Optical realization of the two-site Bose-Hubbard model in waveguide lattices

A classical realization of the two-site Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian, based on light transport in engineered optical waveguide lattices, is theoretically proposed. The optical lattice enables a direct visualization of the Bose-Hubbard dynamics in Fock space.Comment: to be published, J Phys. B (Fast Track Communication

Nonlinear Self-Trapping of Matter Waves in Periodic Potentials

We report the first experimental observation of nonlinear self-trapping of Bose-condensed 87Rb atoms in a one dimensional waveguide with a superimposed deep periodic potential . The trapping effect is confirmed directly by imaging the atomic spatial distribution. Increasing the nonlinearity we move the system from the diffusive regime, characterized by an expansion of the condensate, to the nonlinearity dominated self-trapping regime, where the initial expansion stops and the width remains finite. The data are in quantitative agreement with the solutions of the corresponding discrete nonlinear equation. Our results reveal that the effect of nonlinear self-trapping is of local nature, and is closely related to the macroscopic self-trapping phenomenon already predicted for double-well systems.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Localization of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in a bichromatic optical lattice

By numerical simulation and variational analysis of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation we study the localization, with an exponential tail, of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (DBEC) of $^{52}$Cr atoms in a three-dimensional bichromatic optical-lattice (OL) generated by two monochromatic OL of incommensurate wavelengths along three orthogonal directions. For a fixed dipole-dipole interaction, a localized state of a small number of atoms ($\sim 1000$) could be obtained when the short-range interaction is not too attractive or not too repulsive. A phase diagram showing the region of stability of a DBEC with short-range interaction and dipole-dipole interaction is given

Control of unstable macroscopic oscillations in the dynamics of three coupled Bose condensates

We study the dynamical stability of the macroscopic quantum oscillations characterizing a system of three coupled Bose-Einstein condensates arranged into an open-chain geometry. The boson interaction, the hopping amplitude and the central-well relative depth are regarded as adjustable parameters. After deriving the stability diagrams of the system, we identify three mechanisms to realize the transition from an unstable to stable behavior and analyze specific configurations that, by suitably tuning the model parameters, give rise to macroscopic effects which are expected to be accessible to experimental observation. Also, we pinpoint a system regime that realizes a Josephson-junction-like effect. In this regime the system configuration do not depend on the model interaction parameters, and the population oscillation amplitude is related to the condensate-phase difference. This fact makes possible estimating the latter quantity, since the measure of the oscillating amplitudes is experimentally accessible.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure

Second Josephson excitations beyond mean field as a toy model for thermal pressure: exact quantum dynamics and the quantum phase model

A simple four-mode Bose-Hubbard model with intrinsic time scale separation can be considered as a paradigm for mesoscopic quantum systems in thermal contact. In our previous work we showed that in addition to coherent particle exchange, a novel slow collective excitation can be identified by a series of Holstein-Primakoff transformations. This resonant energy exchange mode is not predicted by linear Bogoliubov theory, and its frequency is sensitive to interactions among Bogoliubov quasi-particles; it may be referred to as a second Josephson oscillation, in analogy to the second sound mode of liquid Helium II. In this paper we will explore this system beyond the Gross-Pitaevskii mean field regime. We directly compare the classical mean field dynamics to the exact full quantum many-particle dynamics and show good agreement over a large range of the system parameters. The second Josephson frequency becomes imaginary for stronger interactions, however, indicating dynamical instability of the symmetric state. By means of a generalized quantum phase model for the full four-mode system, we then show that, in this regime, high-energy Bogoliubov quasiparticles tend to accumulate in one pair of sites, while the actual particles preferentially occupy the opposite pair. We interpret this as a simple model for thermal pressure

Self-trapping of a binary Bose-Einstein condensate induced by interspecies interaction

The problem of self-trapping of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) and a binary BEC in an optical lattice (OL) and double well (DW) is studied using the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation. For both DW and OL, permanent self-trapping occurs in a window of the repulsive nonlinearity $g$ of the GP equation: $g_{c1}<g<g_{c2}$. In case of OL, the critical nonlinearities $g_{c1}$ and $g_{c2}$ correspond to a window of chemical potentials $\mu_{c1}<\mu<\mu_{c2}$ defining the band gap(s) of the periodic OL. The permanent self-trapped BEC in an OL usually represents a breathing oscillation of a stable stationary gap soliton. The permanent self-trapped BEC in a DW, on the other hand, is a dynamically stabilized state without any stationary counterpart. For a binary BEC with intraspecies nonlinearities outside this window of nonlinearity, a permanent self trapping can be induced by tuning the interspecies interaction such that the effective nonlinearities of the components fall in the above window

Noise Thermometry with Two Weakly Coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates

Here we report on the experimental investigation of thermally induced fluctuations of the relative phase between two Bose-Einstein condensates which are coupled via tunneling. The experimental control over the coupling strength and the temperature of the thermal background allows for the quantitative analysis of the phase fluctuations. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of these measurements for thermometry in a regime where standard methods fail. With this we confirm that the heat capacity of an ideal Bose gas deviates from that of a classical gas as predicted by the third law of thermodynamics.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Dynamical Realization of Macroscopic Superposition States of Cold Bosons in a Tilted Double Well

We present exact expressions for the quantum sloshing of Bose-Einstein condensates in a tilted two-well potential. Tunneling is suppressed by a small potential difference between wells, or tilt. However, tunneling resonances occur for critical values of the tilt when the barrier is high. At resonance, tunneling times on the order of 10-100 ms are possible. Furthermore, such tilted resonances lead to a dynamical scheme for creating few-body NOON-like macroscopic superposition states which are protected by the many body wavefunction against potential fluctuations.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, final version, only minor changes from previous arXiv versio