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arXiv:cond-mat/0004187 · Physical Review A

Criterion for Bose-Einstein condensation for particles in traps

C. J. Pethick, Лев П. Питаевский

Published Aug 15, 2000• 50 citations
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Abstract

We consider the criterion for Bose-Einstein condensation for particles in a harmonic trap. For a fixed angular momentum, the lowest energy state for a cloud of bosons with attractive interactions is the ground state of the cloud with all the angular momentum in the center-of-mass motion, and the one-particle reduced density matrix generally does not have a single large eigenvalue, but a number of them, suggesting that the state is an example of a fragmented condensate [N. K. Wilkin, J. M. F. Gunn, and R. A. Smith, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2265 (1998)]. We show that a convenient way to describe correlations in the system is by defining an internal one-particle reduced density matrix, in which the center-of-mass motion is eliminated, and that this has a single eigenvalue equal to the number of particles for the problem considered here. Our considerations indicate that care is necessary in formulating a criterion for Bose-Einstein condensation.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.62.033609

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We consider the criterion for Bose-Einstein condensation for particles in a harmonic trap. For a fixed angular momentum, the lowest energy state for a cloud of bosons with attractive interactions is the ground state of the cloud with all the angular momentum in the center-of-mass motion, and the one-particle reduced density matrix generally does not have a single large eigenvalue, but a number of them, suggesting that the state is an example of a fragmented condensate [N. K. Wilkin, J. M. F. Gunn, and R. A. Smith, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2265 (1998)]. We show that a convenient way to describe correlations in the system is by defining an internal one-particle reduced density matrix, in which the center-of-mass motion is eliminated, and that this has a single eigenvalue equal to the number of particles for the problem considered here. Our considerations indicate that care is necessary in formulating a criterion for Bose-Einstein condensation.
The internal one-particle density matrix is discussed for Bose-Einstein condensates with a finite number of particles in a harmonic trap. It is found that the outcome of the diagonalization of the single-particle density matrix depends on the choice of the internal coordinates: The Pethick-Pitaevskii (PP) type of internal density matrix, whose analytical eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are evaluated, yields a fragmented condensate, while the Jacobi type of internal density matrix leads to an ideal condensate. We give a criterion for the choice of the internal coordinates: In the macroscopic limit the internal density matrix should have the same eigenvalues and eigenfunctions as those of the corresponding ideal Bose-Einstein condensate in the laboratory frame, this being a very physical condition. One choice satisfying this boundary condition is given by the internal Jacobi coordinates, while the internal coordinates with respect to the center of mass of the PP density matrix do not satisfy this condition. Based on our criterion, a general definition of the internal one-particle density matrix is presented in a self-bound system consisting of interacting bosons.
Using Perron-Frobenius theorem, we prove that the results by Wilkin, Gunn and Smith [1] for the ground states of N Bose atoms rotating at the angular momentum L in a harmonic atomic trap with frequency omega interacting via attractive delta^2(r) forces, are valid for a broad class of predominantly attractive interactions V(r), not necessarily attractive for any r. The sufficient condition for the interaction is that all the two-body matrix elements allowed by the conservation of angular momentum k+l = m+n, are negative. This class includes, in particular, the Gaussian attraction of arbitrary radius, -1/r - Coulomb and log(r)-Coulomb forces, as well as all the short-range R << omega^{-1/2} interactions satisfying inequality int d^2r V(r) < 0. There is no condensation at L>> 1, and the angular momentum is concentrated in the collective ``center-of-mass'' mode.
Using the Perron-Frobenius theorem, we prove that the results by Wilkin, Gunn, and Smith [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2265, (1998)] for the ground states at angular momentum LLL of NNN harmonically trapped Bose atoms, interacting via weak attractive ${\ensuremath{\delta}}^{2}(r)$ forces, are valid for a broad class of predominantly attractive interactions V(r),V(r),V(r), not necessarily attractive for any r.r.r. This class is described by sufficient conditions on the two-body matrix elements of the potential V(r).V(r).V(r). It includes, in particular, the Gaussian attraction of arbitrary radius, $\ensuremath{-}1/r$-Coulomb and log(r)\mathrm{log}(r)log(r)-Coulomb forces, as well as all the short-range interactions satisfying inequality $\ensuremath{\int}{d}^{2}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{r}V(r)<0.$ In the precollapse regime, the angular momentum LLL is concentrated in the collective ``center-of-mass'' mode, and there is no condensation at high L.L.L.
