Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1111.6841 · Physical Review A

Variational determination of approximate bright matter-wave soliton solutions in anisotropic traps

T. P. Billam, Steven A. Wrathmall, S. A. Gardiner

Published Jan 19, 2012• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We consider the ground state of an attractively interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in a prolate, cylindrically symmetric harmonic trap. If a true quasi-one-dimensional limit is realized, then for sufficiently weak axial trapping this ground state takes the form of a bright soliton solution of the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. Using analytic variational and highly accurate numerical solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, we systematically and quantitatively assess how solitonlike this ground state is, over a wide range of trap and interaction strengths. Our analysis reveals that the regime in which the ground state is highly solitonlike is significantly restricted and occurs only for experimentally challenging trap anisotropies. This result and our broader identification of regimes in which the ground state is well approximated by our simple analytic variational solution are relevant to a range of potential experiments involving attractively interacting Bose-Einstein condensates.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.85.013627

Related papers

Realizing bright-matter-wave-soliton collisions with controlled relative phase

T. P. Billam, Simon L. Cornish, S. A. Gardiner

We propose a method to split the ground state of an attractively interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensate into two bright solitary waves with controlled relative phase and velocity. We analyze the stability of these waves against their subsequent recollisions at the center of a cylindrically symmetric, prolate harmonic trap as a function of relative phase, velocity, and trap anisotropy. We show that the collisional stability is strongly dependent on relative phase at low velocity, and we identify previously unobserved oscillations in the collisional stability as a function of the trap anisotropy. An experimental implementation of our method would determine the validity of the mean-field description of bright solitary waves and could prove to be an important step toward atom interferometry experiments involving bright solitary waves.

arXiv:1010.3219•Physical Review A•Apr 18, 2011•67 citations

Dynamics of bright matter-wave solitons in a Bose–Einstein condensate with inhomogeneous scattering length

F. Kh. Abdullaev, A. Gammal, Lauro Tomio

We investigate dynamical effects of a bright soliton in Bose–Einstein condensed (BEC) systems with local and smooth space variations of the two-body atomic scattering length. It includes a discussion about the possible observation of a new type of standing nonlinear atomic matter wave in cigar-type traps. A rich dynamics is observed in the interaction between the soliton and an inhomogeneity. By considering an analytical time-dependent variational approach and also full numerical simulation of one-dimensional and three-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equations, we study processes such as trapping, reflection and transmission of the bright matter soliton due to the impurity. We also derive conditions for the collapse of the bright solitary wave, considering a quasi-one-dimensional BEC with attractive local inhomogeneity.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jan 23, 2004•37 citations

Ansatz from nonlinear optics applied to trapped Bose-Einstein condensates

Murat Keçeli, Fatih Ömer Ilday, Mehmet Özgür Oktel

A simple analytical ansatz, which has been used to describe the intensity profile of the similariton laser (a laser with self-similar propagation of ultrashort pulses), is used as a variational wave function to solve the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for a wide range of interaction parameters. The variational form interpolates between the noninteracting density profile and the strongly interacting Thomas-Fermi profile smoothly. The simple form of the ansatz is modified for both cylindrically symmetric and completely anisotropic harmonic traps. The resulting ground-state density profile and energy are in very good agreement with both the analytical solutions in the limiting cases of interaction and the numerical solutions in the intermediate regime.

arXiv:cond-mat/0703779•Physical Review A•Mar 13, 2007•5 citations

Bright solitary waves and trapped solutions in Bose–Einstein condensates with attractive interactions

Nicholas G. Parker, Simon L. Cornish, Charles S. Adams +1 more

We analyse the static solutions of attractive Bose–Einstein condensates under transverse confinement, both with and without axial confinement. By full numerical solution of the Gross–Pitaevskii equation and variational methods we map out the condensate solutions, their energetic properties and their critical points for instability. With no axial confinement a bright solitary wave solution will tend to decay by dispersion unless the interaction energy is close to the critical value for collapse. In contrast, with axial confinement the only decay mechanism is collapse. The energetic stability of a bright solitary wave solution against decay increases with higher radial confinement. Finally, we consider the stability of dynamical states containing up to four solitons and find good agreement with recent experiments.

arXiv:0705.0064•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jul 25, 2007•38 citations

Dynamics of matter-wave solitons in harmonic traps with flashing optical lattices

Tristram J. Alexander, Kimberley Anne Heenan, Mario Salerno +1 more

We study, analytically and numerically, the dynamics of a matter-wave soliton formed by a Bose-Einstein condensate with an attractive interatomic interaction confined in a one-dimensional harmonic trap and subjected to a flashing weak periodic potential. Within the framework of the Gross-Pitaevski equation, we show that efficient energy transfer to the soliton occurs within two distinct frequency regimes: (a) on resonance with the trapping frequency and (b) on resonance with the internal mode of the soliton. We find that the former regime is well described within the soliton-as-particle approximation, while the latter relies on the extended nature of the localized state and involves strong excitations of the width coupled to translational motion.

Physical Review A•Jun 29, 2012•11 citations

Variational approach to the snake instability of a Bose-Einstein condensate soliton

U. Tanyeri, M. A. Gürkan, Ahmet Keleş +1 more

Solitons are striking manifestations of nonlinearity, encountered in diverse physical systems such as water waves, nonlinear optics, and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). In BECs, dark solitons emerge as exact stationary solutions of the one-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation. While they can be long-lived in elongated traps, their stability is compromised in higher dimensions due to the snake instability, which leads to the decay of the soliton into vortex structures among other excitations. We investigate the dynamics of a dark soliton in a Bose-Einstein condensate confined in an anisotropic harmonic trap. Using a variational ansatz that incorporates both the transverse bending of the soliton plane and the emergence of vortices along the nodal line, we derive equations of motion governing the soliton's evolution. This approach allows us to identify stable oscillation modes as well as the growth rates of the unstable perturbations. In particular, we determine the critical trap anisotropy required to suppress the snake instability. Our analytical predictions are in good agreement with full numerical simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation.

arXiv:2507.04926•Physical Review A•Dec 23, 2025•0 citations
We consider the ground state of an attractively interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in a prolate, cylindrically symmetric harmonic trap. If a true quasi-one-dimensional limit is realized, then for sufficiently weak axial trapping this ground state takes the form of a bright soliton solution of the nonlinear Schr"odinger equation. Using analytic variational and highly accurate numerical solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, we systematically and quantitatively assess how solitonlike this ground state is, over a wide range of trap and interaction strengths. Our analysis reveals that the regime in which the ground state is highly solitonlike is significantly restricted and occurs only for experimentally challenging trap anisotropies. This result and our broader identification of regimes in which the ground state is well approximated by our simple analytic variational solution are relevant to a range of potential experiments involving attractively interacting Bose-Einstein condensates.
We propose a method to split the ground state of an attractively interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensate into two bright solitary waves with controlled relative phase and velocity. We analyze the stability of these waves against their subsequent recollisions at the center of a cylindrically symmetric, prolate harmonic trap as a function of relative phase, velocity, and trap anisotropy. We show that the collisional stability is strongly dependent on relative phase at low velocity, and we identify previously unobserved oscillations in the collisional stability as a function of the trap anisotropy. An experimental implementation of our method would determine the validity of the mean-field description of bright solitary waves and could prove to be an important step toward atom interferometry experiments involving bright solitary waves.
We investigate dynamical effects of a bright soliton in Bose–Einstein condensed (BEC) systems with local and smooth space variations of the two-body atomic scattering length. It includes a discussion about the possible observation of a new type of standing nonlinear atomic matter wave in cigar-type traps. A rich dynamics is observed in the interaction between the soliton and an inhomogeneity. By considering an analytical time-dependent variational approach and also full numerical simulation of one-dimensional and three-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equations, we study processes such as trapping, reflection and transmission of the bright matter soliton due to the impurity. We also derive conditions for the collapse of the bright solitary wave, considering a quasi-one-dimensional BEC with attractive local inhomogeneity.
A simple analytical ansatz, which has been used to describe the intensity profile of the similariton laser (a laser with self-similar propagation of ultrashort pulses), is used as a variational wave function to solve the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for a wide range of interaction parameters. The variational form interpolates between the noninteracting density profile and the strongly interacting Thomas-Fermi profile smoothly. The simple form of the ansatz is modified for both cylindrically symmetric and completely anisotropic harmonic traps. The resulting ground-state density profile and energy are in very good agreement with both the analytical solutions in the limiting cases of interaction and the numerical solutions in the intermediate regime.
We analyse the static solutions of attractive Bose–Einstein condensates under transverse confinement, both with and without axial confinement. By full numerical solution of the Gross–Pitaevskii equation and variational methods we map out the condensate solutions, their energetic properties and their critical points for instability. With no axial confinement a bright solitary wave solution will tend to decay by dispersion unless the interaction energy is close to the critical value for collapse. In contrast, with axial confinement the only decay mechanism is collapse. The energetic stability of a bright solitary wave solution against decay increases with higher radial confinement. Finally, we consider the stability of dynamical states containing up to four solitons and find good agreement with recent experiments.
We study, analytically and numerically, the dynamics of a matter-wave soliton formed by a Bose-Einstein condensate with an attractive interatomic interaction confined in a one-dimensional harmonic trap and subjected to a flashing weak periodic potential. Within the framework of the Gross-Pitaevski equation, we show that efficient energy transfer to the soliton occurs within two distinct frequency regimes: (a) on resonance with the trapping frequency and (b) on resonance with the internal mode of the soliton. We find that the former regime is well described within the soliton-as-particle approximation, while the latter relies on the extended nature of the localized state and involves strong excitations of the width coupled to translational motion.
Solitons are striking manifestations of nonlinearity, encountered in diverse physical systems such as water waves, nonlinear optics, and Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). In BECs, dark solitons emerge as exact stationary solutions of the one-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation. While they can be long-lived in elongated traps, their stability is compromised in higher dimensions due to the snake instability, which leads to the decay of the soliton into vortex structures among other excitations. We investigate the dynamics of a dark soliton in a Bose-Einstein condensate confined in an anisotropic harmonic trap. Using a variational ansatz that incorporates both the transverse bending of the soliton plane and the emergence of vortices along the nodal line, we derive equations of motion governing the soliton's evolution. This approach allows us to identify stable oscillation modes as well as the growth rates of the unstable perturbations. In particular, we determine the critical trap anisotropy required to suppress the snake instability. Our analytical predictions are in good agreement with full numerical simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation.