Mean field approximation treats only coherent aspects of the evolution of a Bose-Einstein condensate. However, in many experiments some atoms scatter out of the condensate. We study a semianalytic model of two counterpropagating atomic Gaussian wave packets incorporating the dynamics of incoherent scattering processes. Within the model we can treat processes of the elastic collision of atoms into the initially empty modes, and observe how, with growing occupation, the bosonic enhancement is slowly kicking in. A condition for the bosonic enhancement effect is found in terms of relevant parameters. Scattered atoms form a squeezed state. Not only are we able to calculate the dynamics of mode occupation, but also the full statistics of scattered atoms.
We study stationary quantum fluctuations around a mean field limit in trapped, dilute atomic gases of repulsively interacting bosons at zero temperature. Our goal is to describe quantum-mechanically the lowest macroscopic many-body bound state consistent with a microscopic Hamiltonian that accounts for inhomogeneous particle scattering processes. In the mean field limit, the wave function of the condensate (macroscopic quantum state) satisfies a defocusing cubic nonlinear Schrödinger-type equation, the Gross–Pitaevskii equation. We include consequences of pair excitation, i.e., the scattering of particles in pairs from the condensate to other states, proposed in [T. T. Wu, J. Math. Phys., 2 (1961), pp. 105–123]. Our derivations rely on an uncontrolled yet physically motivated assumption for the many-body wave function. By relaxing mathematical rigor, from a particle Hamiltonian with a spatially varying interaction strength we derive via heuristics an integro–partial differential equation for the pair collision kernel, K, under a stationary condensate wave function,
Φ. For a scattering length with periodic microstructure of subscale
ϵ, we formally describe via classical homogenization the lowest many-body bound state in terms of
Φ and K up to second order in
ϵ. If the external potential is slowly varying, we solve the homogenized equations via boundary layer theory. As an application, we describe the partial depletion of the condensate.
Bragg diffraction divides a Bose-Einstein condensate into two overlapping components, moving with respect to each other with high momentum. Elastic collisions between atoms from distinct wave packets can significantly deplete the condensate. Recently, Zi\ifmmode \acute{n}\else \'{n}\fi{} et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 200401 (2005)] introduced a model of two counterpropagating atomic Gaussian wave packets incorporating the dynamics of the incoherent scattering processes. Here we study the properties of this model in detail, including the nature of the transition from spontaneous to stimulated scattering. Within the first-order approximation, we derive analytical expressions for the density matrix and anomalous density that provide excellent insight into correlation properties of scattered atoms.
We consider a quantum theory of elastic light scattering from a macroscopic atomic sample existing in the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) phase. Following the second quantized formalism we introduce a set of coupled and closed diagram equations for the polariton propagator contributing to the T -matrix and scattering amplitude. Our approach allows us to follow important density corrections to the quasi-energy structure caused by static interaction and radiation losses associated with incoherent scattering in the case of near resonance excitation.