Bosonic Clouds Research Articles

Flat bands, Dirac cones, and atom dynamics in an optical lattice

We study atoms trapped with a harmonic confinement in an optical lattice characterized by a flat band and Dirac cones. We show that such an optical lattice can be constructed which can be accurately described with the tight-binding or Hubbard models. In the case of fermions the release of the harmonic confinement removes fast atoms occupying the Dirac cones while those occupying the flat band remain immobile. Using exact diagonalization and dynamics we demonstrate that a similar strong occupation of the flat band does not happen in the bosonic case and furthermore that the mean-field model is not capable of describing the dynamics of the boson cloud.

Stability of an attractive bosonic cloud with van der Waals interaction

We investigate the structure and stability of Bose-Einstein condensate of $^{7}$Li atoms with realistic van der Waals interaction by using the potential harmonic expansion method. Besides the known low-density metastable solution with contact delta function interaction, we find a stable branch at a higher density which corresponds to the formation of an atomic cluster. Comparison with the results of non-local effective interaction is also presented. We analyze the effect of trap size on the transition between the two branches of solutions. We also compute the loss rate of a Bose condensate due to two- and three-body collisions.

Scattering of an attractive Bose-Einstein condensate from a barrier: Formation of quantum superposition states

Scattering in one dimension of an attractive ultracold bosonic cloud from a barrier can lead to the formation of two nonoverlapping clouds. Once formed, the clouds travel with constant velocity, in general different in magnitude from that of the incoming cloud, and do not disperse. The phenomenon and its mechanism---transformation of kinetic energy to internal energy of the scattered cloud---are obtained by solving the time-dependent many-boson Schr\"odinger equation. The analysis of the wave function shows that the object formed corresponds to a quantum superposition state of two distinct wave packets traveling through real space.

Numerical studies of a model fermion–boson system

We study the spectral and dynamical properties of a simplified model system of interacting fermions and bosons. The spatial discretization and an effective truncation of the Hilbert space permit us to compute the distribution of the bare fermions and bosons in the energy eigenstates of the coupled system. These states represent the physical particles and are used to examine the validity of the analytical predictions by perturbation theory and by the Greenberg–Schweber approximation that assumes all fermions are at rest. As an example of our numerical framework, we examine how a bare electron can trigger the creation of a cloud of virtual bosons around. We relate this cloud to the properties of the associated energy eigenstates.

Symmetry-conserving vortex clusters in small rotating clouds of ultracold bosons

The properties of a special class of correlated many-body wave functions, named rotating vortex clusters (RVCs), that preserve the total angular momentum of a small cloud of trapped rotating bosons are investigated. They have lower energy and provide a superior description for the formation of vortices compared to the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) states that break the rotational symmetry. The GP vortex states are shown to be wave packets composed of such RVC states. Our results suggest that, for a small number of bosons, the physics is different from that of ideal Bose-Einstein condensates which characterize larger assemblies.

Formation and Dynamics of Many-Boson Fragmented States in One-Dimensional Attractive Ultracold Gases

The dynamics of attractive ultracold bosonic clouds in one dimension is studied by solving the many-particle time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The initially coherent wave packet can dynamically dissociate into two parts when its energy exceeds a threshold value. Noticeably, the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii theory does not show up the splitting. We call the split object fragmenton. It possesses remarkable properties; in particular, it is macroscopically fragmented. A simple static model predicts the existence of fragmented states responsible for the formation and dynamics of fragmentons.

Vortex localization in rotating clouds of bosons and fermions

Finite quantal systems at high angular momenta may exhibit vortex formation and localization. These phenomena occur independent of the statistics of the repulsively interacting particles, which may be of bosonic or fermionic nature. We analyze the relation between vortex localization and formation of stable Wigner molecules at high angular momenta in the view of particle-hole duality.Trial wave functions for the vortex states and the corresponding fermion-boson relations are discussed.

