Rotational and superfluid dynamics of multi-component Bose-Einstein condensates

Angela White, Tara Hennessy, Y Zhang +1 more

I. Corro, R. G. Scott, A. Martin

Volker Schweikhard, Ian R. Coddington, Peter Engels +2 more

We observe interlaced square vortex lattices in rotating dilute-gas spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC). After preparing a hexagonal vortex lattice in a one-component BEC in an internal atomic state |1, we coherently transfer a fraction of the superfluid to a different state |2. The subsequent evolution of this pseudo-spin-1/2 superfluid towards a state of offset square lattices involves an intriguing interplay of phase-separation and -mixing dynamics, both macroscopically and on the length scale of the vortex cores, and a stage of vortex turbulence. The stability of the square structure is proved by its response to applied shear perturbations. An interference technique shows the spatial offset between the two vortex lattices. Vortex cores in either component are filled by fluid of the other component, such that the spin-1/2 order parameter forms a Skyrmion lattice.

Eunsil Baik

Jian-Chong Xing, Wen-Kai Bai, Bo Xiong +2 more

The combination of multi-component Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) and phase imprinting techniques provides an ideal platform for exploring nonlinear dynamics and investigating the quantum transport properties of superfluids. In this paper, we study abundant density structures and corresponding dynamics of phase-separated binary Bose–Einstein condensates with phase-imprinted single vortex or vortex dipole. By adjusting the ratio between the inter-species and intra-species interactions, and the locations of the phase singularities, the typical density profiles such as ball-shell structures, crescent-gibbous structures, Matryoshka-like structures, sector-sector structures and sandwich-type structures appear, and the phase diagrams are obtained. The dynamics of these structures exhibit diverse properties, including the penetration of vortex dipoles, emergence of halfvortex dipoles, co-rotation of sectors, and oscillation between sectors. The pinning effects induced by a potential defect are also discussed, which is useful for controlling and manipulating individual quantum states.

Angela White, Tara Hennessy, Thomas Busch

Phase transitions can modify quantum behavior on mesoscopic scales and give access to new and unusual quantum dynamics. Here we investigate the superfluid properties of a rotating two-component Bose-Einstein condensate as a function of changes in the interaction energy and in particular through the phase transition from miscibility to immiscibility. We show that the breaking of one of the hallmarks of superfluid flow, namely, the quantization condition on circulation, is continuous throughout an azimuthal phase-separation process and displays intriguing flow dynamics. We find that the resulting currents are stable for long times and possess a boundary between the two condensate components that exhibits classical solid-body rotation, despite the quantum nature of superfluid flow. To support this coexistence of classical and quantum behavior the system develops a unique velocity flow profile, which includes unusual radial flow in regions near the boundary.