trapped system.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Countersuperflow instability in miscible two-component Bose-Einstein condensates

We study theoretically the instability of countersuperflow, i.e., two counterpropagating miscible superflows, in uniform two-component Bose-Einstein condensates. Countersuperflow instability causes mutual friction between the superfluids, causing a momentum exchange between the two condensates, when the relative velocity of the counterflow exceeds a critical value. The momentum exchange leads to nucleation of vortex rings from characteristic density patterns due to the nonlinear development of the instability. Expansion of the vortex rings drastically accelerates the momentum exchange, leading to a highly nonlinear regime caused by intervortex interaction and vortex reconnection between the rings. For a sufficiently large interaction between the two components, rapid expansion of the vortex rings causes isotropic turbulence and the global relative motion of the two condensates relaxes. The maximum vortex line density in the turbulence is proportional to the square of the relative velocity.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure