Thanks to their immense purity and controllability, dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates are an exemplar for studying fundamental non-local nonlinear physics. Here we show that a family of fundamental nonlinear waves - the dark solitons - are supported in trapped quasi-one-dimensional dipolar condensates and within reach of current experiments. Remarkably, the oscillation frequency of the soliton is strongly dependent on the atomic interactions, in stark contrast to the non-dipolar case. The failure of a particle analogy, so successful for dark solitons in general, to account for this behaviour implies that these structures are inherently extended and non-particle-like. These highly-sensitive waves may act as mesoscopic probes of the underlying quantum matter field.
We look into dark solitons in a quasi-1D dipolar Bose gas and in a quantum droplet. We derive the analytical solitonic solution of a Gross-Pitaevskii-like equation accounting for beyond mean-field effects. The results show there is a certain critical value of the dipolar interactions, for which the width of a motionless soliton diverges. Moreover, there is a peculiar solution of the motionless soliton with a non-zero density minimum. We also present the energy spectrum of these solitons with an additional excitation subbranch appearing. Finally, we perform a series of numerical experiments rev…
By solving the three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation we generate two-dimensional axially-symmetric and anisotropic dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate bright solitons, for repulsive atomic interaction, stabilized by only a weak one-dimensional optical lattice (OL) aligned along and perpendicular, respectively, to the dipole polarization direction. In the former case vortex solitons can also be created. We show that it is possible to make a stable array of small interacting axially-symmetric dipolar solitons put on alternate OL sites. Further, we demonstrate the elastic nature of the collisi…
We study the stability, form and interaction of single and multiple dark solitons in quasi-one-dimensional dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates. The solitons are found numerically as stationary solutions in the moving frame of a non-local Gross Pitaevskii equation, and characterized as a function of the key experimental parameters, namely the ratio of the dipolar atomic interactions to the van der Waals interactions, the polarization angle and the condensate width. The solutions and their integrals of motion are strongly affected by the phonon and roton instabilities of the system. Dipolar matter…
We numerically generate, and then study the basic properties of dark soliton-like excitations in a dipolar gas confined in a quasi one dimensional trap. These excitations, although very similar to dark solitons in a gas with contact interaction, interact with each other and can form bound states. During collisions these dipolar solitons emit phonons, loosing energy, but accelerating. Even after thousands of subsequent collisions they survive as gray solitons and finally reach dynamical equilibrium with background quasiparticles. Finally, in the frame of classical field approximation, we verifi…
We study the statics and dynamics of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) droplet bound by inter-species contact interaction in a trapped non-dipolar BEC. Our findings are demonstrated in terms of stability plots of a dipolar 164Dy droplet bound in a trapped non-dipolar 87Rb BEC with a variable number of 164Dy atoms and the inter-species scattering length. A trapped non-dipolar BEC of a fixed number of atoms can only bind a dipolar droplet containing atoms less than a critical number for the inter-species scattering length between two critical values. The shape and size (statics) as well a…
We demonstrate stable, robust, bright dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) solitons, moving in a direction perpendicular to the polarization direction, formed due to dipolar interaction for repulsive contact interaction. At medium velocity the head on collision of two such solitons is found to be quasi elastic with practically no deformation. Upon small perturbation the solitons are found to exhibit sustained breathing oscillation. The findings are illustrated by numerical simulation using the 3D mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation and a reduced 2D model in three and two spatial dimensions …
Analytic expressions have been derived for the interaction potential between dipolar bright solitons and the binding energy of a two-soliton molecule. The properties of these localized structures are explored with a focus on their behavior in the weakly bound regime, with a small binding energy. Using the variational approach a coupled system of ordinary differential equations for the parameters of a soliton molecule is obtained for the description of their evolution. Predictions of the model are compared with numerical simulations of the governing nonlocal Gross-Pitaevskii equation and good q…
Solitons in the extended hydrodynamic model of the dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate with quantum fluctuations are considered. This model includes the continuity equation for the scalar field of concentration, the Euler equation for the vector field of velocity, the pressure evolution equation for the second rank tensor of pressure, and the evolution equation for the third rank tensor. Large amplitude soliton solution caused by the dipolar part of quantum fluctuations is found. It appears as the bright soliton. Hence, it is the area of compression of the number of particles. Moreover, it exists…
We study the scissors modes of dipolar boson and fermion gases trapped in a spherically symmetric potential. We use the harmonic oscillator states to solve the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation for bosons and the time-dependent Hartree-Fock equation for fermions. It is pointed out that the scissors modes of bosons and fermions can be of quite different nature.