Vortex state in a Bose-Fermi mixture with attraction between bosons and fermions

Vortex states in the mixture of ultracold atomic clouds of bosons and fermions are investigated using the effective Hamiltonian for the Bose subsystem. A stability of the Bose system in the case of attractive interaction between components is studied in the framework of variational Bose wave function and Thomas-Fermi approximation. It is shown that the critical number of bosons increases in the presence of the vortex.

Bright solitons in Bose-Fermi mixtures

We consider the formation of bright solitons in a mixture of Bose and Fermi degenerate gases confined in a three-dimensional elongated harmonic trap. The Bose and Fermi atoms are assumed to effectively attract each other whereas bosonic atoms repel each other. Strong enough attraction between bosonic and fermionic components can change the character of the interaction within the bosonic cloud from repulsive to attractive making thus possible the generation of bright solitons in the mixture. On the other hand, such structures might be in danger due to the collapse phenomenon existing in attractive gases. We show, however, that under some conditions (defined by the strength of the Bose-Fermi components attraction) the structures which neither spread nor collapse can be generated. For elongated enough traps the formation of solitons is possible even at the ``natural'' value of the mutual Bose-Fermi ($^{87}\mathrm{Rb}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{40}\mathrm{K}$ in our case) scattering length.

Quark–boson molecular orbital calculations

AbstractAb initio molecular orbital calculations are performed on the system composed of a static three u(+2/3) quark core coupled to a b− boson cloud. Using appropriated Gaussian basis set functions to describe interactions at Fermi distances, this quark–boson system can be used as a proton model. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006

Structure of baryons in the perturbative chiral quark model

We discuss recent applications of the perturbative chiral quark model (PCQM) in the analysis of the structure of baryons. The PCQM is based on an effective Lagrangian, where baryons are described as relativistic valence quarks and a perturbative cloud of Goldstone bosons as required by chiral symmetry.

Boson–fermion demixing in a cloud of lithium atoms in a pancake trap

We evaluate the equilibrium state of a mixture of 7Li and 6Li atoms with repulsive interactions, confined inside a pancake-shaped trap under conditions such that the thickness of the bosonic and fermionic clouds is approaching the values of the s-wave scattering lengths. In this regime the effective couplings depend on the axial confinement and full demixing can become observable by merely squeezing the trap, without enhancing the scattering lengths through recourse to a Feshbach resonance.

Stability of the Bose system in Bose-Fermi mixture with attraction between bosons and fermions

An effective Hamiltonian for the Bose system in the mixture of ultracold atomic clouds of bosons and fermions is obtained by integrating out the Fermi degrees of freedom. An instability of the Bose system is found in the case of attractive interaction between components that is in good agreement with an experiment on the bosonic 87Rb and fermionic 40K mixture.

Collisional oscillations of trapped boson-fermion mixtures in the approach to the collapse instability

We study the collective modes of a confined gaseous cloud of bosons and fermions with mutual attractive interactions at zero temperature. The cloud consists of a Bose-Einstein condensate and a spin-polarized Fermi gas inside a spherical harmonic trap and the coupling between the two species is varied by increasing either the magnitude of the interspecies s-wave scattering length or the number of bosons. The mode frequencies are obtained in the collisional regime by solving the equations of generalized hydrodynamics and are compared with the spectra calculated in the collisionless regime within a random-phase approximation. We find that, as the mixture is driven towards the collapse instability, the frequencies of the modes of fermionic origin show a blue shift which can become very significant for large numbers of bosons. Instead the modes of bosonic origin show a softening, which becomes most pronounced in the very proximity of collapse. Explicit illustrations of these trends are given for the monopolar spectra, but similar trends are found for the dipolar and quadrupolar spectra except for the surface (n=0) modes which are essentially unaffected by the interactions.

