Spin-orbit (SO) coupling can be introduced in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as a gauge potential acting only in a localized spatial domain. The effect of such a SO ``defect'' can be understood by transforming the system to the integrable vector model. The properties of the SO BEC change drastically if the SO defect is accompanied by the Zeeman splitting. In such a nonintegrable system, the SO defect qualitatively changes the character of soliton interactions and allows for formation of stable nearly scalar soliton complexes with almost all atoms concentrated in only one dark state. These solitons exist only if the number of particles exceeds a threshold value. We also report on the possibility of transmission and reflection of a soliton upon its scattering on the SO defect. Scattering strongly affects the pseudospin polarization and can induce pseudospin precession. The scattering can also result in almost complete atomic transfer between the dark states.
Spin-orbit (SO) coupling can be introduced in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as a gauge potential acting only in a localized spatial domain. The effect of such a SO ``defect'' can be understood by transforming the system to the integrable vector model. The properties of the SO BEC change drastically if the SO defect is accompanied by the Zeeman splitting. In such a nonintegrable system, the SO defect qualitatively changes the character of soliton interactions and allows for formation of stable nearly scalar soliton complexes with almost all atoms concentrated in only one dark state. These solitons exist only if the number of particles exceeds a threshold value. We also report on the possibility of transmission and reflection of a soliton upon its scattering on the SO defect. Scattering strongly affects the pseudospin polarization and can induce pseudospin precession. The scattering can also result in almost complete atomic transfer between the dark states.
In this paper we study the scattering of solitons in a binary Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) including SO- and Rabi-couplings. To this end, we derive a reduced ODE model in view to provide a variational description of the collisional dynamics. Also, we assume negative intra- and inter-component interaction strengths, such that one obtains localized solutions even in absence of external potentials. By performing extensive numerical simulations of this model we observe that, for specific conditions, the final propagation velocity of the scattered solitons could be highly sensitive to small changes in the initial conditions, being a possible signature of chaos. Additionally, there are infinitely many intervals of regularity emerging from the obtained chaotic-like regions and forming a fractal-like structure of reflection/transmission windows. Finally, we investigate how the value of the spin-orbit coupling strength changes the critical velocities, which are minimum/maximum values for the occurrence of solitons bound-states, as well as the fractal-like structure.
We present an overview of our recent theoretical studies on the quantum phenomena of the spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensates, including the phase diagram, soliton solutions and the formation of the topological spin textures. A brief exploration of the effects of spin-orbit coupling on the ground-state properties is given. We put forward proposals by using the transmission spectra of an optical cavity to probe the quantum ground states: the ferromagnetic and polar phases. Quasi-one-dimension solitons and ring dark solitons are studied. It is predicted that characteristics of the magnetic solitons in optical lattice can be tuned by controlling the long-range light-induced and static magnetic dipoledipole interactions; solutions of single-component magnetic and single-, two-, three-components polar solitons are found; ring dark solitons in spin-1 condensates are predicted to live longer lifetimes than that in their scalar counterparts. In the formation of spin textures, we have considered the theoretical model of a rapidly quenched and fast rotating trapped spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate, whose dynamics can be studied by solving the stochastic projected Gross-Pitaevskii equations. Spontaneous generation of nontrivial topological defects, such as the hexagonal lattice skyrmions and square lattice of half-quantized vortices was predicted. In particular, crystallization of merons (half skyrmions) can be generated in the presence of spin-orbit coupling.
We analytically and numerically discuss the dynamics of two pseudospin components Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in deep optical lattices. Rich localized phenomena, such as breathers, solitons, self-trapping, and diffusion, are revealed and strongly depend on the strength of the atomic interaction, SOC, Raman detuning, and the spin polarization (i.e., the initial population difference of atoms between the two pseudospin components of BECs). The critical conditions for the transition of localized states are derived analytically. Based on the critical conditions, the detailed dynamical phase diagram describing the different dynamical regimes is derived. When the Raman detuning satisfies a critical condition, localized states with a fixed initial spin polarization can be observed. When the critical condition is not satisfied, we use two quenching methods, i.e., suddenly and linearly quenching Raman detuning from the soliton or breather state, to discuss the spin dynamics, phase transition, and wave packet dynamics by numerical simulation. The sudden quenching results in a damped oscillation of spin polarization and transforms the system to a new polarized state. Interestingly, the linear quenching of Raman detuning induces a controllable phase transition from an unpolarized phase to an expected polarized phase, while the soliton or breather dynamics is maintained.
Abstract We investigate the ground-state properties of spin–orbit (SO)-coupled Bose–Einstein condensates confined in a spin-dependent asymmetric potential composed of harmonic and quartic contributions. The combined effect of the two potentials gives rise to an effective spatially inhomogeneous Zeeman field along the z -direction, and the complex competition among SO coupling, interatomic interactions, and this effective field leads to the emergence of nontrivial topological phases and complex spin textures in the system. For weak interatomic interactions, as the SO coupling strength increases, the system undergoes a series of transitions between ground-state phases: from a spin-polarized state, to an Anderson–Toulouse (AT) vortex state, a high-order radial dark soliton state, and finally to a domain structure. For strong interatomic interactions, the condensate evolves from a spin-polarized state to an AT vortex state, and then to a spatially coexisting state of AT and Mermin–Ho vortices, which corresponds to a novel topological excitation in pseudospin space: a skyrmion-dominated texture embedded with circular-hyperbolic antimeron pairs, realizing the coexistence and nesting of multiple topological defects. For sufficiently strong SO coupling, both components eventually evolve into similar multiring-shaped higher-order radial dark soliton states, with the number of soliton rings increasing as the SO coupling strength increases. Our results enrich the ground-state phases and topological excitations of cold atomic systems and provide new insights for exploring and manipulating nontrivial topological excitations in such systems.
We report on the existence and stability of freely moving solitons in a spatially inhomogeneous Bose-Einstein condensate with helicoidal spin-orbit (SO) coupling. In spite of the periodically varying parameters, the system allows for the existence of stable propagating solitons. Such states are found in the rotating frame, where the helicoidal SO coupling is reduced to a homogeneous one. In the absence of the Zeeman splitting, the coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations describing localized states feature many properties of the integrable systems. In particular, four-parametric families of solitons can be obtained in the exact form. Such solitons interact elastically. Zeeman splitting still allows for the existence of two families of moving solitons, but makes collisions of solitons inelastic.
Ring-trapped Bose-Einstein condensates subject to spin-orbit coupling support localized dark-soliton excitations that show periodic density dynamics in real space. In addition to the density feature, the solitons also carry a localized pseudospin magnetization that exhibits a rich and tunable dynamics. Analytical results for Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling and spin-invariant interactions predict a conserved magnitude and precessional motion for the soliton magnetization that allows for the simulation of spin-related geometric phases recently seen in electronic transport measurements.