Dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (dBECs) exhibit a plethora of physics phenomena, from supersolidity to the rotonlike minimum in the elementary excitation spectrum. In this work we first demonstrate the existence of axis-symmetric solitary waves in (quasi-)two-dimensional dBECs: these localized excitations are characterized by quantized vortex dipoles that continuously transit to vortex-free density depletions. We then show how the presence of the roton minimum fundamentally alters the fate of such solutions when approaching Landau’s critical speed: when propagating along the polarization direction where the roton minimum occurs, the solitary wave transits into roton excitations rather than into phonons as for standard contact-interaction BECs. This finding suggests that Feynman’s hypothesis, conjectured for 3D superfluid liquid helium regarding the creation of rotons as fading vortex excitations, is valid in the context of 2D dBECs.
Dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (dBECs) exhibit a plethora of physics phenomena, from supersolidity to the rotonlike minimum in the elementary excitation spectrum. In this work we first demonstrate the existence of axis-symmetric solitary waves in (quasi-)two-dimensional dBECs: these localized excitations are characterized by quantized vortex dipoles that continuously transit to vortex-free density depletions. We then show how the presence of the roton minimum fundamentally alters the fate of such solutions when approaching Landau’s critical speed: when propagating along the polarization direction where the roton minimum occurs, the solitary wave transits into roton excitations rather than into phonons as for standard contact-interaction BECs. This finding suggests that Feynman’s hypothesis, conjectured for 3D superfluid liquid helium regarding the creation of rotons as fading vortex excitations, is valid in the context of 2D dBECs.
Dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (dBECs) exhibit a plethora of physics phenomena, from supersolidity to the rotonlike minimum in the elementary excitation spectrum. In this work we first demonstrate the existence of axis-symmetric solitary waves in (quasi-)two-dimensional dBECs: these localized excitations are characterized by quantized vortex dipoles that continuously transit to vortex-free density depletions. We then show how the presence of the roton minimum fundamentally alters the fate of such solutions when approaching Landau's critical speed: when propagating along the polarization direction where the roton minimum occurs, the solitary wave transits into roton excitations rather than into phonons as for standard contact-interaction BECs. This finding suggests that Feynman's hypothesis, conjectured for 3D superfluid liquid helium regarding the creation of rotons as fading vortex excitations, is valid in the context of 2D dBECs.
We study the superfluid character of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (DBEC) in a quasi-two dimensional geometry. We consider the dipole polarization to have some nonzero projection into the plane of the condensate so that the effective interaction is anisotropic in this plane, yielding an anisotropic dispersion relation. By performing direct numerical simulations of a probe moving through the DBEC, we observe the sudden onset of drag or creation of vortex-antivortex pairs at critical velocities that depend strongly on the direction of the probe's motion. This anisotropy emerges because of the anisotropic manifestation of a rotonlike mode in the system.
The static and dynamic properties of vortices in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (dBECs) can be considerably modified relative to their nondipolar counterparts by the anisotropic and long-ranged nature of the dipole-dipole interaction. Working in a uniform dBEC, we analyze the structure of single vortices and the dynamics of vortex pairs, investigating the deviations from the nondipolar paradigm. For a straight vortex line, we find that the induced dipolar interaction potential is axially anisotropic when the dipole moments have a nonzero projection orthogonal to the vortex line. This results in a corresponding elongation of the vortex core along this projection as well as an anisotropic superfluid phase and enhanced compressibility in the vicinity of the vortex core. Consequently, the trajectories of like-signed vortex pairs are described by a family of elliptical and oval-like curves rather than the familiar circular orbits. Similarly for opposite-signed vortex pairs their translation speeds along the binormal are found to be dipole-interaction dependent. We expect that these findings will shed light on the underlying mechanisms of many-vortex phenomena in dBECs such as quantum turbulence, vortex reconnections, and vortex lattices.
Today, sixteen years after the realization of the first Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), the field of ultracold many-body physics is booming. In particular, much excitement has been generated by the prospect of creating a degenerate quantum gas of dipolar atoms or molecules. Already, some experimental groups have succeeded in Bose-condensing atomic 52Cr and 164Dy, while other groups have made significant progress towards achieving degeneracy of heteronuclear molecules, such as fermionic 40K87Rb and bosonic 87Rb133Cs, where the strength of the dipolar interaction promises to be much greater than that of the already rich 52Cr condensate. Just as the creation of BEC launched a whole new field of research, dipolar BECs are likely to do the same. However, such systems present a theoretical challenge due to the long-range, anisotropic nature of the dipolar interaction. In this thesis, I present a theoretical investigation of ultracold Bose gases with dipolar interactions.\nThe first part of this thesis is dedicated to the field theoretical treatment of a quantum Bose fluid with dipolar interactions in the ultracold, dilute regime, where the system is well-described by a classical condensate field with quasiparticle excitations. The set of nonlinear integrodifferential equations that describe these objects are derived and novel methods for solving them are presented that, in general, require intricate numerical treatment. Of particular importance is the emergence of a roton mode, reminiscent of that in superfluid 4He. In the second part of this thesis, I show how the roton plays a critical role in the ground state structure and dynamics of a dipolar BEC. Full numerical simulations show that the roton can, for example, be seen in the radial density profile of a quantized vortex state or in the angular collapse and explosion of a dipolar BEC. Additionally, I show the crucial role that this roton plays in determining the transition to superfluidity in these systems. Thus, a set of novel phenomena in ultracold dipolar Bose gases is explained by the presence of the roton, and experimental signatures of these phenomena are made clear.
The static and dynamic properties of vortices in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (dBECs) can be considerably modified relative to their nondipolar counterparts by the anisotropic and long-ranged nature of the dipole-dipole interaction. Working in a uniform dBEC, we analyze the structure of single vortices and the dynamics of vortex pairs, investigating the deviations from the nondipolar paradigm. For a straight vortex line, we find that the induced dipolar interaction potential is axially anisotropic when the dipole moments have a nonzero projection orthogonal to the vortex line. This results in a corresponding elongation of the vortex core along this projection as well as an anisotropic superfluid phase and enhanced compressibility in the vicinity of the vortex core. Consequently, the trajectories of like-signed vortex pairs are described by a family of elliptical and oval-like curves rather than the familiar circular orbits. Similarly for opposite-signed vortex pairs their translation speeds along the binormal are found to be dipole-interaction dependent. We expect that these findings will shed light on the underlying mechanisms of many-vortex phenomena in dBECs such as quantum turbulence, vortex reconnections, and vortex lattices. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
The non-local nonlinearity introduced by the dipole–dipole interaction plays a crucial role in the physics of dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates. In particular, it may distort significantly the stability of straight vortex lines due to the rotonization of the Kelvin-wave spectrum. In the present paper, we analyze this instability, showing that it leads to a second-order-like phase transition from a straight vortex line into novel helical or snake-like configurations, depending on the dipole orientation.