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Investigating non-equilibrium phenomena in spinor antiferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensates

Anshuman Vinit

Published Aug 3, 2016• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

This thesis discusses non-equilibrium phenomena in antiferromagnetic spinor quantum gases. We investigate, both experimentally and theoretically, the quench dynamics of antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates in the vicinity of a zero temperature quantum phase transition. A microwave dressing field was used as a novel tool to access the polar to antiferrmagnetic quantum phase transition at the quadratic Zeeman shift, q=0. By performing instantaneous quenches across the phase transition,a dynamical instability was induced in the atomic cloud. This lead to pair formation and rapid amplification of spin +/-1 atoms through spin-mixing collisions. The spatial ordering kinetics in the vicinity of the phase transition was quantified by performing the local spin measurement. The coarsening dynamics was observed for the instability for q < 0, as it nucleated small domains that grew to the axial size of the cloud. Rich nonequilibrium behavior was observed in the form of growth and decay of both nematic and magnetic spin waves, following the quench. The spatiotemporal evolution was characterized through two particle correlations between atoms in each pair of spin states, which revealed dramatic differences between the dynamics of the spin correlations and those of the spin populations. \nFinally, we demonstrate the remarkable influence of linear Zeeman term on non-equilibrium dynamics of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates. We show that contrary to prior understanding magnetic field gradient actually suppresses the tendency of spin 0 state to separate into spin +/-1 state. This reconciles the Bogoliubov discrepancies and leads to a dramatic sharpening of the transition point, resulting in a resolution at the 1 Hz level. Our results point to the use of dynamics, rather than equilibrium quantities for high precision measurements of phase transitions in quantum gases.

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Quantum Phase Transition in an Antiferromagnetic Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensate

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We have experimentally observed the dynamics of an antiferromagnetic sodium Bose-Einstein condensate quenched through a quantum phase transition. Using an off-resonant microwave field coupling the F = 1 and F = 2 atomic hyperfine levels, we rapidly switched the quadratic energy shift q from positive to negative values. At q = 0, the system undergoes a transition from a polar to antiferromagnetic phase. We measured the dynamical evolution of the population in the F = 1, mF = 0 state in the vicinity of this transition point and observed a mixed state of all 3 hyperfine components for q < 0. We also observed the coarsening dynamics of the instability for q < 0, as it nucleated small domains that grew to the axial size of the cloud.

arXiv:1109.1012•Physical Review Letters•Nov 4, 2011•129 citations

Precise measurements on a quantum phase transition in antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

Anshuman Vinit, Chandra Raman

We have experimentally investigated the quench dynamics of antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates in the vicinity of a zero temperature quantum phase transition at zero quadratic Zeeman shift $q$. The rate of instability shows good agreement with predictions based upon solutions to the Bogoliubov--de Gennes equations. A key feature of this work was removal of magnetic field inhomogeneities, resulting in a steep change in behavior near the transition point. The quadratic Zeeman shift at the transition point was resolved to 250 mHz uncertainty, equivalent to an energy resolution of ${k}_{B}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$ (12 pK). A small (2--3 $\ensuremath{\sigma}$) shift of the transition point was observed, from $q=0$ to $q=+650$ mHz, whose physical mechanism is currently unknown. In this work, we demonstrate a sub-Hz precision measurement of a phase transition in quantum gases. It paves the way toward observing shifts of the transition point due to finite particle number $N$ that scale as $1/N$, and also to potential Heisenberg limited spectroscopy with antiferromagnetic spinor gases [L.-N. Wu and L. You, Phys. Rev. A 93, 033608 (2016)].

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Antiferromagnetic Spatial Ordering in a Quenched One-Dimensional Spinor Gas

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We have experimentally observed the emergence of spontaneous antiferromagnetic spatial order in a sodium spinor Bose-Einstein condensate that was quenched through a magnetic phase transition. For negative values of the quadratic Zeeman shift, a gas initially prepared in the F=1, m(F)=0 state collapsed into a dynamically evolving superposition of all three spin projections, m(F)=0, ±1. The quench gave rise to rich, nonequilibrium behavior where both nematic and magnetic spin waves were generated. We characterized the spatiotemporal evolution through two particle correlations between atoms in each pair of spin states. These revealed dramatic differences between the dynamics of the spin correlations and those of the spin populations.

