arXiv:2109.12260 · Physical Review A
Quantum Cherenkov transition of finite-momentum Bose polarons
Kushal Seetharam, Yulia E. Shchadilova, Fabian Grusdt, Mikhail B. Zvonarev, Eugene Demler
Abstract
We investigate the behavior of a finite-momentum impurity immersed in a weakly interacting three-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate of ultracold atoms, giving a detailed account of the dynamical quantum Cherenkov transition discussed by K. Seetharam et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 185302 (2021)]. Using a time-dependent variational approach, we identify a transition in the far-from-equilibrium dynamics of the system after the attractive short-range impurity-boson interaction is quenched on. The transition occurs as the impurity's velocity crosses an interaction-dependent critical value and manifests in the long-time behavior of the Loschmidt echo and average impurity velocity. This behavior is also reflected in the finite-momentum ground state of the system, where the group velocity of the interaction-dressed impurity loses its dependence on the total momentum of the system as the critical point is crossed. The transition we discuss should be experimentally observable via a variety of common protocols in ultracold atomic systems such as time-of-flight imaging, rf spectroscopy, Ramsey interferometry, and absorption imaging.