Spontaneous symmetry breaking in spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

M. Scherer, B. Lücke, J. Peise, O. Topic, G. Gebreyesus, F. Deuretzbacher, W. Ertmer, L. Santos, C. Klempt, and J. J. Arlt
Phys. Rev. A 88, 053624 – Published 19 November 2013

Abstract

We present an analytical model for the theoretical analysis of spin dynamics and spontaneous symmetry breaking in a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). This allows for an excellent intuitive understanding of the processes and provides good quantitative agreement with the experimental results of Scherer et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 135302 (2010)]. It is shown that the dynamics of a spinor BEC initially prepared in an unstable Zeeman state mF=0 (0) can be understood by approximating the effective trapping potential for the state ±1 with a cylindrical box potential. The resonances in the creation efficiency of these atom pairs can be traced back to excitation modes of this confinement. The understanding of these excitation modes allows for a detailed characterization of the symmetry-breaking mechanism, showing how a twofold spontaneous breaking of spatial and spin symmetry can occur. In addition, a detailed account of the experimental methods for the preparation and analysis of spinor quantum gases is given.

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  • Received 2 September 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.88.053624

©2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Scherer1, B. Lücke1, J. Peise1, O. Topic1, G. Gebreyesus2, F. Deuretzbacher2, W. Ertmer1, L. Santos2, C. Klempt1, and J. J. Arlt3

  • 1Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Welfengarten 1, D-30167 Hannover, Germany
  • 2Institut für Theoretische Physik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Appelstraße 2, D-30167 Hannover, Germany
  • 3QUANTOP, Danish National Research Foundation Center for Quantum Optics, Institut for Fysik og Astronomi, Aarhus Universitet, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

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Vol. 88, Iss. 5 — November 2013

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