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In this thesis, we study theoretically and in experimentally the properties of spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensates with antiferromagnetic interactions realized in the ultra-cold sodium gases confined in optical dipole traps. We present in detail how to realize, diagnose and control the spinor Bose-Einstein condensates in our experiment. In order to describe the condensate, a mean-field theory is first adopted. This theory predicts a phase transition when changing the magnetic field $B$. The predictions of the mean-field theory agree very well with most of our experimental results, including the values of the critical magnetic field $B_c$, asymptotic values of $n_0$ (relative atom number in $m_F=0$ state) at large $B$ and the phase diagram of $n_0$. However, for small magnetization and small magnetic fields, we find abnormally large fluctuations (super-Poissonian) of $n_0$. In order to describe these large fluctuations, we develop a full quantum statistical description for the spinor condensate at finite temperature. To describe uncondensed thermal atoms (also present in the same trap), we use the ``semi-ideal" Hartree-Fock approximation to deal with the interactions between the condensate atoms and the thermal ones. The experimental results lead us to introduce two kinds of temperatures, the ``spin temperature" $T_s$ and the ``kinetic temperature" $T_k$ with $T_s\ll T_k$, characterizing respectively the fluctuaitons of the condensate spin and the thermal gas. We conclude that the system is reaching a quasi-equilibrium states, where different degrees of freedom reach equilibrium by separate mechanisms but where the mutual thermalization does not occur over the lifetime of the cloud.

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Spinor Bose-Einstein condensates under external magnetic fields exhibit well-characterized spin domains of its ground state due to spin-dependent interactions. At low temperatures, collision-induced spin-mixing instabilities may promote the condensate to dwell into metastable states occurring near the phase boundaries. In this paper, we study theoretically the metastable spin-phase diagram of a spin-1 antiferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate at zero and finite temperatures. The approach makes use of Hartree-Fock theory and exploits the symmetry of the Hamiltonian and of the order parameters yielding a closed system of transcendental equations for the free energy, fully avoiding the use of self-consistency methods. Our results are consistent with recent experiments and allow us to explain qualitatively the different types of observed quench dynamics. In addition, we found that similar phenomena should occur in antiferromagnetic spinor condensates with a sudden change in the temperature. It is shown also that the increase in temperature induces a traceable shift of the ferromagnetic-polar transition boundary, behavior previously not noted by self-consistent mean-field calculations.

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Spin-1 atomic condensates in magnetic fields

Wenxian Zhang

In this thesis we investigate the static, dynamic, and thermodynamic properties\nof atomic spin-1 Bose gases in external magnetic fields. At low magnetic fields\nthe properties of single-component, or scalar condensates, are essentially\nunaffected but can become significantly altered for spinor Bose condensates as\nshown by our studies.\n\nWe first study the Bose-Einstein condensation of trapped spin-1 Bose gases by\nemploying the Hartree-Fock approximation and the two-fluid model within a mean\nfield approximation. Our detailed investigation reveals that the\nferromagnetically interacting spin-1 condensates exhibit triple condensations\nwhile the antiferromagnetically interacting ones show double condensations.\n\nThe ground state structure of homogeneous and trapped spin-1 Bose condensates\nwith ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions at zero temperature in\nmagnetic fields are then investigated systematically. We further illuminate the\nimportant effect of quadratic Zeeman shift which causes a preferred occupation\nof the $|m_F=0\nangle$ state through spin exchange collisions, $2|m_F=0\nangle\nleftrightarrow |m_F=1\nangle + |m_F=-1\nangle$.\n\nWe also present detailed studies of the off-equilibrium coherent dynamics of\nspin-1 Bose condensates in magnetic fields within the single spatial mode\napproximation. Dynamical instabilities of the off-equilibrium oscillations are\nshown to be responsible for the formation of multiple domains as recently\nobserved in several $^{87}$Rb experiments.\n\nFinally, we discuss briefly excited condensate states, or soliton-like states,\nin cigar-shaped spin-1 Bose condensates with an effective quasi-1D description,\nusing the developed nonpolynomial Schr"odinger equation.

