Quantum liquid droplets in a mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates

Year: 2018

Authors: Cabrera C. R., Tanzi L., Sanz J., Naylor B., Thomas P., Cheiney P., Tarruell L.

Autors Affiliation: ICFO–Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain.

Abstract: Quantum droplets are small clusters of atoms self-bound by the balance of attractive and repulsive forces. Here, we report on the observation of droplets solely stabilized by contact interactions in a mixture of two Bose-Einstein condensates. We demonstrate that they are several orders of magnitude more dilute than liquid helium by directly measuring their size and density via in situ imaging. We show that the droplets are stablized against collapse by quantum fluctuations and that they require a minimum atom number to be stable. Below that number, quantum pressure drives a liquid-to-gas transition that we map out as a function of interaction strength. These ultradilute isotropic liquids remain weakly interacting and constitute an ideal platform to benchmark quantum many-body theories.

Journal/Review: SCIENCE

Volume: 359 (6373)      Pages from: 301  to: 304

KeyWords: quantum mixtures; quantum droplets
DOI: 10.1126/science.aao5686

Citations: 438
data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-03-24
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