We show how a candidate mean-field amplitude can be constructed from the exact wave function of an externally forced
N-Boson system. The construction makes use of subsidiary
(N−1)-particle states which are propagated in time in addition to the true
N-particle state, but does not involve spontaneous breaking of the
U(1) symmetry associated with particle number conservation. Provided the flow in Fock space possesses a property which we call maximum stiffness, or
t-coherence, the candidate amplitude actually satisfies the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation, and then serves as macroscopic wave function of the forced
N-particle system. The general procedure is illustrated in detail by numerical calculations performed for the model of a driven bosonic Josephson junction, which allows one to keep track of all contributions which usually are subject to uncontrolled assumptions. These calculations indicate that macroscopic wave functions can persist even under conditions of strong forcing, but are rapidly destroyed upon entering a regime of chaotic dynamics. Our results provide a foundation for future attempts to manipulate, and actively control, macroscopic wave functions by means of purposefully designed force protocols.
Bose-Einstein condensates with an attractive
1/r interaction and with dipole-dipole interaction are investigated in the framework of the Gaussian variational ansatz introduced by S. Rau, J. Main, and G. Wunner [Phys. Rev. A 82, 023610 (2010)]. We demonstrate that the method of coupled Gaussian wave packets is a full-fledged alternative to direct numerical solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, or even superior in that coupled Gaussians are capable of producing both stable and unstable states of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation and thus of giving access to yet unexplored regions of the space of solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. As an alternative to numerical solutions of the Bogoliubov--de Gennes equations, the stability of the stationary condensate wave functions is investigated by analyzing the stability properties of the dynamical equations of motion for the Gaussian variational parameters in the local vicinity of the stationary fixed points. For blood-cell-shaped dipolar condensates it is shown that on the route to collapse the condensate passes through a pitchfork bifurcation, where the ground state itself turns unstable, before it finally vanishes in a tangent bifurcation.
We construct exact solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for solitary vortices, and approximate ones for fundamental solitons, in 2D models of Bose-Einstein condensates with a spatially modulated nonlinearity of either sign and a harmonic trapping potential. The number of vortex-soliton (VS) modes is determined by the discrete energy spectrum of a related linear Schrödinger equation. The VS families in the system with the attractive and repulsive nonlinearity are mutually complementary. \emph{% Stable} VSs with vorticity
S≥2 and those corresponding to higher-order radial states are reported for the first time, in the case of the attraction and repulsion, respectively.