We investigate two-dimensional turbulence in finite-temperature trapped Bose-Einstein condensates within damped Gross-Pitaevskii theory. Turbulence is produced via circular motion of a Gaussian potential barrier stirring the condensate. We systematically explore a range of stirring parameters and identify three regimes, characterized by the injection of distinct quantum vortex structures into the condensate: (A) periodic vortex dipole injection, (B) irregular injection of a mixture of vortex dipoles and co-rotating vortex clusters, and (C) continuous injection of oblique solitons that decay into vortex dipoles. Spectral analysis of the kinetic energy associated with vortices reveals that regime (B) can intermittently exhibit a Kolmogorov ${k}^{\ensuremath{-}5/3}$ power law over almost a decade of length or wave-number (
k) scales. The kinetic energy spectrum of regime (C) exhibits a clear ${k}^{\ensuremath{-}3/2}$ power law associated with an inertial range for weak-wave turbulence and a ${k}^{\ensuremath{-}7/2}$ power law for high wave numbers. We thus identify distinct regimes of forcing for generating either two-dimensional quantum turbulence or classical weak-wave turbulence that may be realizable experimentally.
We examine the energy cascades and quantum vortex structures in two-dimensional quantum turbulence through a special unitary time evolution algorithm. An early attempt at using the Lattice Boltzmann Method proved successful in correctly representing some features of the Nonlinear Schrodinger System (NLS), such as the phase shift following the one-dimensional soliton-soliton collision, as well as the two-dimentional modulation instability. However, to accurately evaluate NLS, the implicit Euler method is required to resolve the time evolution, which is computationally expensive. A more accurate and efficient method, the Quantum Lattice Gas model is employed to simulate the quantum turbulence governed by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, an equaiton that describes the evolution of the ground state wave function for a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). It is discovered that when the ratio of the internal energy to the kinetic energy is below 0.05, an unexpected short Poincare recurrence occurs independent of the initial profile of the wave function. It is demonstrated that this short recurrence is destroyed as the internal energy is strengthened. to compare the two-dimensional quantum turbulence with its classical counterpart, the incompressible energy spectra of quantum turbulence is analyzed. However, the result reveals no sign of dual cascades which is a hallmark of the classical incompressible two-dimensional fluid (inverse energy cascade to large scales with a direct cascade of enstrophy to small scales). It is the spectra of the compressible energy that can exhibits multiple cascades, but this is strongly dependent on the initial condition.
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.
We show the generation of two-dimensional quantum turbulence through simulations of a giant vortex decay in a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate. While evaluating the incompressible kinetic energy spectra of the quantum fluid described by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, a bilinear form in a log-log plot is verified. A characteristic scaling behavior for small momenta shows resemblance to the Kolmogorov
k−5/3 law, while for large momenta it reassures the universal behavior of the core-size
k−3 power-law. This indicates a mechanism of energy transportation consistent with an inverse cascade. The feasibility of the described physical system with the currently available experimental techniques to create giant vortices opens up a new route to explore quantum turbulence.
We numerically study two-dimensional quantum turbulence with a Gross-Pitaevskii model. With the energy initially accumulated at large scale, quantum turbulence with many quantized vortex points is generated. Due to the lack of enstrophy conservation in this model, direct energy cascade with a Kolmogorov-Obukhov energy spectrum $E(k)\ensuremath{\propto}{k}^{\ensuremath{-}5/3}$ is observed, which is quite different from two-dimensional incompressible classical turbulence in the decaying case. A positive value for the energy flux guarantees a direct energy cascade in the inertial range (from large to small scales). After almost all the energy at the large scale cascades to the small scale, the compressible kinetic energy realizes the thermodynamic equilibrium state without quantized vortices.