Shape oscillation of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate

We present a theoretical and experimental analysis of the transverse monopole mode of a fast rotating Bose-Einstein condensate. The condensate's rotation frequency is similar to the trapping frequency and the effective confinement is only ensured by a weak quartic potential. We show that the non-harmonic character of the potential has a clear influence on the mode frequency, thus making the monopole mode a precise tool for the investigation of the fast rotation regime

Kelvin Modes of a fast rotating Bose-Einstein Condensate

Using the concept of diffused vorticity and the formalism of rotational hydrodynamics we calculate the eigenmodes of a harmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate containing an array of quantized vortices. We predict the occurrence of a new branch of anomalous excitations, analogous to the Kelvin modes of the single vortex dynamics. Special attention is devoted to the excitation of the anomalous scissors mode.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Effect of Quadratic Zeeman Energy on the Vortex of Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates

The spinor Bose-Einstein condensate of atomic gases has been experimentally realized by a number of groups. Further, theoretical proposals of the possible vortex states have been sugessted. This paper studies the effects of the quadratic Zeeman energy on the vortex states. This energy was ignored in previous theoretical studies, although it exists in experimental systems. We present phase diagrams of various vortex states taking into account the quadratic Zeeman energy. The vortex states are calculated by the Gross-Pitaevskii equations. Several new kinds of vortex states are found. It is also found that the quadratic Zeeman energy affects the direction of total magnetization and causes a significant change in the phase diagrams.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Critical rotation of a harmonically trapped Bose gas

We study experimentally and theoretically a cold trapped Bose gas under critical rotation, i.e. with a rotation frequency close to the frequency of the radial confinement. We identify two regimes: the regime of explosion where the cloud expands to infinity in one direction, and the regime where the condensate spirals out of the trap as a rigid body. The former is realized for a dilute cloud, and the latter for a Bose-Einstein condensate with the interparticle interaction exceeding a critical value. This constitutes a novel system in which repulsive interactions help in maintaining particles together.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

Vortex Rings in Fast Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates

When Bose-Eintein condensates are rotated sufficiently fast, a giant vortex phase appears, that is the condensate becomes annular with no vortices in the bulk but a macroscopic phase circulation around the central hole. In a former paper [M. Correggi, N. Rougerie, J. Yngvason, {\it arXiv:1005.0686}] we have studied this phenomenon by minimizing the two dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii energy on the unit disc. In particular we computed an upper bound to the critical speed for the transition to the giant vortex phase. In this paper we confirm that this upper bound is optimal by proving that if the rotation speed is taken slightly below the threshold there are vortices in the condensate. We prove that they gather along a particular circle on which they are evenly distributed. This is done by providing new upper and lower bounds to the GP energy.Comment: to appear in Archive of Rational Mechanics and Analysi

The transverse breathing mode of an elongated Bose-Einstein condensate

We study experimentally the transverse monopole mode of an elongated rubidium condensate. Due to the scaling invariance of the non-linear Schr\"odinger (Gross-Pitaevski) equation, the oscillation is monochromatic and sinusoidal at short times, even under strong excitation. For ultra-low temperatures, the quality factor $Q=\omega_0/\gamma_0$ can exceed 2000, where $\omega_0$ and $\gamma_0$ are the mode angular frequency and damping rate. This value is much larger than any previously reported for other eigenmodes of a condensate. We also present the temperature variation of $\omega_0$ and $\gamma_0$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

Phase field approach to optimal packing problems and related Cheeger clusters

In a fixed domain of $\Bbb{R}^N$ we study the asymptotic behaviour of optimal clusters associated to $\alpha$-Cheeger constants and natural energies like the sum or maximum: we prove that, as the parameter $\alpha$ converges to the "critical" value $\Big (\frac{N-1}{N}\Big ) _+$, optimal Cheeger clusters converge to solutions of different packing problems for balls, depending on the energy under consideration. As well, we propose an efficient phase field approach based on a multiphase Gamma convergence result of Modica-Mortola type, in order to compute $\alpha$-Cheeger constants, optimal clusters and, as a consequence of the asymptotic result, optimal packings. Numerical experiments are carried over in two and three space dimensions

Excitations of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a one-dimensional optical lattice

We investigate the low-lying excitations of a stack of weakly-coupled two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates that is formed by a one-dimensional optical lattice. In particular, we calculate the dispersion relations of the monopole and quadrupole modes, both for the ground state as well as for the case in which the system contains a vortex along the direction of the lasers creating the optical lattice. Our variational approach enables us to determine analytically the dispersion relations for an arbitrary number of atoms in every two-dimensional condensate and for an arbitrary momentum. We also discuss the feasibility of experimentally observing our results.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, minor changes,accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Nonlinear Dynamics of Moving Curves and Surfaces: Applications to Physical Systems

The subject of moving curves (and surfaces) in three dimensional space (3-D) is a fascinating topic not only because it represents typical nonlinear dynamical systems in classical mechanics, but also finds important applications in a variety of physical problems in different disciplines. Making use of the underlying geometry, one can very often relate the associated evolution equations to many interesting nonlinear evolution equations, including soliton possessing nonlinear dynamical systems. Typical examples include dynamics of filament vortices in ordinary and superfluids, spin systems, phases in classical optics, various systems encountered in physics of soft matter, etc. Such interrelations between geometric evolution and physical systems have yielded considerable insight into the underlying dynamics. We present a succinct tutorial analysis of these developments in this article, and indicate further directions. We also point out how evolution equations for moving surfaces are often intimately related to soliton equations in higher dimensions.Comment: Review article, 38 pages, 7 figs. To appear in Int. Jour. of Bif. and Chao

Diffused vorticity approach to the oscillations of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic plus quartic trap

The collective modes of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined in an attractive quadratic plus quartic trap are investigated. Assuming the presence of a large number of vortices we apply the diffused vorticity approach to the system. We then use the sum rule technique for the calculation of collective frequencies, comparing the results with the numerical solution of the linearized hydrodynamic equations. Numerical solutions also show the existence of low-frequency multipole modes which are interpreted as vortex oscillations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure