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arXiv:1201.1471 · Physical Review A

Half-quantum vortex state in a spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate

B. Ramachandhran, Bogdan Opanchuk, Xia-Ji Liu, Han Pu, P. D. Drummond, Hui Hu

Published Feb 6, 2012• 163 citations
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Abstract

We theoretically investigate the condensate state and collective excitations of a two-component Bose gas in a two-dimensional harmonic trap subject to isotropic Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In the weakly interacting regime when the interspecies interaction is larger than the intraspecies interaction (${g}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}>g$), we find that the condensate ground state has a half-quantum angular momentum vortex configuration with spatial rotational symmetry and skyrmion-type spin texture. Upon increasing the interatomic interaction beyond a threshold ${g}_{c}$, the ground state starts to involve higher-order angular momentum components and thus breaks rotational symmetry. In the case of ${g}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}<g$, the condensate becomes unstable toward the superposition of two degenerate half-quantum vortex states. Both instabilities (at $g>{g}_{c}$ and ${g}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}<g$) can be determined by solving the Bogoliubov equations for collective density oscillations of the half-quantum vortex state and by analyzing the softening of mode frequencies. We obtain the phase diagram as a function of the interatomic interactions and the spin-orbit coupling. In addition, we directly simulate the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation to examine the dynamical properties of the system. Finally, we investigate the stability of the half-quantum vortex state against both trap anisotropy and anisotropy in the spin-orbit coupling.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.85.023606

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We theoretically investigate the condensate state and collective excitations of a two-component Bose gas in a two-dimensional harmonic trap subject to isotropic Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In the weakly interacting regime when the interspecies interaction is larger than the intraspecies interaction (g\ensuremath↑\ensuremath↓>g{g}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}>gg\ensuremath↑\ensuremath↓​>g), we find that the condensate ground state has a half-quantum angular momentum vortex configuration with spatial rotational symmetry and skyrmion-type spin texture. Upon increasing the interatomic interaction beyond a threshold gc{g}_{c}gc​, the ground state starts to involve higher-order angular momentum components and thus breaks rotational symmetry. In the case of g\ensuremath↑\ensuremath↓<g{g}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}<gg\ensuremath↑\ensuremath↓​<g, the condensate becomes unstable toward the superposition of two degenerate half-quantum vortex states. Both instabilities (at g>gcg>{g}_{c}g>gc​ and g\ensuremath↑\ensuremath↓<g{g}_{\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}}<gg\ensuremath↑\ensuremath↓​<g) can be determined by solving the Bogoliubov equations for collective density oscillations of the half-quantum vortex state and by analyzing the softening of mode frequencies. We obtain the phase diagram as a function of the interatomic interactions and the spin-orbit coupling. In addition, we directly simulate the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation to examine the dynamical properties of the system. Finally, we investigate the stability of the half-quantum vortex state against both trap anisotropy and anisotropy in the spin-orbit coupling.
A theoretical model of a Bose-Einstein condensate with angular spin-orbit coupling has recently been proposed and it has been established that a half-skyrmion represents the ground state in a certain regime of spin-orbit coupling and interaction. Here we investigate low-lying excitations of this phase by using the Bogoliubov method and numerical simulations of the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We find that a sudden shift of the trap bottom results in a complex two-dimensional motion of the system's center of mass that is markedly different from the response of a competing phase, and comprises two dominant frequencies. Moreover, the breathing mode frequency of the half-skyrmion is set by both the spin-orbit coupling and the interaction strength, while in the competing state it takes a universal value. Effects of interactions are especially pronounced at the transition between the two phases.
According to the no-node theorem, many-body ground state wavefunctions of conventional Bose-Einstein condensations (BEC) are positive-definite, thus time-reversal symmetry cannot be spontaneously broken. We find that multi-component bosons with spin-orbit coupling provide an unconventional type of BECs beyond this paradigm. We focus on the subtle case of isotropic Rashba spin-orbit coupling and the spin-independent interaction. In the limit of the weak confining potential, the condensate wavefunctions are frustrated at the Hartree-Fock level due to the degeneracy of the Rashba ring. Quantum zero-point energy selects the spin-spiral type condensate through the order-from-disorder mechanism. In a strong harmonic confining trap, the condensate spontaneously generates a half-quantum vortex combined with the skyrmion type of spin texture. In both cases, time-reversal symmetry is spontaneously broken. These phenomena can be realized in both cold atom systems with artificial spin-orbit couplings generated from atom-laser interactions and exciton condensates in semi-conductor systems.
Abstract We study the miscibility properties and ground state phases of two-component spin–orbit (SO) coupled Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) in a harmonic trap with strong axial confinement. By numerically solving the coupled Gross–Pitaevskii equations in the two-dimensional setting, we analyze the SO-coupled BECs for two possible permutations of the intra- and interspecies interactions, namely (i) weak intra- and weak interspecies interactions (W–W) and (ii) weak intra- and strong interspecies interactions (W–S). Considering the density overlap integral as a miscibility order parameter, we investigate the miscible–immiscible transition by varying the coupling parameters. We obtain various ground state phases, including plane wave, half quantum vortex, elongated plane wave, and different stripe wave patterns for W–W interactions. For finite Rabi coupling, an increase in SO coupling strength leads to the transition from the fully miscible to the partially miscible state. We also characterize different ground states in the coupling parameter space using the root mean square sizes of the condensate. The spin density vector for the ground state phases exhibits density, quadrupole and dipole like spin polarizations. For the W–S interaction, in addition to that observed in the W–W case, we witness semi vortex, mixed mode, and shell-like immiscible phases. We notice a wide variety of spin polarizations, such as density, dipole, quadrupole, symbiotic, necklace, and stripe-like patterns for the W–S case. A detailed investigation in the coupling parameter space indicates immiscible to miscible state phase transition upon varying the Rabi coupling for a fixed Rashba SO coupling. The critical Rabi coupling for the immiscible–miscible phase transition decreases upon increasing the SO coupling strength.
Realization of spinor Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical trap has made it possible to create a variety of topological nontrivial structures, due to the vector character of the order parameter. Recently, artificial spin-orbit coupling in the spinor Bose-Einstein condensate, owing to coupling between the spin and the center-of-mass motion of the atom, provides an unprecedented opportunity to search for novel quantum states. As is well known, the potential well in the Bose-Einstein condensate is adjustable. The toroidal trap is an important model potential because of its simplicity and richness in physics. In particular, the spinor Bose-Einstein condensate under the toroidal trap has brought an ideal platform for studying fascinating properties of a superfluid, such as persistent flow and symmetry-breaking localization. For the case of the spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate, the previous studies of the toroidal trap mainly focused on the two-component or antiferromagnetic case. However, in the presence of a toroidal trap, there remains an open question whether the combined effects of the spin-orbit coupling and rotation can produce previously unknown types of topological excitations in the ferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate. In this work, by using quasi two-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equations, we study the ground state structure of spin-orbit coupled rotating ferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate in the toroidal trap. We concentrate on the effects of the spin-orbit coupling and the rotation on the ground states. The numerical results show that in the presence of a toroidal trap, the ground state structure is displayed as half-skyrmion chain with circular distribution. Adjusting the strength of spin-orbit coupling not only changes the number of half-skyrmion in the system, but also controls the symmetry of half-skyrmion with circular distribution. As the rotation frequency increases, the system undergoes the transitions from the plane wave to the half-skyrmion chain with circular distribution, and eventually developing the half-skyrmion phase of triangular lattice. Next, we examine the effect of spin-independent interaction on spin-orbit coupled rotating spinor Bose-Einstein condensate. As the spin-independent interaction increases, the topological defects in the condensate increase due to the variation of the local magnetic order. We also discuss the influence of well shape on the ground state structure. These topological structures can be detected via the time-of-flight absorption imaging technique. The spin-orbit coupled spinor Bose-Einstein condensate in the toroidal trap is an important quantum platform, which not only opens up a new avenue for exploring the exotic topological structures, but also is crucial for realizing the transitions among different ground states. This work paves the way for futureexploring the topological defects and the corresponding dynamical stability in quantum system subjected to the toroidal trap.
Abstract We consider the ground-state properties of Rashba spin–orbit-coupled pseudo-spin-1/2 Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) in a rotating two-dimensional (2D) toroidal trap. In the absence of spin–orbit coupling (SOC), the increasing rotation frequency enhances the creation of giant vortices for the initially miscible BECs, while it can lead to the formation of semiring density patterns with irregular hidden vortex structures for the initially immiscible BECs. Without rotation, strong 2D isotropic SOC yields a heliciform-stripe phase for the initially immiscible BECs. Combined effects of rotation, SOC, and interatomic interactions on the vortex structures and typical spin textures of the ground state of the system are discussed systematically. In particular, for a fixed rotation frequency above the critical value, the increasing isotropic SOC favors a visible vortex necklace in each component which is accompanied by a hidden giant vortex plus a (several) hidden vortex necklace(s) in the central region. In the case of one-dimensional anisotropic SOC, large SOC strength results in the generation of hidden linear vortex string and the transition from initial component separation (component mixing) to component mixing (component separation). Furthermore, the peculiar spin textures including skyrmion lattice, skyrmion pair and skyrmion string are revealed in this system.
The Gross–Pitaevskii equation for two-component rotating Bose–Einstein condensates with the Rashba-type spin–orbit (SO) coupling is studied with numerical simulations and variational analyses. A multiquantum vortex state becomes a ground state in a harmonic potential when mutual interaction is absent. When the attractive interaction is strong, the multiquantum vortex state exhibits modulational instability in the azimuthal direction, and a soliton-like state appears. When the repulsive interaction is strong, a vortex lattice state with a multiquantum vortex at the center is created. We find that the vortex lattice state is approximated at a linear combination of multiquantum vortex states.