Spin-vortex nucleation in a Bose-Einstein condensate by a spin-dependent rotating trap
Hiroki Chiba, Hiroki Saito
A method to produce a spin-dependent rotating potential using near-resonant circularly polarized laser beams is proposed. It is shown that half-quantum vortices are nucleated in a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with an antiferromagnetic interaction. In contrast to the vortex nucleation in a scalar BEC, the spin-vortex nucleation occurs at a low rotation frequency ($\ensuremath{\simeq}0.1{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ with ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ being the radial trap frequency) in a short nucleation time $\ensuremath{\simeq}50\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ms}$ without dissipation. A method for nondestructive measurement of half-quantum vortices is discussed.
arXiv:0806.3840•Physical Review A•Oct 6, 2008•10 citations