Atomic “needles” and “bullets” in Bose-Einstein condensate and the formation of nanosized structures

Abstract

The Gross-Pitaevski equation modified through the inclusion of a term accounting for the nonlocality of interatomic interaction was used to demonstrate the occurrence of extremely narrow two-and three-dimensional solitonic states in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. The estimates of the sizes of these states gave a value of ∼ 20–60 nm (atomic “needles” and “bullets”) for lithium atoms. The soliton lifetimes caused by two-and three-particle collisions were estimated. The limiting possibilities of the formation of nanostructures using needles and bullets were compared with the possibilities of other nanolithographic methods.