When driven out of equilibrium, a Bose-Einstein condensate develops nonlinearly interacting density waves that trigger a turbulent cascade, transferring energy toward small scales. In this Letter, we investigate the nonstationary evolution of solutions to the two-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE). Through numerical simulations of both the GPE and the corresponding Wave Kinetic Equation (WKE), we identify self-similar solutions relevant to turbulence in atomic and polariton Bose-Einstein Condensates. These solutions correspond to a new type of non-thermal fixed point and exhibit characteristics of both first and second kind self-similarity. In particular, we show that the dynamics of the propagating front is universal, governed by a dimensionless universal constant
β, which we determine numerically.
When a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is driven out of equilibrium, density waves interact nonlinearly and trigger turbulent cascades. In a turbulent BEC, energy is transferred toward small scales by a direct cascade, whereas the number of particles displays an inverse cascade toward large scales. In this work, we study analytically and numerically the direct and inverse cascades in wave-turbulent BECs. We analytically derive the Kolmogorov-Zakharov spectra, including the log correction to the direct cascade scaling and the universal prefactor constants for both cascades. We test and corroborate our predictions using high-resolution numerical simulations of the forced-dissipated Gross-Pitaevskii model in a periodic box and the corresponding wave-kinetic equation. Theoretical predictions and data are in excellent agreement, without adjustable parameters. Moreover, in order to connect with experiments, we test and validate our theoretical predictions using the Gross-Pitaevskii model with a confining cubic trap. Our results explain previous experimental observations and suggest new settings for future studies.
We investigate formation of Bose-Einstein condensates under nonequilibrium conditions using numerical simulations of the three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation. For this, we set initial random weakly nonlinear excitations and the forcing at high wave numbers and study propagation of the turbulent spectrum toward the low wave numbers. Our primary goal is to compare the results for the evolving spectrum with the previous results obtained for the kinetic equation of weak wave turbulence. We demonstrate existence of a regime for which good agreement with the wave turbulence results is found in terms of the main features of the previously discussed self-similar solution. In particular, we find a reasonable agreement with the low-frequency and the high-frequency power-law asymptotics of the evolving solution, including the anomalous power-law exponent ${x}^{*}\ensuremath{\approx}1.24$ for the three-dimensional wave action spectrum. We also study the regimes of very weak turbulence when the evolution is affected by the discreteness of the Fourier space, and the strong turbulence regime when the emerging condensate modifies the wave dynamics and leads to formation of strongly nonlinear filamentary vortices.
Identified as a unique regime of fluid flow some 500 years ago, turbulence has fascinated and confounded for centuries. Indeed, a fundamental understanding of the turbulence phenomenon remains one of the most important unsolved problems in classical physics. Interestingly, superfluid atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) can also be agitated into highly excited states of chaotic vortex motion, suggestive of turbulence. However, in contrast to classical fluids, the vortices in these quantum systems exhibit topological stability, the restriction of quantized circulation, and a well defined length scale characterized by the so-called healing length of the superfluid. Such simplifying aspects motivate the study of turbulence in these systems, which may shed new light on the longstanding classical problem. \n\nWhilst a considerable number of studies have been conducted on turbulence in three-dimensional BEC systems, and such studies have uncovered similarities between the classical and quantum counterparts, including the presence of the Kolmogorov
k−5/3 law in the kinetic energy spectrum and the associated direct energy cascade, comparatively few studies have been conducted on two-dimensional quantum turbulence. An important question for such systems is whether the inverse energy cascade, a defining feature of classical two-dimensional turbulent fluid flows, may occur in these systems. In addition to a Kolmogorov kinetic energy spectrum, this process is signified by the clustering of same-circulation vortices, which results in the emergence of macroscopic vortex structures from the turbulent flow. \n\nAlthough intermittent few-vortex clustering has been observed in the break-down of superfluid flow around an obstacle, current attempts to observe a sustained inverse cascade have been unsuccessful, largely due to complications which arise due to the compressibility of the dilute Bose gas - a feature not considered in the classical theory.\n\nWe present a study of two-dimensional quantum turbulence in atomic BECs within the framework of damped Gross-Pitaevskii theory. With the motivation of determining the existence of the inverse cascade phenomenon in such systems, we focusing on experimentally realistic forcing procedures, and study the details of kinetic energy spectra, the statistics of vortex clustering, and the transport of kinetic energy through scale space in the resulting turbulent flows.\nWe investigate a range of vortex injection regimes produced through the circular stirring of a harmonically confined system with a repulsive Gaussian obstacle potential, identifying distinct regimes of turbulence. In the incompressible regime relevant to the inverse cascade, we identify numerous problems with the system and forcing procedure. Motivated by these findings, we investigate turbulence in a minimal model of the spindown of a toroidal persistent current. In this system, we identify a regime of forcing and damping in which the inverse cascade is corroborated by three independent measures: I) merging of vortex clusters; II) a Kolmogorov scaling in the incompressible kinetic energy spectrum; and III) Spectral condensation, associated with the emergence of large scale rotating structures from the turbulent flow. We provide clear evidence that the inverse cascade phenomenon, previously observed in a range of classical fluid systems, can also occur in quantum turbulence.
A quantum lattice gas algorithm, based on interleaved unitary collide-stream operators, is used to study quantum turbulence of the ground state wave function of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The Gross-Pitaevskii equation is a Hamiltonian system for a compressible, inviscid quantum fluid. From simulations on a 57603 grid it was observed that a multi-cascade existed for the incompressible kinetic energy spectrum with universal features: the large spatial scales exhibit a classical Kolmogorov k -5/3 spectrum while the very small scales exhibit a quantum Kelvin wave cascade k-3 spectrum. Under certain conditions one can explicitly determine the Poincare recurrence of initial conditions as well as the intermittent destruction of the Kelvin wave cascade.