One-dimensional Bose-Einstein Condensate Research Articles

Vector solitons in nearly one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates

We derive a system of nonpolynomial Schr\"odinger equations for one-dimensional wave functions of two components in a binary self-attractive Bose-Einstein condensate loaded in a cigar-shaped trap. The system is obtained by means of the variational approximation, starting from the coupled three-dimensional (3D) Gross-Pitaevskii equations and assuming, as usual, the factorization of 3D wave functions. The system can be obtained in a tractable form under a natural condition of symmetry between the two species. A family of vector (two-component) soliton solutions is constructed. Collisions between orthogonal solitons (ones belonging to the different components) are investigated by means of simulations. The collisions are essentially inelastic. They result in strong excitation of intrinsic vibrations in the solitons, and create a small orthogonal component (``shadow") in each colliding soliton. The collision may initiate collapse, which depends on the mass and velocities of the solitons.

Collective excitations of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an anharmonic trap

We investigate the collective excitations of a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with repulsive interaction between atoms in a quadratic plus quartic trap. By using the variational approach, the coupled equations of motion for the center-of-mass coordinate of the condensate and its width are derived. Then, two low-energy excitation modes are obtained analytically. The frequency shift induced by the anharmonic distortion, and the collapse and revival of the collective excitations, which originate from the nonlinear coupling between the two modes, are discussed.

Fluctuating fringes

When two one-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensates interfere, they exhibit a fluctuating interference pattern. The full statistical distribution of the interference amplitude can be predicted, thanks to a remarkable connection to several exactly solvable problems.

Anderson localization of elementary excitations in a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate

We study the elementary excitations of a transversely confined Bose-Einstein condensate in presence of a weak axial random potential. We determine the localization length (i) in the hydrodynamical low energy regime, for a domain of linear densities ranging from the Tonks-Girardeau to the transverse Thomas-Fermi regime, in the case of a white noise potential and (ii) for all the range of energies, in the ``one-dimensional mean field regime'', in the case where the randomness is induced by a series of randomly placed point-like impurities. We discuss our results in view of recent experiments in elongated BEC systems.

Sensing electric and magnetic fields with Bose-Einstein condensates

We experimentally demonstrate that one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates brought close to microfabricated wires on an atom chip are a very sensitive sensor for magnetic and electric fields reaching a sensitivity to potential variations of ∼10−14eV at 3μm spatial resolution. We measure a two-dimensional magnetic field map 10μm above a 100-μm-wide wire and show how the transverse current-density component inside the wire can be reconstructed. The relation between the field sensitivity and the spatial resolution is discussed and further improvements utilizing Feshbach-resonances are outlined.

Self-localized impurities embedded in a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate and their quantum fluctuations

We consider the self-localization of neutral impurity atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate in a 1D model. Within the strong coupling approach, we show that the self-localized state exhibits parametric soliton behavior. The corresponding stationary states are analogous to the solitons of non-linear optics and to the solitonic solutions of the Schroedinger-Newton equation (which appears in models that consider the connection between quantum mechanics and gravitation). In addition, we present a Bogoliubov-de-Gennes formalism to describe the quantum fluctuations around the product state of the strong coupling description. Our fluctuation calculations yield the excitation spectrum and reveal considerable corrections to the strong coupling description. The knowledge of the spectrum allows a spectroscopic detection of the impurity self-localization phenomenon.

GENERATION AND EVOLUTION OF DARK-SOLITON TRAINS IN ONE-DIMENSIONAL BOSE–EINSTEIN CONDENSATES

Generation and evolution of dark-soliton trains are studied. We focus on the dynamics resulting from large initial excitations in one-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensates trapped by a harmonic potential numerically. We consider three different techniques of controllable creation of multisolition structures (soliton trains). Multisoliton effects are discussed.

