Coherent versus Incoherent Dynamics during Bose-Einstein Condensation in Atomic Gases

We review and extend the theory of the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensation in weakly interacting atomic gases. We present in a unified way both the semiclassical theory as well as the full quantum theory. This is achieved by deriving a Fokker-Planck equation that incorporates both the coherent and incoherent effects of the interactions in a dilute Bose gas. In first instance we focus our attention on the nonequilibrium dynamics of a homogeneous Bose gas with a positive interatomic scattering length. After that we discuss how our results can be generalized to the inhomogeneous situation that exists in the present experiments with magnetically trapped alkali gases, and how we can deal with a negative interatomic scattering length in that case as well. We also show how to arrive at a discription of the collective modes of the gas that obeys the Kohn theorem at all temperatures. The theory is based on the many-body T-matrix approximation throughout, since this approximation has the correct physical behavior near the critical temperature and also treats the coherent and incoherent processes taking place in the gas on an equal footing.Comment: In response to referee report I have rewritten the introduction. I have also added new results for the decay rate of a condensate with negative scattering length and for the collisionless collective modes of a Bose condensed atomic gas at nonzero temperature

Quantum kinetic theory of trapped atomic gases

We present a general framework in which we can accurately describe the non-equilibrium dynamics of trapped atomic gases. This is achieved by deriving a single Fokker-Planck equation for the gas. In this way we are able to discuss not only the dynamics of an interacting gas above and below the critical temperature at which the gas becomes superfluid, but also during the phase transition itself. The last topic cannot be studied on the basis of the usual mean-field theory and was the main motivation for our work. To show, however, that the Fokker-Planck equation is not only of interest for recent experiments on the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensation, we also indicate how it can, for instance, be applied to the study of the collective modes of a condensed Bose gas.Comment: 12 pages of LaTeX and two postscript figures. Contribution to NATO-ASI Dynamics: Models and Kinetic Methods for Non-Equilibrium Many-Body Systems edited by John Karkhec

Condensed matter physics with trapped atomic Fermi gases

We present an overview of the various phase transitions that we anticipate to occur in trapped fermionic alkali gases. We also discuss the prospects of observing these transitions in (doubly) spin-polarized Li-6 and K-40 gases, which are now actively being studied by various experimental groups around the world.Comment: 18 pages of LaTeX and 2 postscript figures. Contribution to the international summer school `Enrico Fermi' on Bose-Einstein condensation in atomic gases, Varenna 199

Sweeping a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate across a Feshbach resonance

We consider the dissociation of a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate during a magnetic-field sweep through a Feshbach resonance that starts on the molecular side of the resonance and ends on the atomic side. In particular, we determine the energy distribution of the atoms produced after the sweep. We find that the shape of the energy distribution strongly depends on the rate of the magnetic-field sweep, in a manner that is in good agreement with recent experiments.Comment: 4.2 pages, 4 figure

Trapped fermionic clouds distorted from the trap shape due to many-body effects

We present a general approach for calculating densities and other local quantities of trapped Fermi gases, when the cloud shape is distorted with respect to the trap shape due to global energy considerations. Our approach provides a consistent way to explore physics beyond the local density approximation, if this is necessary due to the distortion. We illustrate this by analyzing in detail experimentally observed distortions in an imbalanced Fermi mixture in an elongated trap. In particular, we demonstrate in that case dramatic deviations from ellipsoidal cloud shapes arising from the competition between surface and bulk energies.Comment: 4+ pages, 3 figures. Formalism for distorted trapped fermi systems + treatment of polarized fermion experiments. Version 2: slightly shortened, published versio

Renormalization Group Theory of the Three-Dimensional Dilute Bose Gas

We study the three-dimensional atomic Bose gas using renormalization group techniques. Using our knowledge of the microscopic details of the interatomic interaction, we determine the correct initial values of our renormalization group equations and thus obtain also information on nonuniversal properties. As a result, we can predict for instance the critical temperature of the gas and the superfluid and condensate density of the Bose-Einstein condensed phase in the regime $na\Lambda_{th}^2\ll 1$.Comment: 48 pages of ReVTeX and 13 postscript figures. Submitted for publication in Physical Review

Vortex-lattice melting in a one-dimensional optical lattice

We investigate quantum fluctuations of a vortex lattice in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Our method gives full access to all the modes of the vortex lattice and we discuss in particular the Bloch bands of the Tkachenko modes. Because of the small number of particles in the pancake Bose-Einstein condensates at every site of the optical lattice, finite-size effects become very important. Therefore, the fluctuations in the vortex positions are inhomogeneous and the melting of the lattice occurs from the outside inwards. Tunneling between neighbouring pancakes substantially reduces the inhomogeneity as well as the size of the fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure