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Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
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Mean-field dynamics of spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates
Yongping Zhang1, Li Mao, Chuanwei Zhang
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164 USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 10, 2012
Summary
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in cold atoms enables new studies of quantum many-body physics. Different laser setups create distinct dynamics and phases in Bose-Einstein condensates, revealing novel oscillations.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Many-Body Physics
- Atomic Physics
Background:
- Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is fundamental to condensed matter phenomena.
- Experimental realization of SOC in neutral bosonic cold atoms offers a novel platform.
- Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) are crucial for studying quantum systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spin-orbit coupled quantum many-body physics in neutral bosonic cold atoms.
- To derive a generic Gross-Pitaevskii equation for spin-orbit coupled BECs.
- To explore the impact of different laser setups on SOC-induced dynamics and phases.
Main Methods:
- Derivation of a Gross-Pitaevskii equation for spin-orbit coupled BECs.
- Theoretical analysis of mean-field dynamics.
- Phase diagram analysis for ground states.
Main Results:
- Different laser configurations for SOC yield distinct mean-field dynamics.
- Discovery of various ground state phases, including stripe and phase separation.
- Observation of a new SOC-induced oscillation in the condensate's center-of-mass motion, analogous to Zitterbewegung.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a theoretical framework for exploring SOC in BECs.
- Experimental parameters significantly influence the emergent quantum phenomena.
- New dynamics and phases are accessible in spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates.
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