Non-equilibrium dynamics in Mott-to-superfluid transition in Bose-Einstein condensation in optical lattices
Naoto Horiguchi, Takashi Oka, Hideo Aoki
Bose-Einstein condensates of cold atoms in optical lattices are interesting because the dynamics of the transition from a Mott insulator to a superfluid driven by a quench into the superfluid phase exemplifies non-equilibrium evolutions of gauge-symmetry broken quantum phases. Here we have actually visualised features in real space, which have domain structures that depend on the stage of the transition dynamics. Namely, the system after the quench relaxes in three processes: (i) an exponential growth of the superfluid density, (ii) collapse of the domain structure, and (iii) vortex-antivortex pair-annihilation as the long-range superfluid order is formed. Topological picture due to Kibble-Zurek mechanism and Zurek's freeze-out scenario for slow quenches are confirmed.
Journal of Physics Conference Series•Feb 1, 2009•10 citations