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arXiv:0903.4732 · Physical Review Letters

Creation of Dirac Monopoles in Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates

Ville Pietilä, Mikko Möttönen

Published Jul 13, 2009• 105 citations
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Abstract

We demonstrate theoretically that, by using external magnetic fields, one can imprint pointlike topological defects on the spin texture of a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate. The symmetries of the condensate order parameter render this topological defect to be accompanied with a vortex filament corresponding to the Dirac string of a magnetic monopole. The vorticity in the condensate coincides with the magnetic field of a magnetic monopole, providing an ideal analogue to the monopole studied by Dirac.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.103.030401

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We demonstrate theoretically that, by using external magnetic fields, one can imprint pointlike topological defects on the spin texture of a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate. The symmetries of the condensate order parameter render this topological defect to be accompanied with a vortex filament corresponding to the Dirac string of a magnetic monopole. The vorticity in the condensate coincides with the magnetic field of a magnetic monopole, providing an ideal analogue to the monopole studied by Dirac.
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In this paper we first derive a general method which enables one to create expressions for vortices and monopoles. By using this method we construct several order-parameters describing the vortices and monopoles of Bose–Einstein condensates with hyperfine spin F = 1 and F = 2. We concentrate on defects which are topologically stable in the absence of an external magnetic field. In particular we show that in a ferromagnetic condensate there can be a vortex which does produce any superfluid flow. We also point out that the order-parameter space of the cyclic phase of F = 2 condensate consists of two disconnected sets. Finally we examine the effect of an external magnetic field on the vortices of a ferromagnetic F = 1 condensate and discuss the experimental preparation of a vortex in this system.
Since their experimental discovery in 1995, dilute Bose–Einstein condensates have proven to be excellent platforms for studying interacting many-body quantum systems. The gaseous condensates can be conveniently controlled in space and time with lasers and magnetic fields. Theoretically, these low-temperature systems can be described starting from first principles, and their dynamics is accurately captured by the mean-field approach. Dilute condensates with internal spin degrees of freedom may host various topological defects including vortices, monopoles, and skyrmions. Precise external control fields can be used to engineer and study these topological states. \n \nIn this thesis, we investigate the creation, stability, and dynamics of various topological defects in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates. A combination of numerical and analytical methods is used and a part of the research is carried out in collaboration with an experimental research group. The majority of the research involves numerically solving the mean-field Gross–Pitaevskii equation for a spin-1 condensate. The computations are accelerated with graphics processing units. \n \nWe find that the ground state of a ferromagnetic spin-1 condensate supports a Dirac monopole in its synthetic magnetic field in the presence of a quadrupole magnetic field. The energetics of various stationary states of spin-orbit coupled condensates are analyzed and a robust method to observe these exotic states in experiments is proposed. The creation of topological skyrmions is simulated and a very good quantitative agreement with a recent experiment is obtained. Importantly, the first experimental observations of both, Dirac monopoles and topological point defects in a system governed by a quantum field are presented. Subsequently, the decay dynamics of the point defect is studied, revealing the decay into a ferromagnetic state supporting the Dirac monopole. \n \nThe impact of the research conducted in this thesis is not limited to gaseous Bose–Einstein condensates, but due to the universality of quantum mechanics and topological defects, our work provides knowledge, ideas, and inspiration across research fields.
Based on the three-dimensional spinor Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation, the dynamic behavior of the Bose-Einstein condensate under the action of a time-dependent periodic external magnetic field is studied. The results show that the Bose-Einstein condensate with spin-1 in a ferromagnetic state will undergo topological deformation under the action of an external magnetic field periodically varying with time. When the two zero points of the magnetic field enter into the condensate, the density pattern of the spin-up state forms small convexities protruding upward and downward on the z-axis, respectively. As the two zero points of the magnetic field gradually coincide in the condensate, the upward and downward protruding convexities are elongated. Finally, the spin-up state in the shape of a line is distributed on the z-axis, which is consistent with the scenario of the isolated Dirac string predicted by theoretical analysis. As far as we know, magnetic monopole can be divided into positive monopole and negative monopole. The positive magnetic monopole means that all magnetic induction lines are emitted from the center of the circle. And only the Dirac string points to the center of the circle. The negative monopole is that all the magnetic induction lines point from the outside to the center of the circle, and only the Dirac string emits from the center of the circle. Magnetic monopole is a topological defect in vector field, which accords with both quantum mechanics and gauge invariance of electromagnetic field. Single magnetic monopole has been studied a lot in theory, and its analogues have been observed in experiment. But multiple monopoles and the interaction between them are still rarely studied. In this paper, multiple monopoles are produced based on the fact that the periodic magnetic field has multiple zeros. We use a new periodic magnetic field to generate a positive and negative magnetic monopole. Due to the strong external magnetic field, the vorticity in the condensate is consistent with the magnetic field of the monopole. Finally, by calculating the superfluid vorticity of the condensate, the characteristic diagram of the magnetic monopole is obtained. The results show that the condensate forms a pair of positive and negative magnetic monopoles at the two zero points of the magnetic field, corresponding to the two small convexities protruding upward and downward on the z-axis of the spin-up state, respectively. As the two zero points of the magnetic field coincide, the two Dirac strings in the positive and negative magnetic monopole gradually approach to each other, and after about 5 ms, they are completely connected, finally forming an isolated Dirac string. This result provides a new idea for further studying the isolated Dirac strings.
We show theoretically that a monopole defect, analogous to the Dirac magnetic monopole, may exist as the ground state of a dilute spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate. The ground-state monopole is not attached to a single semi-infinite Dirac string but forms a point where the circulation of a single vortex line is reversed. Furthermore, the three-dimensional dynamics of this monopole defect is studied after the magnetic field pinning the monopole is removed and the emergence of antimonopoles is observed. Our scheme is realizable with the current experimental facilities.