Impact of spontaneous spatial symmetry breaking on the critical atom number for two-component Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract

The consequences of spatial symmetry breaking in two-component Bose-Einstein condensates are explored for the ${}^{85}{\mathrm{R}\mathrm{b}+}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ system. It is shown that the mean-field critical number of ${}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms depends strongly on whether the single-particle wave function is symmetry preserving or symmetry breaking. This system thus provides a uniquely straightforward experimental means of observing spatial symmetry breaking.