Quench-induced supercurrents in an annular Bose gas

Area of Science:

• Quantum physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Ultracold atomic gases

Background:

• Supercurrents are crucial for understanding quantum phenomena.
• Phase transitions in Bose gases are fundamental to quantum mechanics.
• The Kibble-Zurek mechanism describes defect formation during phase transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create and characterize supercurrents in annular 2D Bose gases.
• To investigate the stochastic nature of supercurrents.
• To compare experimental results with theoretical predictions.

Main Methods:

• Inducing supercurrents via a temperature quench of the normal-to-superfluid transition.
• Measuring supercurrent magnitude and direction using interference patterns.
• Analyzing the distribution of supercurrents for varying quench times.

Main Results:

• Successfully created supercurrents in annular 2D Bose gases.
• Observed spiral interference patterns indicating supercurrents.
• Demonstrated the stochastic, or random, nature of these supercurrents.
• Measured supercurrent distributions and compared them to Kibble-Zurek predictions.

Conclusions:

• Supercurrents in 2D Bose gases exhibit stochastic behavior.
• The Kibble-Zurek mechanism provides a framework for understanding supercurrent formation.
• Temperature quenches are an effective method for studying quantum phase transitions.