Standard arguments state that Bose Einstein condensation (BEC) cannot occur in dimensions lower than three in the thermodynamic limit as the expressions for the number of bosons in the excited states are unbounded. These arguments imply that the number density is infinite, which is an extraordinary condition. As an alternative to this pedagogy, we explore the use of regularization techniques to show that the number density of bosons in the excited state is finite in two and one dimensions at low temperatures, making it possible to have a BEC transition in the thermodynamic limit. We suggest creating a two-dimensional optical traps of increasing sizes to test this hypothesis as the thermodynamic limit is approached.
Standard arguments state that Bose Einstein condensation (BEC) cannot occur in dimensions lower than three in the thermodynamic limit as the expressions for the number of bosons in the excited states are unbounded. These arguments imply that the number density is infinite, which is an extraordinary condition. As an alternative to this pedagogy, we explore the use of regularization techniques to show that the number density of bosons in the excited state is finite in two and one dimensions at low temperatures, making it possible to have a BEC transition in the thermodynamic limit. We suggest creating a two-dimensional optical traps of increasing sizes to test this hypothesis as the thermodynamic limit is approached.
Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of an ideal gas is investigated for a finite number of particles. In three dimensions, we find a transition temperature which is lower than in the thermodynamic limit. Lowering the dimension increases the transition temperature and is therefore favorable for BEC. This is in contrast to the standard result obtained in the thermodynamic limit which states that BEC is not possible in, e.g., a one-dimensional (1D) harmonic potential. As a result, 1D atom traps, such as radially tightly confining magnetic traps or optical dipole traps, are promising for studying BEC. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
The fact that two-dimensional interacting trapped systems do not undergo Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) in the thermodynamic limit, though rigorously proved, is somewhat mysterious because all relevant limiting cases (zero temperature, small atom numbers, noninteracting particles) suggest otherwise. We study the possibility of condensation in finite trapped two-dimensional systems. We first consider the ideal gas, which incorporates the inhomogeneity and finite size of experimental systems and can be solved exactly. A semiclassical self-consistent approximation gives us a feel for the temperature scales; diagonalization of the one-body density matrix confirms that the condensation is into a single state. We squeeze a three-dimensional system and see how it crosses over into two dimensions. Mean-field theory, our main tool for the study of interacting systems, prescribes coupled equations for the condensate and the thermal cloud: the condensate receives a full quantum-mechanical treatment, while the noncondensate is described by different schemes of varying sophistication. We analyze the T = 0 case and its approach to the thermodynamic limit, finding a criterion for the dimensionality crossover and obtaining the coupling constant of the two-dimensional system that results from squeezing a three-dimensional trap. We next apply a semiclassical Hartree-Fock approximation to purely two-dimensional finite gases and find that they can be described either with or without a condensate; this continues to be true in the thermodynamic limit. The condensed solutions have a lower free energy at all temperatures but neglect the presence of phonons within the system and cease to exist when we allow for this possibility. The uncondensed solutions, in turn, are valid under a more rigorous scheme but have consistency problems of their own. Path-integral Monte Carlo simulations provide an essentially exact description of finite interacting gases and enable us to study highly anisotropic systems at finite temperature. We find that our two-dimensional Hartree-Fock solutions accurately mimic the surface density profile and predict the condensate fraction of these systems; the equivalent interaction parameter is smaller than that dictated by the T = 0 analysis. We conclude that, in two-dimensional isotropic finite trapped systems and in highly compressed three-dimensional gases, there is a phenomenon resembling a condensation into a single state.
Low-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensations (BEC) for g(e) (the density of states) = Cde(superscript d-1) with d ≤ 1, corresponding to a dimensionality of not larger than 2, are theoretically analyzed. When the energy quantization of the first excited state is taken into account, the boson number in the excited states is finite even for d ≤ 1 with the density of states remaining proportional toe(superscript d-1). The condensation temperature increases with the particle number faster for d ≤ 1 than for d ＞ 1. The condensation depends highly on the quantized energye1 of the first excited state. Whene1 just deviates slightly from zero, the condensation temperature quickly increases withe1. Theoretical estimation shows that a low-dimensional BEC can occur at a temperature above 1 K for excitons in semiconductor quantum wells even without the harmonic-oscillator potential.
Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of a noninteracting Bose gas of N particles in a two-dimensional box with Dirichlet boundary conditions is studied. Confirming previous work, we find that BEC occurs at finite N at low temperatures T without the occurrence of a phase transition. The conventionally-defined transition temperature T(E) for an infinite three-dimensional (3D) system is shown to correspond in a 2D system with finite N to a crossover temperature between a slow and rapid increase in the fractional boson occupation N(0)/N of the ground state with decreasing T. We further show that T(E)∼1/logN at fixed area per boson, so in the thermodynamic limit there is no significant BEC in 2D at finite T. Thus, paradoxically, BEC only occurs in 2D at finite N with no phase transition associated with it. Calculations of thermodynamic properties versus T and area A are presented, including Helmholtz free energy, entropy S, pressure p, ratio of p to the energy density U/A, heat capacity at constant volume (area) C(V) and at constant pressure C(p), isothermal compressibility κ(T) and thermal expansion coefficient α(p), obtained using both the grand-canonical ensemble (GCE) and canonical ensemble (CE) formalisms. The GCE formalism gives acceptable predictions for S, p, p/(U/A), κ(T) and α(p) at large N, T and A but fails for smaller values of these three parameters for which BEC becomes significant, whereas the CE formalism gives accurate results for all thermodynamic properties of finite systems even at low T and/or A where BEC occurs.
The density of bosonic states are calculated for spinless free massive bosons in generalised d dimensions. The number of bosons are calculated in the lowest energy state. The Bose Einstein condensation was found in generalised d dimensions (on and above d = 3) and the condensation temperature is calculated which is observed to drop abruptly above three dimensions and decreases monotonically as the dimensionalities of the system increases. The rate of fall of the condensation temperature decreases as the dimensionality increases. Interestingly, in the limit of infinite dimensions, the condensation temperature is observed to approach a nonzero finite value.
Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of an ideal gas is investigated, beyond the thermodynamic limit, for a finite number N of particles trapped in a generic three-dimensional power-law potential. We derive an analytical expression for the condensation temperature Tc in terms of a power series in ${x}_{0}={\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{0}/{k}_{B}{T}_{c}$, where ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{0}$ denotes the zero-point energy of the trapping potential. This expression, which applies in Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical power-law traps, is given analytically at infinite order. It is also given numerically for specific potential shapes as an expansion in powers of x0 up to the second order. We show that, for a harmonic trap, the well-known first-order shift of the critical temperature $\ensuremath{\Delta}{T}_{c}/{T}_{c}\ensuremath{\propto}{N}^{\ensuremath{-}1/3}$ is inaccurate when $N\ensuremath{\leqslant}{10}^{5}$, the next order (proportional to ${N}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$) being significant. We also show that finite-size effects on the condensation temperature cancel out in a cubic trapping potential, e.g., $V(r)\ensuremath{\propto}{r}^{3}$. Finally, we show that in a generic power-law potential of higher order, e.g., $V(r)\ensuremath{\propto}{r}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ with $\ensuremath{\alpha}>3$, the shift of the critical temperature becomes positive. This effect provides a large increase of Tc for relatively small atom numbers. For instance, an increase of about $+$40% is expected with 104 atoms in a $V(r)\ensuremath{\propto}{r}^{12}$ trapping potential.