In this thesis we present some studies that were done in a trapped 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate using the thermodynamic global variables. We have measured the global sound velocity by studying the variation of the total number of trapped atoms as a function of temperature. This method allowed us to determine the contribution of thermal and BEC components at each temperature. In order to study the sound velocity in each component, we treated both fluids as they were completely independent and we found great similarity with a published work. In addition, we analyze theoretically the validity of the global variables by comparing this approach with other methods. The specific heat for an ideal gas was evaluated using the global variables and by using the usual statistical approach found in textbooks. After finding the same result for both methods, we used the simplicity to implement the interaction in the global approach, to study the variation in the specific heat when the interactions are taken into account. The last comparison was done between global variables and the local density approximation. We have obtained that, for the isothermal compressibility and a equation of state, both methods provide equivalent results.
In this thesis we present some studies that were done in a trapped 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensate using the thermodynamic global variables. We have measured the global sound velocity by studying the variation of the total number of trapped atoms as a function of temperature. This method allowed us to determine the contribution of thermal and BEC components at each temperature. In order to study the sound velocity in each component, we treated both fluids as they were completely independent and we found great similarity with a published work. In addition, we analyze theoretically the validity of the global variables by comparing this approach with other methods. The specific heat for an ideal gas was evaluated using the global variables and by using the usual statistical approach found in textbooks. After finding the same result for both methods, we used the simplicity to implement the interaction in the global approach, to study the variation in the specific heat when the interactions are taken into account. The last comparison was done between global variables and the local density approximation. We have obtained that, for the isothermal compressibility and a equation of state, both methods provide equivalent results.
Ultra cold quantum gas is a convenient system to study fundamental questions of modern physics, such as phase transitions and critical phenomena. This master thesis is devoted to experimental investigation of the thermodynamics susceptibilities, such as the isothermal compressibility and the thermal expansion coefficient of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of 87Rb atoms. The critical phenomena and the critical exponents across the transition can explain the behavior of the isothermal compressibility and the thermal expansion coefficient near the critical temperature TC. By employing the developed formalism of global thermodynamics variables, we carry out a statistical treatment of Bose gas in a 3D harmonic potential. After that, comparison of obtained results reveals the most appropriate state variables describing the system, namely volume and pressure parameter V and Π respectively. The both are related with the confining frequencies and BEC density distribution. We apply this approach to define the set of new thermodynamic variables of BEC, and also to construct the isobaric phase diagram V T. Its allows us to extract the compressibility κT and the thermal expansion coefficient βΠ. The behavior of the isothermal compressibility corresponds to the second-order phase transition, while the thermal expansion coefficient around the critical point behaves as β ∼ tr-α, where tr is reduced temperature of the system and α is the critical exponent on the basic of these. Results we have obtained the critical exponent α = 0.15±0.09, which allows us to determine the system dimensionality by means of the scaling theory, relating the critical exponents with the dimensionality. As a result, we found out that the dimensionality of the system to be d ∼ 3, one is in agreement with the real dimension of the system.
Thermodynamics of non-uniform systems has always been a challenging topic in the physical sciences. In the field of quantum gases, that subject is mainly studied with ultracold samples trapped in a harmonic potential, the first kind of confinement ever made to atomic fluids.1 Nascimbène et al.2 have already described a method to measure locally the equation of state and heat capacity of a harmonically trapped quantum gas. Nonetheless, local measurements cannot provide the volume-dependent susceptibilities of an inhomogeneous system, namely the thermal expansion and compressibility, meaning that the thermodynamic description of harmonically trapped gases is still incomplete. To solve that issue, Romero and Bagnato3, 4 proposed canonical variables of work for a gas in a harmonic trap, which work like pressure and volume for a gas in a vessel and allow global measurements on the system. Therefore, we describe here our methodology to measure the thermodynamic susceptibilities of a harmonically trapped gas around the Bose-Einstein transition using the Romero-Bagnato formalism. Our experiments were divided in different phases, each having the harmonic trap with unique frequencies, related to the formalism´s extensive variable. In each phase, we prepared individual samples of rubidium-87 gas in the trap and imaged them using the time-of-flight technique. Next, we fitted our images with the bimodal model and found the in situ density profiles of the samples with the standard regression procedures. Then, we determined the phase´s equation of state as a function of temperature and number of atoms. For the thermodynamic analysis, we used an empirical model that we developed to fit the equation-of-state curves, allowing us to represent our data in terms of mathematical coefficients. In that way, we found the curves of internal energy, heat capacity, thermal expansion and compressibility, thus achieving a full thermodynamic description of a harmonically trapped gas. Our method and its results are unprecedented in the literature and might contribute to the further understanding of non-uniform systems, as well as the future development of quantum thermal engines.
