Spontaneously Modulated Spin Textures in a Dipolar Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensate
Mukund Vengalattore, Sabrina R. Leslie, Jennie Guzman +1 more
Helical spin textures in a 87Rb F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein condensate are found to decay spontaneously toward a spatially modulated structure of spin domains. The formation of this modulated phase is ascribed to magnetic dipolar interactions that energetically favor the short-wavelength domains over the long-wavelength spin helix. The reduction of dipolar interactions by a sequence of rf pulses results in a suppression of the modulated phase, thereby confirming the role of dipolar interactions in this process. This study demonstrates the significance of magnetic dipole interactions in degenerate 87Rb F=1 spinor gases.
arXiv:0712.4182•Physical Review Letters•May 1, 2008•265 citations