Skyrmions in a ferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate.

Multi-component Bose-Einstein condensates provide opportunities to explore experimentally the wealth of physics associated with the spin degrees of freedom. The ground-state properties and line-like vortex excitations of these quantum systems have been studied theoretically. In principle, nontrivial spin textures consisting of point-like topological excitations, or skyrmions, could exist in a multi-component Bose-Einstein condensate, owing to the superfluid nature of the gas. Although skyrmion excitations are already known in the context of nuclear physics and the quantum-Hall effect, creating these excitations in an atomic condensate would offer an opportunity to study their physical behaviour in much greater detail, while also enabling an ab initio comparison between theory and experiment. Here we investigate theoretically the stability of skyrmions in a fictitious spin-1/2 condensate of 87Rb atoms. We find that skyrmions can exist in such a gas only as a metastable state, but with a lifetime comparable to (or even longer than) the typical lifetime of the condensate itself.     

Squeezing and entanglement in a Bose-Einstein condensate

Entanglement, a key feature of quantum mechanics, is a resource that allows the improvement of precision measurements beyond the conventional bound attainable by classical means. This results in the standard quantum limit, which is reached in today's best available sensors of various quantities such as time and position. Many of these sensors are interferometers in which the standard quantum limit can be overcome by using quantum-entangled states (in particular spin squeezed states) at the two input ports. Bose-Einstein condensates of ultracold atoms are considered good candidates to provide such states involving a large number of particles. Here we demonstrate spin squeezed states suitable for atomic interferometry by splitting a condensate into a few parts using a lattice potential. Site-resolved detection of the atoms allows the measurement of the atom number difference and relative phase, which are conjugate variables. The observed fluctuations imply entanglement between the particles, a resource that would allow a precision gain of 3.8 dB over the standard quantum limit for interferometric measurements.     

Atom-molecule coherence in a Bose-Einstein condensate

Recent advances in the precise control of ultracold atomic systems have led to the realisation of Bose Einstein condensates (BECs) and degenerate Fermi gases. An important challenge is to extend this level of control to more complicated molecular systems. One route for producing ultracold molecules is to form them from the atoms in a BEC. For example, a two-photon stimulated Raman transition in a (87)Rb BEC has been used to produce (87)Rb(2) molecules in a single rotational-vibrational state, and ultracold molecules have also been formed through photoassociation of a sodium BEC. Although the coherence properties of such systems have not hitherto been probed, the prospect of creating a superposition of atomic and molecular condensates has initiated much theoretical work. Here we make use of a time-varying magnetic field near a Feshbach resonance to produce coherent coupling between atoms and molecules in a (85)Rb BEC. A mixture of atomic and molecular states is created and probed by sudden changes in the magnetic field, which lead to oscillations in the number of atoms that remain in the condensate. The oscillation frequency, measured over a large range of magnetic fields, is in excellent agreement with the theoretical molecular binding energy, indicating that we have created a quantum superposition of atoms and diatomic molecules two chemically different species.     

Cavity QED with a Bose-Einstein condensate

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED) describes the coherent interaction between matter and an electromagnetic field confined within a resonator structure, and is providing a useful platform for developing concepts in quantum information processing. By using high-quality resonators, a strong coupling regime can be reached experimentally in which atoms coherently exchange a photon with a single light-field mode many times before dissipation sets in. This has led to fundamental studies with both microwave and optical resonators. To meet the challenges posed by quantum state engineering and quantum information processing, recent experiments have focused on laser cooling and trapping of atoms inside an optical cavity. However, the tremendous degree of control over atomic gases achieved with Bose-Einstein condensation has so far not been used for cavity QED. Here we achieve the strong coupling of a Bose-Einstein condensate to the quantized field of an ultrahigh-finesse optical cavity and present a measurement of its eigenenergy spectrum. This is a conceptually new regime of cavity QED, in which all atoms occupy a single mode of a matter-wave field and couple identically to the light field, sharing a single excitation. This opens possibilities ranging from quantum communication to a wealth of new phenomena that can be expected in the many-body physics of quantum gases with cavity-mediated interactions.     

Anderson localization of a non-interacting Bose-Einstein condensate

Anderson localization of waves in disordered media was originally predicted fifty years ago, in the context of transport of electrons in crystals. The phenomenon is much more general and has been observed in a variety of systems, including light waves. However, Anderson localization has not been observed directly for matter waves. Owing to the high degree of control over most of the system parameters (in particular the interaction strength), ultracold atoms offer opportunities for the study of disorder-induced localization. Here we use a non-interacting Bose-Einstein condensate to study Anderson localization. The experiment is performed with a one-dimensional quasi-periodic lattice-a system that features a crossover between extended and exponentially localized states, as in the case of purely random disorder in higher dimensions. Localization is clearly demonstrated through investigations of the transport properties and spatial and momentum distributions. We characterize the crossover, finding that the critical disorder strength scales with the tunnelling energy of the atoms in the lattice. This controllable system may be used to investigate the interplay of disorder and interaction (ref. 7 and references therein), and to explore exotic quantum phases.     

Non-Hermitian skin effect in a spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate

We study a Bose-Einstein condensate of ultracold atoms subject to a non-Hermitian spin-orbit coupling, where the system acquires the non-Hermitian skin effect under the interplay of spin-orbit coupling and laser-induced atom loss. The presence of the non-Hermitian skin effect is confirmed through its key signatures in terms of the spectral winding under the periodic boundary condition, the accumulation of eigen wavefunctions at boundaries under an open boundary condition, and bulk dynamics signaled by a directional flow. We show that bulk dynamics, in particular, serves as a convenient signal for experimental detection. The impact of interaction and trapping potentials is also discussed based on the non-Hermitian Gross-Pitaevskii equations. Our work demonstrates that the non-Hermitian skin effect and its rich implications in topology, dynamics, and beyond are well within the reach of current cold-atom experiments.     