Motivated by experiments on Bose atoms in traps which have attractive interactions (e.g., 7Li{}^{7}\mathrm{Li}7Li), we consider two models which may be solved exactly. We construct the ground states subject to the constraint that the system is rotating with angular momentum proportional to the number of atoms. In a conventional system this would lead to quantized vortices; here, for attractive interactions, we find that the angular momentum is absorbed by the center of mass motion. Moreover, the state is uncondensed and is an example of a ``fragmented'' condensate discussed by Nozi\`eres and Saint James. The same models with repulsive interactions are fully condensed in the thermodynamic limit.
Investigations on the internal one-particle density matrix in the case of Bose-Einstein condensates with a finite number (NNN) of particles in a harmonic potential are performed. We solve the eigenvalue problem of the Pethick-Pitaevskii-type internal density matrix and find a fragmented condensate. On the contrary the condensate Jacobi-type internal density matrix gives complete condensation into a single state. The internal one-particle density matrix is, therefore, shown to be different in general for different choices of the internal coordinate system. We propose two physically motivated criteria for the choice of the adequate coordinate systems that give us a unique answer for the internal one-particle density matrix. One criterion is that in the infinite particle number limit ($N=\ensuremath{\infty}$) the internal one-particle density matrix should have the same eigenvalues and eigenfunctions as those of the corresponding ideal Bose-Einstein condensate in the laboratory frame. The other criterion is that the coordinate of the internal one-particle density matrix should be orthogonal to the remaining $(N\ensuremath{-}2)$ internal coordinates, though the $(N\ensuremath{-}2)$ coordinates, in general, do not need to be mutually orthogonal. This second criterion is shown to imply the first criterion. It is shown that the internal Jacobi coordinate system satisfies these two criteria while the internal coordinate system adopted by Pethick and Pitaevskii for the construction of the internal one-particle density matrix does not. It is demonstrated that these two criteria uniquely determine the internal one-particle density matrix that is identical to that calculated with the Jacobi coordinates. The relevance of this work concerning $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle condensates in nuclei, as well as bosonic atoms in traps, is pointed out.
Abstract A mixture of two kinds of identical bosons, species 1 with N 1 bosons of mass m 1 and species 2 with N 2 bosons of mass m 2 , held in a harmonic potential of frequency ω and interacting by harmonic intra-species and inter-species particle-particle interactions of strengths λ 1 , λ 2 , and λ 12 is discussed. This is an exactly-solvable model of a generic mixture of trapped interacting bosons which allows one to investigate and determine analytically properties of interest. To start, closed form expressions for the frequencies, ground-state energy, and wave-function of the mixture are obtained and briefly analyzed as a function of the masses, numbers of particles, and strengths and signs of interactions. To prove Bose–Einstein condensation of the mixture three steps are needed. First, we integrate the all-particle density matrix, employing a four-parameter matrix-recurrence relations, down to the lowest-order intra-species and inter-species reduced density matrices of the mixture. Second, the coupled Gross–Pitaevskii (mean-field) equations of the mixture are solved analytically. Third, we analyze the mixture’s reduced density matrices in the limit of an infinite number of particles of both species 1 and 2 (when the interaction parameters, i.e. the products of the number of particles times the intra-species and inter-species interaction strengths, are held fixed) and prove that: (i) both species 1 and 2 are 100% condensed; (ii) the inter-species reduced density matrix per particle is separable and given by the product of the intra-species reduced density matrices per particle; and (iii) the mixture’s energy per particle, and reduced density matrices and densities per particle all coincide with the Gross–Pitaevskii quantities. Finally, when the infinite-particle limit is taken with respect to, say, species 1 only (with interaction parameters held fixed) we prove that: (iv) only species 1 is 100% condensed and its reduced density matrix and density per particle, as well as the mixture’s energy per particle, coincide with the Gross–Pitaevskii quantities of species 1 alone; and (v) the inter-species reduced density matrix per particle is nonetheless separable and given by the product of the intra-species reduced density matrices per particle. The results are compared and discussed with respect to the recent work by Bouvrie et al (2014 Eur. Phys. J . D 68 346 ) who found for attractive mixtures vanishing bipartite entanglement between the two species and between a single particle (of either kind) and the remaining particles in the mixture. Implications are briefly discussed.