•Sep 22, 2005•0 citations
This thesis discusses non-equilibrium phenomena in antiferromagnetic spinor quantum gases. We investigate, both experimentally and theoretically, the quench dynamics of antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates in the vicinity of a zero temperature quantum phase transition. A microwave dressing field was used as a novel tool to access the polar to antiferrmagnetic quantum phase transition at the quadratic Zeeman shift, q=0. By performing instantaneous quenches across the phase transition,a dynamical instability was induced in the atomic cloud. This lead to pair formation and rapid amplification of spin +/-1 atoms through spin-mixing collisions. The spatial ordering kinetics in the vicinity of the phase transition was quantified by performing the local spin measurement. The coarsening dynamics was observed for the instability for q < 0, as it nucleated small domains that grew to the axial size of the cloud. Rich nonequilibrium behavior was observed in the form of growth and decay of both nematic and magnetic spin waves, following the quench. The spatiotemporal evolution was characterized through two particle correlations between atoms in each pair of spin states, which revealed dramatic differences between the dynamics of the spin correlations and those of the spin populations. \nFinally, we demonstrate the remarkable influence of linear Zeeman term on non-equilibrium dynamics of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates. We show that contrary to prior understanding magnetic field gradient actually suppresses the tendency of spin 0 state to separate into spin +/-1 state. This reconciles the Bogoliubov discrepancies and leads to a dramatic sharpening of the transition point, resulting in a resolution at the 1 Hz level. Our results point to the use of dynamics, rather than equilibrium quantities for high precision measurements of phase transitions in quantum gases.
We have experimentally observed the dynamics of an antiferromagnetic sodium Bose-Einstein condensate quenched through a quantum phase transition. Using an off-resonant microwave field coupling the F = 1 and F = 2 atomic hyperfine levels, we rapidly switched the quadratic energy shift q from positive to negative values. At q = 0, the system undergoes a transition from a polar to antiferromagnetic phase. We measured the dynamical evolution of the population in the F = 1, mF = 0 state in the vicinity of this transition point and observed a mixed state of all 3 hyperfine components for q < 0. We also observed the coarsening dynamics of the instability for q < 0, as it nucleated small domains that grew to the axial size of the cloud.
We have experimentally investigated the quench dynamics of antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates in the vicinity of a zero temperature quantum phase transition at zero quadratic Zeeman shift qqq. The rate of instability shows good agreement with predictions based upon solutions to the Bogoliubov--de Gennes equations. A key feature of this work was removal of magnetic field inhomogeneities, resulting in a steep change in behavior near the transition point. The quadratic Zeeman shift at the transition point was resolved to 250 mHz uncertainty, equivalent to an energy resolution of ${k}_{B}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$ (12 pK). A small (2--3 $\ensuremath{\sigma}$) shift of the transition point was observed, from q=0q=0q=0 to q=+650q=+650q=+650 mHz, whose physical mechanism is currently unknown. In this work, we demonstrate a sub-Hz precision measurement of a phase transition in quantum gases. It paves the way toward observing shifts of the transition point due to finite particle number NNN that scale as 1/N1/N1/N, and also to potential Heisenberg limited spectroscopy with antiferromagnetic spinor gases [L.-N. Wu and L. You, Phys. Rev. A 93, 033608 (2016)].
We have experimentally observed the emergence of spontaneous antiferromagnetic spatial order in a sodium spinor Bose-Einstein condensate that was quenched through a magnetic phase transition. For negative values of the quadratic Zeeman shift, a gas initially prepared in the F=1, m(F)=0 state collapsed into a dynamically evolving superposition of all three spin projections, m(F)=0, ±1. The quench gave rise to rich, nonequilibrium behavior where both nematic and magnetic spin waves were generated. We characterized the spatiotemporal evolution through two particle correlations between atoms in each pair of spin states. These revealed dramatic differences between the dynamics of the spin correlations and those of the spin populations.
