12 research outputs found
Physics of hollow Bose-Einstein condensates
Bose-Einstein condensate shells, while occurring in ultracold systems of
coexisting phases and potentially within neutron stars, have yet to be realized
in isolation on Earth due to the experimental challenge of overcoming
gravitational sag. Motivated by the expected realization of hollow condensates
by the space-based Cold Atomic Laboratory in microgravity conditions, we study
a spherical condensate undergoing a topological change from a filled sphere to
a hollow shell. We argue that the collective modes of the system show marked
and robust signatures of this hollowing transition accompanied by the
appearance of a new boundary. In particular, we demonstrate that the frequency
spectrum of the breathing modes shows a pronounced depression as it evolves
from the filled sphere limit to the hollowing transition. Furthermore, when the
center of the system becomes hollow surface modes show a global restructuring
of their spectrum due to the availability of a new, inner, surface for
supporting density distortions. We pinpoint universal features of this
topological transition as well as analyse the spectral evolution of collective
modes in the experimentally relevant case of a bubble-trap.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Static and dynamic properties of shell-shaped condensates
Static, dynamic, and topological properties of hollow systems differ from
those that are fully filled as a result of the presence of a boundary
associated with an inner surface. Hollow Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs)
naturally occur in various ultracold atomic systems and possibly within neutron
stars but have hitherto not been experimentally realized in isolation on Earth
because of gravitational sag. Motivated by the expected first realization of
fully closed BEC shells in the microgravity conditions of the Cold Atomic
Laboratory aboard the International Space Station, we present a comprehensive
study of spherically symmetric hollow BECs as well as the hollowing transition
from a filled sphere BEC into a thin shell through central density depletion.
We employ complementary analytic and numerical techniques in order to study
equilibrium density profiles and the collective mode structures of condensate
shells hosted by a range of trapping potentials. We identify concrete and
robust signatures of the evolution from filled to hollow structures and the
effects of the emergence of an inner boundary, inclusive of a dip in
breathing-mode-type collective mode frequencies and a restructuring of surface
mode structure across the transition. By extending our analysis to a
two-dimensional transition of a disk to a ring, we show that the collective
mode signatures are an essential feature of hollowing, independent of the
specific geometry. Finally, we relate our work to past and ongoing experimental
efforts and consider the influence of gravity on thin condensate shells. We
identify the conditions under which gravitational sag is highly destructive and
study the mode-mixing effects of microgravity on the collective modes of these
shells.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figure
Physics of Hollow Bose-Einstein Condensates
Bose-Einstein condensate shells, while occurring in ultracold systems of coexisting phases and potentially within neutron stars, have yet to be realized in isolation on Earth due to the experimental challenge of overcoming gravitational sag. Motivated by the expected realization of hollow condensates by the space-based Cold Atomic Laboratory in microgravity conditions, we study a spherical condensate undergoing a topological change from a filled sphere to a hollow shell. We argue that the collective modes of the system show marked and robust signatures of this hollowing transition accompanied by the appearance of a new boundary. In particular, we demonstrate that the frequency spectrum of the breathing modes shows a pronounced depression as it evolves from the filled-sphere limit to the hollowing transition. Furthermore, when the center of the system becomes hollow surface modes show a global restructuring of their spectrum due to the availability of a new, inner, surface for supporting density distortions. We pinpoint universal features of this topological transition as well as analyse the spectral evolution of collective modes in the experimentally relevant case of a bubble-trap
Vortex-Antivortex Physics in Shell-Shaped Bose-Einstein Condensates
Shell-shaped hollow Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) exhibit behavior distinct from their filled counterparts and have recently attracted attention due to their potential realization in microgravity settings. Here we study distinct features of these hollow structures stemming from vortex physics and the presence of rotation. We focus on a vortex-antivortex pair as the simplest configuration allowed by the constraints on superfluid flow imposed by the closed-surface topology. In the two-dimensional limit of an infinitesimally thin shell BEC, we characterize the long-range attraction between the vortex-antivortex pair and find the critical rotation speed that stabilizes the pair against energetically relaxing towards self-annihilation. In the three-dimensional case, we contrast the bounds on vortex stability with those in the two-dimensional limit and the filled sphere BEC, and evaluate the critical rotation speed as a function of shell thickness. We thus demonstrate that analyzing vortex stabilization provides a nondestructive means of characterizing a hollow sphere BEC and distinguishing it from its filled counterpart