We present a comprehensive analysis of the form and interaction of dipolar bright solitons across the full parameter space afforded by dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates, revealing the rich behaviour introduced by the non-local nonlinearity. Working within an effective one-dimensional description, we map out the existence of the soliton solutions and show three collisional regimes: free collisions, bound state formation and soliton fusion. Finally, we examine the solitons in their full three-dimensional form through a variational approach; along with regimes of instability to collapse and runaw…
We discuss scattering between a bright soliton and a soliton dimer in coupled quasi-one-dimensional dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates. The dimer is formed by each soliton from both tubes due to the attractive inter-layer dipole-dipole interaction. The dipoles within each tube repel each other, and a stable, bright soliton is stabilized via attractive contact interactions. In general, the scattering is inelastic, transferring the kinetic energy into internal modes of both soliton dimer and single soliton. Our studies reveal rich scattering scenarios, including dimer-soliton repulsion at small i…
We demonstrate robust, stable, mobile excited states of quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) solitons for repulsive contact interaction with a harmonic trap along the $x$ direction perpendicular to the polarization direction $z$. Such a soliton can freely move in the y-z plane. A rich variety of such excitations is considered: one quanta of excitation for movement along (i) y axis or (ii) z axis or (ii) both. A proposal for creating these excited solitonic states in a laboratory by phase imprinting is also discussed. We also consider excited states of quasi-2…
We study a two-dimensional spin-orbit-coupled dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate with repulsive contact interactions by both the variational method and the imaginary time evolution of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The dipoles are completely polarized along one direction in the 2D plane so as to provide an effective attractive dipole-dipole interaction. We find two types of solitons as the ground states arising from such attractive interactions: a plane wave soliton with a spatially varying phase and a stripe soliton with a spatially oscillating density for each component. Both types of solitons…
Trapped degenerate dipolar Bose and Fermi gases of cylindrical symmetry with the polarization vector along the symmetry axis are only stable for the strength of dipolar interaction below a critical value. In the case of bosons, the stability of such a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is investigated for different strengths of contact and dipolar interactions using variational approximation and numerical solution of a mean-field model. In the disk shape, with the polarization vector perpendicular to the plane of the disk, the atoms experience an overall dipolar repulsion and this fact sho…
Using a three-dimensional mean-field model we study one-dimensional dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) solitons on a weak two-dimensional (2D) square and triangular optical lattice (OL) potentials placed perpendicular to the polarization direction. The stabilization against collapse and expansion of these solitons for a fixed dipolar interaction and a fixed number of atoms is possible for short-range atomic interaction lying between two critical limits. The solitons collapse below the lower limit and escapes to infinity above the upper limit. One can also stabilize identical tiny BEC solit…
We directly compare the mean-field and the many-body approach in a one-dimensional Bose system in a harmonic trap. Both contact and dipolar interactions are considered. We propose a multi-atom version of the phase imprinting method to generate dark solitons in the system. We begin with a general analysis of system dynamics and observe the emergence of a dark soliton and a shock wave. Center of mass and soliton motion become decoupled because the shock wave oscillates with the trap frequency and soliton does not. A detailed investigation of frequencies reveals significant differences between re…
The dynamics of a two-soliton molecule bouncing on the reflecting atomic mirror under the effect of gravity has been studied by analytical and numerical methods. The analytical description is based on the variational approximation. In numerical simulations, we observe the resonance oscillations of the two-soliton's center-of-mass position and width, induced by modulated atomic mirror. Theoretical predictions are verified by numerical simulations of the nonlocal Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) and qualitative agreement between them is found. Hamiltonian dynamic system for a dipolar Bose-Einstei…
We investigated the ground state wave function and free expansion of a trapped dipolar condensate. We find that dipolar interaction may induce both biconcave and dumbbell density profiles in, respectively, the pancake- and cigar-shaped traps. On the parameter plane of the interaction strengths, the density oscillation occurs only when the interaction parameters fall into certain isolated areas. The relation between the positions of these areas and the trap geometry is explored. By studying the free expansion of the condensate with density oscillation, we show that the density oscillation is de…
We consider dipolar fermions in a two-dimensional square lattice and a harmonic trapping potential. The anisotropy of the dipolar interaction combined with the lattice leads to transitions between phases with density order of different symmetries. We show that the attractive part of the dipolar interaction results in a superfluid phase which is suppressed by density order. The trapping potential is demonstrated to make the different phases co-exist, forming ring and island structures. The phases with density and superfluid order can overlap forming regions with supersolid order.
