We observe solitonic vortices in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) after free expansion. Clear signatures of the nature of such defects are the twisted planar density depletion around the vortex line, observed in absorption images, and the double dislocation in the interference pattern obtained through homodyne techniques. Both methods allow us to determine the sign of the quantized circulation. Experimental observations agree with numerical simulations. These solitonic vortices are the decay product of phase defects of the BEC order parameter spontaneously created after a rapid quench across the BEC transition in a cigar-shaped harmonic trap and are shown to have a very long lifetime.
Observation of Solitonic Vortices in Bose-Einstein Condensates / Donadello, Simone; Serafini, Simone; Tylutki, Marek; Pitaevskii, Lev P; Dalfovo, Franco; Lamporesi, Giacomo; Ferrari, Gabriele. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS. - ISSN 0031-9007. - 113:6(2014), p. 065302. [10.1103/physrevlett.113.065302]
Observation of Solitonic Vortices in Bose-Einstein Condensates
Donadello, Simone;
2014
Abstract
We observe solitonic vortices in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) after free expansion. Clear signatures of the nature of such defects are the twisted planar density depletion around the vortex line, observed in absorption images, and the double dislocation in the interference pattern obtained through homodyne techniques. Both methods allow us to determine the sign of the quantized circulation. Experimental observations agree with numerical simulations. These solitonic vortices are the decay product of phase defects of the BEC order parameter spontaneously created after a rapid quench across the BEC transition in a cigar-shaped harmonic trap and are shown to have a very long lifetime.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.