Two-component gap solitons in two- and one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates

We introduce two- and one-dimensional (1D) models of a binary BEC (Bose-Einstein condensate) in a periodic potential, with repulsive interactions. We chiefly consider the most fundamental case of the interspecies repulsion with zero intraspecies interactions. The same system may also model a mixture of two mutually repulsive fermionic species. Existence and stability regions for gap solitons (GSs) supported by the interplay of the interspecies repulsion and periodic potential are identified. Two-component GSs are constructed by means of the variational approximation (VA) and in a numerical form. The VA provides an accurate description for the GS which is a compound state of two tightly bound components, each essentially trapped in one cell of the periodic potential. GSs of this type dominate in the case of intragap solitons, with both components belonging to the first finite bandgap of the linear spectrum (only this type of solitons is possible in a weak lattice). Intergap solitons, with one component residing in the second bandgap, and intragap solitons which have both components in the second gap, are possible in a deeper periodic potential, with the strength essentially exceeding the recoil energy of the atoms. Intergap solitons are, typically, bound states of one tightly and one loosely bound component. In this case, results are obtained in a numerical form. The number of atoms in experimentally relevant situations is estimated to be $\ensuremath{\sim}5000$ in the 2D intragap soliton, and $\ensuremath{\sim}25\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}000$ in its intergap counterpart; in 1D solitons, it may be up to ${10}^{5}$. For 2D solitons, the stability is identified in direct simulations, while in the 1D case it is done via eigenfrequencies of small perturbations, and then verified by simulations. In the latter case, if the intragap soliton in the first bandgap is weakly unstable, it evolves into a stable breather, while unstable solitons of other types (in particular, intergap solitons) get completely destroyed. The intragap 2D solitons in the first bandgap are less robust, and in some cases they are completely destroyed by the instability. Addition of intraspecies repulsion to the repulsion between the components leads to further stabilization of the GSs.

Mean-field treatment of the damping of the oscillations of a one-dimensional Bose gas in an optical lattice

We present a theoretical treatment of the surprisingly large damping observed recently in one-dimensional Bose-Einstein atomic condensates in optical lattices. We show that time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations can describe qualitatively the main features of the damping observed over a range of lattice depths. We also derive a formula of the fluctuation-dissipation type for the damping, based on a picture in which the coherent motion of the condensate atoms is disrupted as they try to flow through the random local potential created by the irregular motion of noncondensate atoms. When parameters for the characteristic strength and correlation times of the fluctuations, obtained from the HFB calculations, are substituted in the damping formula, we find very good agreement with the experimentally observed damping, as long as the lattice is shallow enough for the fraction of atoms in the Mott insulator phase to be negligible. We also include, for completeness, the results of other calculations based on the Gutzwiller ansatz, which appear to work better for the deeper lattices.

Quasi-one-dimensional bosons in three-dimensional traps: From strong-coupling to weak-coupling regime

We analyze a recent experiment on a Tonks-Girardeau gas of $^{87}$Rb atoms (T. Kinoshita, T. Wenger, and D.S. Weiss, Science {\bf 305}, 1125 (2004)). We find that the experimental data are compatible with the one-dimensional theory of Lieb, Seiringer and Yngvason (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 91}, 150401 (2003)) but are better described by a theory that takes into account variations in the transverse width of the atomic cloud. By using this theory we investigate also the free axial expansion of the $^{87}$Rb gas in different regimes: Tonks-Girardeau gas, one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate and three-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate.

Multiquantum eigenstates of a linear chain of coupled qubits

We present a technique to identify exact analytic expressions for the multiquantum eigenstates of a linear chain of coupled qubits. A choice of Hilbert subspaces is described that allows an exact solution of the stationary Schr\"odinger equation without imposing periodic boundary conditions and without neglecting end effects, fully including the dipole-dipole nearest-neighbor interaction between the atoms. The treatment is valid for an arbitrary coherent excitation in the atomic system, any number of atoms, any size of the chain relative to the resonant wavelength and arbitrary initial conditions of the atomic system. The procedure we develop is general enough to be adopted for the study of excitation in an arbitrary array of atoms including spin chains and one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates.

Microscopic magnetic-field imaging

Today's magnetic-field sensors are not capable of making measurements with both high spatial resolution and good field sensitivity. For example, magnetic force microscopy allows the investigation of magnetic structures with a spatial resolution in the nanometre range, but with low sensitivity, whereas SQUIDs and atomic magnetometers enable extremely sensitive magnetic-field measurements to be made, but at low resolution. Here we use one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates in a microscopic field-imaging technique that combines high spatial resolution (within 3 micrometres) with high field sensitivity (300 picotesla).