Collapse transition in mixtures of bosons and fermions

For mixtures of Bose and Fermi alkali atoms, the Fermion degrees of freedom can be integrated out in their {\bf finite temperature} partition function. The final result can be expanded as a power series in the Boson density. Under appropriate conditions, the pairwise interaction between the bosons can be changed from positive to negative at a low enough temperature by the Fermion-mediated term and the Boson cloud may then collapse. For attractive Fermion-Boson interactions, there is also a collapse of the Fermion cloud. This transition is first order (discontinuous) because the leading order nonlinear interaction term between the Bosons is {\bf third order in Boson density with a negative coefficient}. We discuss the finite temperature phase diagram of this transition. Our result may provide for an explanation of recent experimental observations by Modungo and coworkers.

Axial form factor of the nucleon in the perturbative chiral quark model

We apply the perturbative chiral quark model (PCQM) at one loop to analyse the axial form factor of the nucleon. This chiral quark model is based on an effective Lagrangian, where baryons are described by relativistic valence quarks and a perturbative cloud of Goldstone bosons as dictated by chiral symmetry. We apply the formalism to obtain analytical expressions for the axial form factor of the nucleon, which is given in terms of fundamental parameters of low-energy pion–nucleon physics (weak pion decay constant, strong pion–nucleon form factor) and of only one model parameter (radius of the nucleonic three-quark core).

Imaging of spinor gases

We explore the dielectric properties of spinor condensates. Gases with vector (nematic) order, such as spin-1 condensates with ferromagnetic (antiferromagnetic) interactions, display optical activity (birefringence). This optical activity/birefringence is respectively seen for light detuned from resonance by a frequency which is not too large compared with the fine/hyperfine structure. Careful tuning of the light frequency can isolate either of these two effects. These features can be used to image spin textures in clouds of spin-1 bosons, and to discern states showing different types of spin order.

Nucleon structure in the perturbative chiral quark model

We give an overview of recent applications of the perturbative chiral quark model (PCQM) in the analysis of the structure of the nucleon. The PCQM is based on an effective Lagrangian, where baryons are described by relativistic valence quarks and a perturbative cloud of Goldstone bosons as required by chiral symmetry. We discuss applications to the electromagnetic properties of the nucleon, to σ-term physics, to π N scattering including radiative corrections and to the strange form factors of the nucleon.

Demixing in mesoscopic boson-fermion clouds inside cylindrical harmonic traps: Quantum phase diagram and role of temperature

We use a semiclassical three-fluid model to evaluate the phenomena of spatial demixing in mesoscopic clouds of fermionic and bosonic atoms at high dilution under harmonic confinement. We assume repulsive boson-boson and boson-fermion interactions and include a bosonic thermal cloud at finite temperature $T.$ The finite system size allows three different regimes for the equilibrium density profiles at $T=0:$ a fully mixed state, a partially mixed state in which the overlap between bosons and fermions is decreasing, and a fully demixed state where the two clouds have zero overlap. We propose simple analytical rules for the two crossovers between the three regimes as functions of the system parameters and support these rules by extensive numerical calculations. A universal ``phase diagram'' is shown to be valid for the transition to the regime of full demixing, where we identify several exotic configurations in addition to simple ones consisting of a core of bosons enveloped by fermions and vice versa. With increasing temperature some exotic configurations are transformed into more symmetric ones, until demixing is ultimately lost. For very high values of the boson-fermion repulsion we also report demixing between the fermions and the thermally excited bosons.

DEGENERATE GASES UNDER HARMONIC CONFINEMENT IN ONE DIMENSION: RIGOROUS RESULTS IN THE IMPENETRABLE-BOSONS/SPIN-POLARIZED-FERMIONS LIMIT

Developments in the realization and study of ultracold atomic gases inside elongated magnetic traps and atom waveguides have stimulated calculations of equilibrium properties and excitation spectra for mesoscopic clouds of hard-core bosons and of spin-polarized fermions moving under an external harmonic potential in one dimension. A rigorous correspondence exists between the wave functions of these two types of system, allowing a number of exact results to be obtained. The main theoretical techniques and results are reviewed in this article, with emphasis on their relevance in regard to tests of the Thomas–Fermi approximation for confined Fermi fluids and to the foundations of density functional theory for inhomogeneous quantum systems.