Abstract We present an alternative method for determining the sound velocity in atomic Bose–Einstein condensates, based on thermodynamic global variables. The total number of trapped atoms was as a function of temperature carefully studied across the phase transition, at constant volume. It allowed us to evaluate the sound velocity resulting in consistent values from the quantum to classical regime, in good agreement with previous results found in literature. We also provide some insight about the dominant sound mode (thermal or superfluid) across a wide temperature range.
We present an alternative approach for determining the sound modes in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates, based on thermodynamic global variables. The total number of trapped atoms was carefully studied as a function of temperature across the phase transition, at constant volume. It allowed us to evaluate the first and second sound independently resulting in consistent values from the quantum to classical regime, in good agreement with previous results found in the literature. We also provide some insight on the dominant mode, either thermal or superfluid, on each sound velocity depending on the temperature range
Thermodynamics of non-uniform systems has always been a challenging topic in the physical sciences.In the field of quantum gases, that subject is mainly studied with ultracold samples trapped in a harmonic potential, the first kind of confinement ever made to atomic fluids. 1 Nascimbène et al. 2 have already described a method to measure locally the equation of state and heat capacity of a harmonically trapped quantum gas.Nonetheless, local measurements cannot provide the volume-dependent susceptibilities of an inhomogeneous system, namely the thermal expansion and compressibility, meaning that the thermodynamic description of harmonically trapped gases is still incomplete.To solve that issue, Romero and Bagnato 3, 4 proposed canonical variables of work for a gas in a harmonic trap, which work like pressure and volume for a gas in a vessel and allow global measurements on the system.Therefore, we describe here our methodology to measure the thermodynamic susceptibilities of a harmonically trapped gas around the Bose-Einstein transition using the Romero-Bagnato formalism.Our experiments were divided in different phases, each having the harmonic trap with unique frequencies, related to the formalism's extensive variable.In each phase, we prepared individual samples of rubidium-87 gas in the trap and imaged them using the time-of-flight technique.Next, we fitted our images with the bimodal model and found the in situ density profiles of the samples with the standard regression procedures.Then, we determined the phase's equation of state as a function of temperature and number of atoms.For the thermodynamic analysis, we used an empirical model that we developed to fit the equation-of-state curves, allowing us to represent our data in terms of mathematical coefficients.In that way, we found the curves of internal energy, heat capacity, thermal expansion and compressibility, thus achieving a full thermodynamic description of a harmonically trapped gas.Our method and its results are unprecedented in the literature and might contribute to the further understanding of non-uniform systems, as well as the future development of quantum thermal engines.
Phase transitions are well understood and generally followed by the behavior of the associated thermodynamic quantities, such as in the case of the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$-point superfluid transition of liquid He, which is observed in its heat capacity. In the case of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate, the heat capacity cannot be directly measured. In this work, we present a technique capable of determining the global heat capacity from the density distribution of a weakly interacting gas trapped in an inhomogeneous potential. This approach represents an alternative to models based on the local density approximation. By defining a pair of global conjugate variables, we determine the total internal energy and its temperature derivative, the heat capacity. We then apply the technique to a trapped 87Rb BEC, and a $\ensuremath{\lambda}$-type transition dependent on the atom number is observed, and the deviations from the noninteracting, ideal gas case are discussed. Finally, we discuss the chances of using this method to study the heat capacity at $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$.