We study a harmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate with dipole-dipole interactions in a regime where a roton spectrum emerges. We show that the roton spectrum is clearly revealed in the static and dynamic structure factors which can be measured using Bragg spectroscopy. We develop and validate a theory based on the local density approximation for the dynamic structure factor.
We develop a practical Hartree-Fock theory for trapped Bose and Fermi gases that interact with dipole-dipole interactions. This theory is applicable at zero and finite temperature. Our approach is based on the introduction of local momentum distortion fields that characterize the exchange effects in terms of a local effective potential. We validate our theory against existing theories, finding excellent agreement with full Hartree-Fock calculations.
We study the formation and dynamics of bright solitons in a quasi-one-dimensional reduced mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii equation of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate with repulsive short-range interactions. The study is carried out using a variational approximation and a numerical solution. Plots of chemical potential and root mean square (rms) size of solitons are obtained for the quasi-one-dimensional model of three different dipolar condensates of 52Cr, 168Er and 164Dy atoms. The results achieved are in good agreement with those produced by the full three-dimensional mean-field model of the …
The collective excitations of a zero-temperature, spin-polarized, harmonically trapped, two-dimensional dipolar Fermi gas are examined within the Thomas-Fermi von Weizsäcker hydrodynamic theory. We focus on repulsive interactions, and investigate the dependence of the excitation frequencies on the strength of the dipolar interaction and particle number. We find that the mode spectrum can be classified according to bulk modes, whose frequencies are shifted upward as the interaction strength is increased, and an infinite ladder of surface modes, whose frequencies are {\em independent} of the int…
We study a system of dipolar molecules confined in a two-dimensional trap and subject to an optical square lattice. The repulsive long-range dipolar interaction $D/r^3$ favors an equilateral triangular arrangement of the molecules, which competes against the square symmetry of the underlying optical lattice with lattice constant $b$ and amplitude $V$. We find the minimal-energy states at the commensurate density $n = 1/b^2$ and establish the complete square-to-triangular transformation pathway of the lattice with decreasing $V$ involving period-doubled, solitonic, and distorted-triangular conf…
We introduce a confocal shift-interferometer based on optical fibers. The presented spectroscopy allows measuring coherence maps of luminescent samples with a high spatial resolution even at cryogenic temperatures. We apply the spectroscopy onto electrostatically trapped, dipolar excitons in a semiconductor double quantum well. We find that the measured spatial coherence length of the excitonic emission coincides with the point spread function of the confocal setup. The results are consistent with a temporal coherence of the excitonic emission down to temperatures of 250 mK.
We consider the non-condensate density and density fluctuations of a trapped dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate, focusing on the regime where a roton-like excitation spectrum develops. Our results show that a characteristic peak in the non-condensate density occurs at trap center due to the rotons. In this regime we also find that the anomalous density becomes positive and peaked, giving rise to enhanced density fluctuations. We calculate the non-condensate density in momentum space and show that a small momentum halo is associated with the roton excitations.
We consider two separated pancake-shaped trapped gases interacting with a dipolar (either magnetic or electric) force. We study how the center of mass motion propagates from one cloud to the other as a consequence of the long-range nature of the interaction. The corresponding dynamics is fixed by the frequency difference between the in-phase and the out-of-phase center of mass modes of the two clouds, whose dependence on the dipolar interaction strength and the cloud separation is explicitly investigated. We discuss Fermi gases in the degenerate as well as in the classical limit and comment on…
We consider the quasi-particle excitations of a trapped dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate. By mapping these excitations onto radial and angular momentum we show that the roton modes are clearly revealed as discrete fingers in parameter space, whereas the other modes form a smooth surface. We examine the properties of the roton modes and characterize how they change with the dipole interaction strength. We demonstrate how the application of a perturbing potential can be used to engineer angular rotons, i.e. allowing us to controllably select modes of non-zero angular momentum to become the lowes…
We study the formation of stable bright solitons in quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) spin-orbit- (SO-) and Rabi-coupled two pseudospinor dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) of 164 Dy atoms in the presence of repulsive contact interactions. As a result of the combined attraction-repulsion effect of both interactions and the addition of SO and Rabi couplings, two kinds of ground states in the form of self-trapped bright solitons can be formed, a plane-wave soliton (PWS) and a stripe soliton (SS). These quasi-1D solitons cannot exist in a condensate with purely repulsive contact interactions…
We calculate the stability diagram for a trapped normal Bose gas with dipole-dipole interactions. Our study characterizes the roles of trap geometry, temperature, and short-ranged interactions on the stability. We predict a robust double instability feature in oblate trapping geometries arising from the interplay of thermal gas saturation and the anisotropy of the interaction. Our results are relevant to current experiments with polar molecules and will be useful in developing strategies to obtain a polar molecule Bose-Einstein condensate.