Many-Body Analysis of the Hess-Fairbank Effect in One-Dimensional Bose-Einstein Condensates with Attractive Interactions

In terms of the many-body energy spectrum obtained by a diagonalization of Hamiltonian, we discuss the Hess-Fiarbank effect in an attractive Bose-Einstein condensate on a one-dimensional ring. Depending on the strength of interaction and the rotational frequency of the container, there exist two characteristic features in the spectrum. We argue that the existence of a regime of a huge number of low-lying levels causes the smearing of the plateau of the quantized circulation in contrast to conventional superfluids with repulsive interaction.

Maximal length of trapped one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates

I discuss a Bogoliubov inequality for obtaining a rigorous bound on the maximal axial extension of inhomogeneous one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates. An explicit upper limit for the aspect ratio of a strongly elongated, harmonically trapped Thomas-Fermi condensate is derived.

Creation and evolution of trains of dark solitons in a trapped one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate

The generation of dark solitons from large initial excitations and their evolution in a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate trapped by a harmonic potential is studied analytically and numerically. We consider three different techniques of controllable creation of multisoliton structures (soliton trains) from large initial excitations and calculate their initial parameters (depths and velocities) with the use of a generalized Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule. Multisoliton effects are discussed.

Evolution of a dark soliton in a parabolic potential: Application to Bose-Einstein condensates

Evolution of a dark soliton in a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate trapped by a harmonic potential is studied analytically and numerically. In the case of a deep soliton, main characteristics of its motion such as frequency and amplitude of oscillations are calculated by means of the perturbation theory which in the leading order results in a Newtonian dynamics, corrections to which are computed as well.

Stability of dark solitons in a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in an optical lattice

We investigate the stability of dark solitons (DSs) in an effectively one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of the magnetic parabolic trap and an optical lattice (OL). The analysis is based on both the full Gross-Pitaevskii equation and its tight-binding approximation counterpart (discrete nonlinear Schr{\"o}dinger equation). We find that DSs are subject to weak instabilities with an onset of instability mainly governed by the period and amplitude of the OL. The instability, if present, sets in at large times and it is characterized by quasi-periodic oscillations of the DS about the minimum of the parabolic trap.

Adiabatic dynamics of periodic waves in Bose-Einstein condensates with time dependent atomic scattering length.

Evolution of periodic matter waves in one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates with time-dependent scattering length is described. It is shown that variation of the effective nonlinearity is a powerful tool for controlled generation of bright and dark solitons starting with periodic waves.

Dark-in-bright solitons inBose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions

We demonstrate a possibility to generate localized states ineffectively one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates with anegative scattering length in the form of a dark soliton in thepresence of an optical lattice (OL) and/or a parabolic magnetictrap. We connect such structures with twisted localized modes(TLMs) that were previously found in the discrete nonlinearSchrödinger equation. Families of these structures are foundas functions of the OL strength, tightness of the magnetic trapand chemical potential, and their stability regions areidentified. Stable bound states of two TLMs are also found. Inthe case when the TLMs are unstable, their evolution isinvestigated by means of direct simulations, demonstrating thatthey transform into large-amplitude fundamental solitons. Ananalytical approach is also developed, showing that two orseveral fundamental solitons, with the phase shift π betweenadjacent ones, may form stable bound states, with parametersquite close to those of the TLMs revealed by simulations. TLMstructures are also found numerically and explained analytically in the case when the OL is absent, the condensate being confinedonly by the magnetic trap.

Quantum phase transition in one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions

Motivated by the recent development of the Feshbach technique, we studied the ground and low-lying excited states of attractive Bose-Einstein condensates on a one-dimensional ring as a function of the strength of interactions. The Gross-Pitaevskii mean-field theory predicts a quantum phase transition between a uniform condensate and a bright soliton, and a gapless singular cusp in the Bogoliubov excitation spectrum at the critical point. However, the exact diagonalization reveals the presence of an energy gap at the critical point, where the singularity is smeared by quantum fluctuations.