In this thesis, we study theoretically and in experimentally the properties of spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensates with antiferromagnetic interactions realized in the ultra-cold sodium gases confined in optical dipole traps. We present in detail how to realize, diagnose and control the spinor Bose-Einstein condensates in our experiment. In order to describe the condensate, a mean-field theory is first adopted. This theory predicts a phase transition when changing the magnetic field BBB. The predictions of the mean-field theory agree very well with most of our experimental results, including the values of the critical magnetic field BcB_cBc​, asymptotic values of n0n_0n0​ (relative atom number in mF=0m_F=0mF​=0 state) at large BBB and the phase diagram of n0n_0n0​. However, for small magnetization and small magnetic fields, we find abnormally large fluctuations (super-Poissonian) of n0n_0n0​. In order to describe these large fluctuations, we develop a full quantum statistical description for the spinor condensate at finite temperature. To describe uncondensed thermal atoms (also present in the same trap), we use the ``semi-ideal" Hartree-Fock approximation to deal with the interactions between the condensate atoms and the thermal ones. The experimental results lead us to introduce two kinds of temperatures, the ``spin temperature" TsT_sTs​ and the ``kinetic temperature" TkT_kTk​ with Ts≪TkT_s\ll T_kTs​≪Tk​, characterizing respectively the fluctuaitons of the condensate spin and the thermal gas. We conclude that the system is reaching a quasi-equilibrium states, where different degrees of freedom reach equilibrium by separate mechanisms but where the mutual thermalization does not occur over the lifetime of the cloud.
Spinor Bose-Einstein condensates under external magnetic fields exhibit well-characterized spin domains of its ground state due to spin-dependent interactions. At low temperatures, collision-induced spin-mixing instabilities may promote the condensate to dwell into metastable states occurring near the phase boundaries. In this paper, we study theoretically the metastable spin-phase diagram of a spin-1 antiferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate at zero and finite temperatures. The approach makes use of Hartree-Fock theory and exploits the symmetry of the Hamiltonian and of the order parameters yielding a closed system of transcendental equations for the free energy, fully avoiding the use of self-consistency methods. Our results are consistent with recent experiments and allow us to explain qualitatively the different types of observed quench dynamics. In addition, we found that similar phenomena should occur in antiferromagnetic spinor condensates with a sudden change in the temperature. It is shown also that the increase in temperature induces a traceable shift of the ferromagnetic-polar transition boundary, behavior previously not noted by self-consistent mean-field calculations.
In this thesis we investigate the static, dynamic, and thermodynamic properties\nof atomic spin-1 Bose gases in external magnetic fields. At low magnetic fields\nthe properties of single-component, or scalar condensates, are essentially\nunaffected but can become significantly altered for spinor Bose condensates as\nshown by our studies.\n\nWe first study the Bose-Einstein condensation of trapped spin-1 Bose gases by\nemploying the Hartree-Fock approximation and the two-fluid model within a mean\nfield approximation. Our detailed investigation reveals that the\nferromagnetically interacting spin-1 condensates exhibit triple condensations\nwhile the antiferromagnetically interacting ones show double condensations.\n\nThe ground state structure of homogeneous and trapped spin-1 Bose condensates\nwith ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions at zero temperature in\nmagnetic fields are then investigated systematically. We further illuminate the\nimportant effect of quadratic Zeeman shift which causes a preferred occupation\nof the $|m_F=0\nangle$ state through spin exchange collisions, $2|m_F=0\nangle\nleftrightarrow |m_F=1\nangle + |m_F=-1\nangle$.\n\nWe also present detailed studies of the off-equilibrium coherent dynamics of\nspin-1 Bose condensates in magnetic fields within the single spatial mode\napproximation. Dynamical instabilities of the off-equilibrium oscillations are\nshown to be responsible for the formation of multiple domains as recently\nobserved in several 87^{87}87Rb experiments.\n\nFinally, we discuss briefly excited condensate states, or soliton-like states,\nin cigar-shaped spin-1 Bose condensates with an effective quasi-1D description,\nusing the developed nonpolynomial Schr"odinger equation.