Dark-soliton dynamics in Bose-Einstein condensates at finite temperature
B. Jackson, Nick P. Proukakis, Carlo Barenghi
Abstract
The dynamics of a dark soliton in an elongated Bose-Einstein condensate is studied at finite temperatures. In addition to accurately reproducing all stages of the decay of the soliton observed in the experiment of Burger [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 5198 (1999)], our numerical simulations reveal the existence of an experimentally accessible parameter regime for which phase-imprinted dark solitons can execute at least one full axial oscillation prior to their decay. The dependence of the decay time scale on temperature and initial soliton depth is analyzed and the role of interatomic collisions quantified. © 2007 The American Physical Society.