We demonstrate robust, stable, mobile, quasi-one-dimensional, dark-in-bright dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) soliton with a notch in the central plane formed due to dipolar interaction for repulsive contact interaction. At medium velocity the head on collision of two such solitons is found to be quasi elastic with practically no deformation. A proposal for creating dipolar dark-in-bright solitons in laboratories by phase imprinting is also discussed. A rich variety of such solitons can be formed in dipolar binary BEC, where one can have a dark-in-bright soliton coupled to a bright solit…
We develop a finite temperature Hartree theory for the trapped dipolar Bose gas. We use this theory to study thermal effects on the mechanical stability of the system and density oscillating condensate states. We present results for the stability phase diagram as a function of temperature and aspect ratio. In oblate traps above the critical temperature for condensation we find that the Hartree theory predicts significant stability enhancement over the semiclassical result. Below the critical temperature we find that thermal effects are well described by accounting for the thermal depletion of …
By means of the Boltzmann-Vlasov kinetic equation we investigate dynamical properties of a trapped, one-component Fermi gas at zero temperature, featuring the anisotropic and long-range dipole-dipole interaction. To this end, we determine an approximate solution by rescaling both space and momentum variables of the equilibrium distribution, thereby obtaining coupled ordinary differential equations for the corresponding scaling parameters. Based on previous results on how the Fermi sphere is deformed in the hydrodynamic regime of a dipolar Fermi gas, we are able to implement the relaxation-time…
We calculate the stability diagram for a trapped normal Fermi or Bose gas with dipole-dipole interactions. Our study characterizes the roles of trap geometry and temperature on the stability using Hartree-Fock theory. We find that exchange appreciably reduces stability, and that, for bosons, the double instability feature in oblate trapping geometries predicted previously is still predicted by the Hartree-Fock theory. Our results are relevant to current experiments with polar molecules and will be useful in developing strategies to obtain a polar molecule Bose-Einstein condensate or degenerate…
Using the time-dependent density matrix renormalization group method, we calculate transport properties of an interacting Fermi gas in an optical lattice with a confining trap after a sudden displacement of the trap center. In the regime of attractive interactions, the dipolar motion after the displacement can be classified into underdamped oscillations and overdamped relaxations, depending on the interaction strength. These numerical calculations are consistent with experimental results. In the regime of repulsive interactions, we predict a revival of the oscillations of the center of mass wh…
Strongly interacting systems of dipolar bosons in three dimensions confined by harmonic traps are analyzed using the exact Path Integral Ground State Monte Carlo method. By adding a repulsive two-body potential, we find a narrow window of interaction parameters leading to stable ground- state configurations of droplets in a crystalline arrangement. We find that this effect is entirely due to the interaction present in the Hamiltonian without resorting to additional stabilizing mechanisms or specific three-body forces. We analyze the number of droplets formed in terms of the Hamiltonian paramet…
We investigate the superfluid properties of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a fully three-dimensional trap. Specifically, we calculate a superfluid critical velocity for this system by applying the Landau criterion to its discrete quasiparticle spectrum. We test this critical velocity by direct numerical simulation of condensate depletion as a blue-detuned laser moves through the condensate. In both cases, the presence of the roton in the spectrum serves to lower the critical velocity beyond a critical particle number. Since the shape of the dispersion, and hence the roton minimum,…
We present a general method for obtaining the exact static solutions and collective excitation frequencies of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with dipolar atomic interactions in the Thomas-Fermi regime. The method incorporates analytic expressions for the dipolar potential of an arbitrary polynomial density profile, thereby reducing the problem of handling non-local dipolar interactions to the solution of algebraic equations. We comprehensively map out the static solutions and excitation modes, including non-cylindrically symmetric traps, and also the case of negative scattering lengt…
By numerical and variational analysis of the three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equation we study the formation and dynamics of bright and vortex-bright solitons in a cigar-shaped dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate for large repulsive atomic interactions. Phase diagram showing the region of stability of the solitons is obtained. We also study the dynamics of breathing oscillation of the solitons as well as the collision dynamics of two solitons at large velocities. Two solitons placed side-by-side at rest coalesce to form a stable bound soliton molecule due to dipolar attraction.
