Spontaneous creation of Kibble–Zurek solitons in a Bose–Einstein condensate
Anno: 2013
Autori: Lamporesi G., Donadello S., Serafini S., Dalfovo F., Ferrari G.
Affiliazione autori: INO-CNR BEC Center and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, 38123 Povo, Italy.
Abstract: When a system crosses a second-order phase transition on a finite timescale, spontaneous symmetry breaking can cause the development of domains with independent order parameters, which then grow and approach each other creating boundary defects. This is known as the Kibble–Zurek mechanism. Originally introduced in cosmology, it applies to both classical and quantum phase transitions, in a wide variety of physical systems. Here we report on the spontaneous creation of solitons in Bose–Einstein condensates through the Kibble–Zurek mechanism. We measure the power-law dependence of defect number on the quench time, and show that lower atomic densities enhance defect formation. These results provide a promising test bed for the determination of critical exponents in Bose–Einstein condensates.
Giornale/Rivista: NATURE PHYSICS
Volume: 9 (10) Da Pagina: 656 A: 660
Maggiori informazioni: We are indebted to L. P. Pitaevskii, I. Carusotto and A. Recati for fruitful discussions. This work is supported by Provincia Autonoma di Trento.DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS2734Citazioni: 186dati da “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) aggiornati al: 2024-04-14Riferimenti tratti da Isi Web of Knowledge: (solo abbonati) Link per visualizzare la scheda su IsiWeb: Clicca quiLink per visualizzare la citazioni su IsiWeb: Clicca qui