Spontaneous Breaking of Spatial and Spin Symmetry in Spinor Condensates

M. Scherer, B. Lücke, G. Gebreyesus, O. Topic, F. Deuretzbacher, W. Ertmer, L. Santos, J. J. Arlt, and C. Klempt
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 135302 – Published 22 September 2010

Abstract

Parametric amplification of quantum fluctuations constitutes a fundamental mechanism for spontaneous symmetry breaking. In our experiments, a spinor condensate acts as a parametric amplifier of spin modes, resulting in a twofold spontaneous breaking of spatial and spin symmetry in the amplified clouds. Our experiments permit a precise analysis of the amplification in specific spatial Bessel-like modes, allowing for the detailed understanding of the double symmetry breaking. On resonances that create vortex-antivortex superpositions, we show that the cylindrical spatial symmetry is spontaneously broken, but phase squeezing prevents spin-symmetry breaking. If, however, nondegenerate spin modes contribute to the amplification, quantum interferences lead to spin-dependent density profiles and hence spontaneously formed patterns in the longitudinal magnetization.

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  • Received 14 July 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.135302

© 2010 The American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

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

  • 1Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
  • 2Institut für Theoretische Physik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
  • 3QUANTOP, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, 8000 Århus C, Denmark

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Vol. 105, Iss. 13 — 24 September 2010

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