We perform collective spin measurements to study the buildup of two-body correlations between $\approx10^4$ spin $s=3$ chromium atoms pinned in a 3D optical lattice. The spins interact via long range and anisotropic dipolar interactions. From the fluctuations of total magnetization, measured at the standard quantum limit, we estimate the dynamical growth of the connected pairwise correlations associated with magnetization. The quantum nature of the correlations is assessed by comparisons with short and long time expansions, and numerical simulations. Our work shows that measuring fluctuations …
We develop a meanfield treatment of a polarized trapped Fermi gas with dipole-dipole interactions. Our approach is based on self-consistent semiclassical Hartree-Fock theory that accounts for direct and exchange interactions. We discuss our procedure for numerically implementing the calculation. We study the thermodynamic and the first and second order correlation properties of the system. We find that the system entropy depends on the trap geometry, allowing the system to be cooled as the trap aspect ratio is increased, and that exchange interactions cause the correlation functions to be anis…
We demonstrate robust, stable, mobile two-dimensional (2D) dipolar ring-dark-in-bright (RDB) Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) solitons for repulsive contact interaction, subject to a harmonic trap along the $y$ direction perpendicular to the polarization direction $z$. Such a RDB soliton has a ring-shaped notch (zero in density) imprinted on a 2D bright soliton free to move in the $x-z$ plane. At medium velocity the head-on collision of two such solitons is found to be quasi elastic with practically no deformation. The possibility of creating the RDB soliton by phase imprinting is demonstrated. …
The propagation of solitons in dipolar BEC in a trap potential with a barrier potential is investigated. The regimes of soliton transmission, reflection and splitting as a function of the ratio between the local and dipolar nonlocal interactions are analyzed analytically and numerically. Coherent splitting and fusion of the soliton by the defect is observed. The conditions for fusion of splitted solitons are found. In addition the delocalization transition governed by the strength of the nonlocal dipolar interaction is presented. Predicted phenomena can be useful for the design of a matter wav…
We examine the magnetostrictive position and momentum space distortions that occur in harmonically confined dipolar Bose and Fermi gases. Direct interactions give rise to position space magnetostriction and exchange interactions give rise to momentum space magnetostriction. While the position space magnetostriction is similar in Bose and Fermi systems, the momentum space magnetostriction is markedly different: the Bose gas momentum distribution distorts in the opposite sense to that of the Fermi gas. By relating exchange effects to short range correlations between the particles we discuss the …
We study theoretically Bose-Einstein condensates with polarized dipolar interactions in anisotropic traps. We map the parameter space by varying the trap frequencies and dipolar interaction strengths and find an irregular-shaped region of parameter space in which density-oscillating condensate states occur, with maximum density away from the trap center. These density-oscillating states may be biconcave (red-blood-cell-shaped), or have two or four peaks. For all trap frequencies, the condensate becomes unstable to collapse for sufficiently large dipole interaction strength. The collapse coinci…
We demonstrate fully demixed (separated) robust and stable bright binary dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate soliton in a quasi-one-dimensional setting formed due to dipolar interactions for repulsive contact interactions. For large repulsive interspecies contact interaction the first species may spatially separate from the second species thus forming a demixed configuration, which can be spatially-symmetric or symmetry-broken. In the spatially-symmetric case, one of the the species occupies the central region, whereas the other species separates into two equal parts and stay predominantly out of…
The interaction between two bright solitons in a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) has been investigated aiming at finding the regimes when they form a stable bound state, known as soliton molecule. To study soliton interactions in BEC we employed a method similar to that used in experimental investigation of the interaction between solitons in optical fibers. The idea consists in creating two solitons at some spatial separation from each other at initial time $t_0$, and then measuring the distance between them at a later time $t_1 > t_0$. Depending on whether the distance between soliton…
We study the dynamics of dipolar bosons in an external harmonic trap. We monitor the time evolution of the occupation in the natural orbitals and normalized first- and second-order Glauber's correlation functions. We focus in particular on the relaxation dynamics of the Shannon entropy. Comparison with the corresponding results for contact interactions is presented. We observe significant effects coming from the presence of the non-local repulsive part of the interaction. The relaxation process is very fast for dipolar bosons with a clear signature of a truly saturated maximum entropy state. W…
The effect of dipolar orientation with respect to the soliton plane on the physics of two-dimensional bright solitons in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates is discussed. Previous studies on such a soliton involved dipoles either perpendicular or parallel to the condensate-plane. The tilting angle constitutes an additional tuning parameter, which help us to control the in-plane anisotropy of the soliton as well as provides access to previously disregarded regimes of interaction parameters for soliton stability. In addition, it can be used to drive the condensate into phonon instability without c…
