Example of a Quantum Anomaly in the Physics of Ultracold Gases

Maxim Olshanii, Hélène Perrin, and Vincent Lorent
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 095302 – Published 27 August 2010

Abstract

In this Letter, we propose an experimental scheme for the observation of a quantum anomaly—quantum-mechanical symmetry breaking—in a two-dimensional harmonically trapped Bose gas. The anomaly manifests itself in a shift of the monopole excitation frequency away from the value dictated by the Pitaevskii-Rosch dynamical symmetry [L. P. Pitaevskii and A. Rosch, Phys. Rev. A 55, R853 (1997)]. While the corresponding classical Gross-Pitaevskii equation and the hydrodynamic equations derived from it do exhibit this symmetry, it is—as we show in our paper—violated under quantization. The resulting frequency shift is of the order of 1% of the carrier, well in reach for modern experimental techniques. We propose using the dipole oscillations as a frequency gauge.

  • Figure
  • Received 5 June 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.095302

© 2010 The American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Maxim Olshanii1,2, Hélène Perrin2, and Vincent Lorent2

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston Massachusetts 02125, USA
  • 2Laboratoire de physique des lasers, Institut Galilée, Université Paris 13 and CNRS, 99 avenue J.-B. Clément, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 105, Iss. 9 — 27 August 2010

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×