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Dissipative Distillation of Supercritical Quantum Gases
Jorge Mellado Muñoz1, Xi Wang1, Thomas Hewitt1
1Midlands Ultracold Atom Research Centre, School Of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|July 24, 2020
Summary
Researchers created a new method to produce nonequilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates with higher condensed fractions than equilibrium samples. This technique uses a controlled dissipative environment to distill condensates, even above critical temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Quantum Gases
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) are quantum states of matter formed by bosons cooled to near absolute zero.
- Achieving high condensed fractions in BECs typically requires equilibrium conditions.
- Nonequilibrium quantum systems offer unique properties but are challenging to engineer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally demonstrate a novel method for producing nonequilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates.
- To achieve condensed fractions exceeding those of equilibrium condensates.
- To explore the potential of controlled dissipation for quantum system engineering.
Main Methods:
- Immersing an ultracold Bose gas of Rubidium-87 (^87Rb) in a hotter cloud of Potassium-39 (^39K) to create a controlled dissipative environment.
- Combining dissipative environment interaction with evaporative cooling to distill the condensate.
- Systematically varying dissipation strength to study its effect on condensate formation.
Main Results:
- Successfully produced nonequilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates with condensed fractions surpassing equilibrium samples.
- Demonstrated the ability to create condensates above the critical temperature by increasing dissipation.
- Observed that the out-of-equilibrium condensates are long-lived, remaining non-equilibrium within experimental timescales.
Conclusions:
- The developed distillation process provides a highly controlled method for generating nonequilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates.
- This technique allows for the engineering of quantum systems with tailored properties.
- The ability to create condensates above critical temperature opens new avenues for studying quantum phase transitions.
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