Collisions of Three-Component Vector Solitons in Bose-Einstein Condensates
Stefan Lannig, Christian-Marcel Schmied, Maximilian Prüfer, Philipp Kunkel, Robin Strohmaier, Helmut Strobel, Thomas Gasenzer, P. G. Kevrekidis, Markus K. Oberthaler
Ultracold gases provide an unprecedented level of control for the investigation of soliton dynamics and collisions. We present a scheme for deterministically preparing pairs of three-component solitons in a Bose-Einstein condensate. Our method is based on local spin rotations which simultaneously imprint suitable phase and density distributions. This enables us to observe striking collisional properties of the vector degree of freedom which naturally arises for the coherent nature of the emerging multicomponent solitons. We find that the solitonic properties in the quasi-one-dimensional system are quantitatively described by the integrable repulsive three-component Manakov model.
Ultracold gases provide an unprecedented level of control for the investigation of soliton dynamics and collisions. We present a scheme for deterministically preparing pairs of three-component solitons in a Bose-Einstein condensate. Our method is based on local spin rotations which simultaneously imprint suitable phase and density distributions. This enables us to observe striking collisional properties of the vector degree of freedom which naturally arises for the coherent nature of the emerging multicomponent solitons. We find that the solitonic properties in the quasi-one-dimensional system are quantitatively described by the integrable repulsive three-component Manakov model.
Vector solitons are a type of solitary or nonspreading wave packet occurring in a nonlinear medium composed of multiple components. As such, a variety of synthetic systems can be constructed to explore their properties, from nonlinear optics to ultracold atoms, and even in metamaterials. Bose-Einstein condensates have a rich panoply of internal hyperfine levels, or spin components, which make them a unique platform for exploring these solitary waves. However, existing experimental work has focused largely on binary systems confined to the Manakov limit of the nonlinear equations governing the soliton behavior, where quantum magnetism plays no role. Here we observe, using a "magnetic shadowing" technique, a new type of soliton in a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate, one that exists only when the underlying interactions are antiferromagnetic and which is deeply embedded within a full spin-1 quantum system. Our approach opens up a vista for future studies of "solitonic matter" whereby multiple solitons interact with one another at deterministic locations.
We study the phase separation in three-component bright vector solitons in a quasi-one-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled hyperfine spin F=1 ferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate upon an increase of the strength of spin-orbit (SO) coupling ${p}_{x}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{z}$ above a critical value, where px is the linear momentum and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{z}$ is the z component of the spin-1 matrix. The bright vector solitons are demonstrated to be mobile and dynamically stable. The collision between two such vector solitons is found to be elastic at all velocities with the conservation of density of each vector soliton. The two colliding vector solitons repel at small separation and at very small colliding velocity, they come close and bounce back with the same velocity without ever encountering each other. This repulsion produced by SO coupling is responsible for the phase separation in a vector soliton for large strengths of SO coupling. The collision dynamics is found to be completely insensitive to the relative phase of the colliding solitons. However, in the absence of SO coupling, at very small velocity, the two colliding vector solitons attract each other and form a vector soliton molecule and the collision dynamics is sensitive to the relative phase as in scalar solitons. The present investigation is carried out through a numerical solution and an analytic variational approximation of the underlying mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation.
Multicomponent nonlinear Schrödinger equations constitute fundamental models for coherent matter waves in multicomponent Bose--Einstein condensates, spinor quantum fluids, and vector nonlinear optical systems. We develop a vector formulation of the Hirota bilinear formalism for the completely integrable Manakov system that treats the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations directly at the vector level rather than through the conventional component-wise decomposition. This framework naturally retains the intrinsic multicomponent representation of the model while providing compact analytical expressions for exact vector soliton solutions. Within this approach, we systematically construct bright, dark, and mixed one-, two-, and three-soliton solutions and show how the underlying vector structure provides a unified description of their nonlinear interactions. In particular, the proposed formalism makes the coupling between the different components explicit while preserving the geometric organization of the vector system throughout the bilinearization procedure. Beyond its analytical simplicity, the framework offers a natural perspective for the study of coherent multicomponent nonlinear excitations and provides a foundation for extending vector Hirota methods to other classes of exact solutions, including rogue waves, periodic waves, and rational solutions.
Abstract Solitons are nonlinear solitary waves which maintain their shape over time and through collisions, occurring in a variety of nonlinear media from plasmas to optics. We present an experimental and theoretical study of hydrodynamic phenomena in a two-component atomic Bose-Einstein condensate where a soliton array emerges from the imprinting of a periodic spin pattern by a microwave pulse-based winding technique. We observe the ensuing dynamics which include shape deformations, the emergence of dark-antidark solitons, apparent spatial frequency tripling, and decay and revival of contrast related to soliton collisions. For the densest arrays, we obtain soliton complexes where solitons undergo continued collisions for long evolution times providing an avenue towards the investigation of soliton gases in atomic condensates.
Solitons in multi-component Bose-Einstein condensates have been paid much attention, due to the stability and wide applications of them. The exact soliton solutions are usually obtained for integrable models. In this paper, we present four families of exact spin soliton solutions for non-integrable cases in spin-1 Bose-Einstein Condensates. The whole particle density is uniform for the spin solitons, which is in sharp contrast to the previously reported solitons of integrable models. The spectrum stability analysis and numerical simulation indicate the spin solitons can exist stably. The spin density redistribution happens during the collision process, which depends on the relative phase and relative velocity between spin solitons. The non-integrable properties of the systems can bring spin solitons experience weak amplitude and location oscillations after collision. These stable spin soliton excitations could be used to study the negative inertial mass of solitons, the dynamics of soliton-impurity systems, and the spin dynamics in Bose-Einstein condensates.
We investigate the dynamics of vector solitons in a two-component Bose–Einstein condensates governed by the system of Gross–Pitaevskii equations. Using a gauge-transformation approach, we construct a four-soliton solution and analyze their interactions, including superposition states, fission, and shape-preserving collisions. We explore the ability of time-dependent parameters, such as the intra- and intercomponent interaction coefficients and trapping potential, to control the soliton properties. In particular, we demonstrate controlled four-soliton fission, highlighting its potential applications to quantum data processing and coherent matter-wave transport. The results suggest experimental realization in BEC systems and provide insights into nonlinear wave interactions in multicomponent quantum fluids.