Starting with a Gaussian variational ansatz, we predict anisotropic bright solitons in quasi-2D Bose-Einstein condensates consisting of atoms with dipole moments polarized perpendicular to the confinement direction. Unlike isotropic solitons predicted for the moments aligned with the confinement axis [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 200404 (2005)10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.200404], no sign reversal of the dipole-dipole interaction is necessary to support the solitons. Direct 3D simulations confirm their stability.
Starting with a Gaussian variational ansatz, we predict anisotropic bright solitons in quasi-2D Bose-Einstein condensates consisting of atoms with dipole moments polarized perpendicular to the confinement direction. Unlike isotropic solitons predicted for the moments aligned with the confinement axis [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 200404 (2005)10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.200404], no sign reversal of the dipole-dipole interaction is necessary to support the solitons. Direct 3D simulations confirm their stability.
We predict the existence of stable fundamental and vortical bright solitons in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with repulsive dipole-dipole interactions (DDI). The condensate is trapped in the 2D plane with the help of the repulsive contact interactions whose local strength grows ∼r4 from the center to periphery, while dipoles are oriented perpendicular to the self-trapping plane. The confinement in the perpendicular direction is provided by the usual harmonic-oscillator potential. The objective is to extend the recently induced concept of the self-trapping of bright solitons and solitary vortices in the pseudopotential, which is induced by the repulsive local nonlinearity with the strength growing from the center to periphery, to the case when the trapping mechanism competes with the long-range repulsive DDI. Another objective is to extend the analysis for elliptic vortices and solitons in an anisotropic nonlinear pseudopotential. Using the variational approximation (VA) and numerical simulations, we construct families of self-trapped modes with vorticities ℓ=0 (fundamental solitons), ℓ=1, and ℓ=2. The fundamental solitons and vortices with ℓ=1 exist up to respective critical values of the eccentricity of the anisotropic pseudopotential, being stable in the entire existence regions. The vortices with ℓ=2 are stable solely in the isotropic model.
We predict solitary vortices in quasiplanar condensates of dipolar atoms, polarized parallel to the confinement direction, with the effective sign of the dipole-dipole interaction inverted by means of a rapidly rotating field. Energy minima corresponding to vortex solitons with topological charges $\ensuremath{\ell}=1$ and 2 are predicted for moderately strong dipole-dipole interaction, using an axisymmetric Gaussian Ansatz. The stability of the solitons with $\ensuremath{\ell}=1$ is confirmed by full three-dimensional simulations, whereas their counterparts with $\ensuremath{\ell}=2$ are found to be unstable against splitting into a set of four fragments (quadrupole).
We propose a realistic experimental setup for creating quasi-two-dimensional (2D) bright solitons in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), the existence of which was proposed by Tikhonenkov et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 090406 (2008)]. A challenging feature of the expected solitons is their strong inherent anisotropy due to the necessary in-plane orientation of the local moments in the dipolar gas. This may be the first chance of making multidimensional matter-wave solitons, as well as solitons featuring the anistropy due to their intrinsic dynamics. Our analysis is based on the extended Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which includes three-body losses and noise in the scattering length, induced by fluctuations of currents inducing the necessary magnetic fields, which are factors crucial to the adequate description of experimental conditions. By means of systematic three-dimensional (3D) simulations, we find a ramping scenario for the change of the scattering length and trap frequencies which results in the creation of robust solitons, that readily withstand the concomitant excitation of the condensate.
We investigate the coherent collision of anisotropic quasi-two-dimensional bright solitons in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates. Our analysis is based on the extended Gross-Pitaevskii equation, and we use the split-operator method for the grid calculations and the time-dependent variational principle with an Ansatz of coupled Gaussian functions to calculate the time evolution of the ground state. We compare the results of both approaches for collisions where initially the solitons are in the repelling side-by-side configuration and move towards each other with a specific momentum. We change the relative phases of the condensates, and introduce a total angular momentum by shifting the solitons in opposite directions along the polarization axis. Our calculations show that collisions result in breathing-mode-like excitations of the solitons.
We present gap solitons (GSs) that can be created in free nearly two-dimensional (2D) space in dipolar spinor Bose-Einstein condensates with the spin-orbit coupling (SOC), subject to tight confinement, with size ${a}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$, in the third direction. For quasi-2D patterns, with lateral sizes $l\ensuremath{\gg}{a}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$, the kinetic-energy terms in the respective spinor Gross-Pitaevskii equations may be neglected in comparison with SOC. This gives rise to a band gap in the system's spectrum, in the presence of the Zeeman splitting between the spinor components. While the present system with contact interactions does not produce 2D solitons, stable gap solitons (GSs), with vorticities 0 and 1 in the two components, are found, in quasianalytical and numerical forms, under the action of dipole-dipole interaction (DDI). Namely, isotropic and anisotropic 2D GSs are obtained when the dipoles are polarized, respectively, perpendicular or parallel to the 2D plane. The GS families extend, as embedded solitons (ESs), into spectral bands, a part of the ES branch being stable for isotropic solitons. The GSs remain stable if the competing contact interaction, with the sign opposite to that of the DDI, is included, while the addition of the contact term with the same sign destabilizes the GSs, at first replacing them by breathers, and eventually leading to destruction of the solitons. Mobility and collision of the GSs are studied too, revealing negative and positive effective masses of the isotropic and anisotropic solitons, respectively.
By solving the three-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equation, we generate two-dimensional axially symmetric and anisotropic dipolar Bose–Einstein condensate bright solitons for repulsive atomic interaction, stabilized by only a weak one-dimensional optical lattice (OL) aligned along and perpendicular, respectively, to the dipole polarization direction. In the former case, vortex solitons can also be created. We show that it is possible to make a stable array of small interacting axially symmetric dipolar solitons put on alternate OL sites. Further, we demonstrate the elastic nature of the collision of two such solitons.