Related Experiment Videos
Vortex precession in Bose-Einstein condensates: observations with filled and empty cores.
B P Anderson1, P C Haljan, C E Wieman
1JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 27, 2000
Summary
Researchers studied quantized vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates. They manipulated vortex core size, observing significant changes in rotation rates but minimal changes in precession frequency.
Area of Science:
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Quantum Fluids and Gases
Background:
- Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) exhibit quantum phenomena like vortices.
- Understanding vortex dynamics is crucial for quantum fluid research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the dynamics of singly quantized vortices in dilute-gas BECs.
- To investigate how vortex core size affects superfluid rotation and precession.
Main Methods:
- Creation of BECs in a superposition of two 87Rb states.
- Manipulation of the vortex core by removing atoms from the core-filling state.
- Measurement of superfluid rotation rates and vortex core precession frequencies.
Main Results:
- Vortex core radius reduced by up to a factor of 13.
- Superfluid rotation rates varied by a factor of 150.
- Vortex core precession frequency changed by only a factor of 2.
Conclusions:
- Vortex core size significantly influences superfluid rotation in BECs.
- Precession frequency demonstrates resilience to changes in vortex core size.