Parity-symmetry breaking and topological phases in a superfluid ring

Xiurong Zhang, Francesco Piazza, WeiDong Li, and Augusto Smerzi
Phys. Rev. A 94, 063601 – Published 1 December 2016
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

We study analytically the superfluid flow of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a ring geometry in the presence of a rotating barrier. We show that a phase transition breaking a parity symmetry among two topological phases occurs at a critical value of the height of the barrier. Furthermore, a discontinuous (accompanied by hysteresis) phase transition is observed in the ordered phase when changing the angular velocity of the barrier. At the critical point where the hysteresis area vanishes, the chemical potential of the ground state develops a cusp (a discontinuity in the first derivative). Along this path, the jump between the two corresponding states having a different winding number shows analogies with a topological phase transition. We finally study the current-phase relation of the system and compare some of our calculations with published experimental results.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 5 August 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.94.063601

©2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Fluid DynamicsCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Xiurong Zhang1, Francesco Piazza2, WeiDong Li1,*, and Augusto Smerzi3

  • 1Institute of Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, Shanxi University, 030006 Taiyuan, China
  • 2Institut for Theoretische Physik, Universit Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  • 3QSTAR, INO-CNR and LENS, Largo Enrico Fermi 2, I-50125 Firenze, Italy

  • *Corresponding author: wdli@sxu.edu.cn

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 6 — December 2016

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 A

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×