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in a quenched ferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensate

A central goal in condensed matter and modern atomic physics is the exploration of quantum phases of matter--in particular, how the universal characteristics of zero-temperature quantum phase transitions differ from those established for thermal phase transitions at non-zero temperature. Compared to conventional condensed matter systems, atomic gases provide a unique opportunity to explore quantum dynamics far from equilibrium. For example, gaseous spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (whose atoms have non-zero internal angular momentum) are quantum fluids that simultaneously realize superfluidity and magnetism, both of which are associated with symmetry breaking. Here we explore spontaneous symmetry breaking in 87Rb spinor condensates, rapidly quenched across a quantum phase transition to a ferromagnetic state. We observe the formation of spin textures, ferromagnetic domains and domain walls, and demonstrate phase-sensitive in situ detection of spin vortices. The latter are topological defects resulting from the symmetry breaking, containing non-zero spin current but no net mass current.     

山西大学成功实现铷原子的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚

山西大学量子光学与光量子器件国家重点实验室张靖教授研究小组于2007年7月7日成功实现了铷原子的玻色爱因斯坦凝聚（BEC）。实验结果显示，冷原子云在温度降低到约为500nK时开始发生相变，经过进一步蒸发冷却，最终得到了约为6×10^4个原子的纯净BEC。目前该小组正将铷原子和费米原子咏同时装入磁阱中，蒸发冷却铷原子来协同冷却钾原子，最终同时实现玻色气体玻色爱因斯坦凝聚和费米气体量子简并。     

Emergence of a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate from a Fermi gas

The realization of superfluidity in a dilute gas of fermionic atoms, analogous to superconductivity in metals, represents a long-standing goal of ultracold gas research. In such a fermionic superfluid, it should be possible to adjust the interaction strength and tune the system continuously between two limits: a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-type superfluid (involving correlated atom pairs in momentum space) and a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), in which spatially local pairs of atoms are bound together. This crossover between BCS-type superfluidity and the BEC limit has long been of theoretical interest, motivated in part by the discovery of high-temperature superconductors. In atomic Fermi gas experiments superfluidity has not yet been demonstrated; however, long-lived molecules consisting of locally paired fermions have been reversibly created. Here we report the direct observation of a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate created solely by adjusting the interaction strength in an ultracold Fermi gas of atoms. This state of matter represents one extreme of the predicted BCS-BEC continuum.     

一维,二维和三维对称双色型光晶格中玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚的局域化

利用含时变分法研究了一维,二维和三维对称情形下双色型光晶格中玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚中局域化态的稳定性.首先采用高斯型试探波函数得出了三种维度下稳定性分析所需要的有效势能表达式.其次根据有效势能是否具有局域最小值来判断体系是否具有稳定状态,结果表明,双色型光晶格强度,两体,三体和高阶相互作用在稳定性中所起的作用是不同的,两体和高阶相互作用对体系的稳定性有决定性作用,而三体和晶格强度只对稳定性起调节作用,在有些情况下这种调节作用是必须的.最后给出了参数相空间中的稳定区域.     

Effective mass approach for a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical lattice

We study the stationary and propagating solutions for a Bose-Einstein condensate （BEC） in a periodic optical potential with an additional confining optical or magnetic potential. Using an effective mass approximation we express the condensate wave function in terms of slowly-varying envelopes modulating the Bloch modes of the optical lattice. In the limit of a weak nonlinearity, we derive a nonlinear Schrodinger equation for propagation of the envelope function which does not contain the rapid oscillation of the lattice. We then consider the ground state solutions in detail in the regime of weak, moderate and strong nonlinear interactions. We describe the form of solution which is appropriate in each regime, and place careful limits on the validity of each type of solution. Finally we extend the study to the propagating dynamics of a spinor atomic BEC in an optical lattice and some interesting phenomena are revealed.     

二维双色型光晶格中玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚的局域化

利用含时变分法研究了二维双色型光晶格中玻色爱因斯坦凝聚中稳定局域态的性质.根据含时变分法利用高斯型试探波函数和Euler-Lagrange方程给出了高斯型局域态的波包宽度随时间变化的二阶微分方程,确定稳定了局域态的波包宽度.利用数值计算方法直接求解了Gross-Pitaevskii方程,给出了稳定局域态的空间分布.结果表明,在原子之间存在非线性排斥和吸引作用,或者非线性相互作用为零时,在二维玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚中均可以形成稳定的局域态.     

复合势中的玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的操控

提出了一种处理在光晶格势和抛物势共同作用下的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚孤子动力学的拓展变分法．利用拓展变分方法给出了玻色．爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的解析处理,并和基于分步傅立叶变换的直接数值方法进行比较,发现这种拓展变分方法能够充分揭示上述外势场中的玻色．爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的动力学行为．同时,给出了能支持多稳定晶格囚禁玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的多晶格稳定势槽,并通过调控光晶格势实现了玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚孤子从某一稳定晶格势槽为初始位置到任意位置的操控．这为玻色一爱因斯坦凝聚的实验和应用研究提供了一定的理论依据．     

两分量Bose-Einstein凝聚态系统的混沌与分支

研究了两分量Bose-Einstein凝聚态的混沌性态；用Melnikov方法严格地证明了该系统的混沌解和各阶次调和解的存在性；并用数值计算结果验证了理论的正确性．     

Collapse and revival of the matter wave field of a Bose-Einstein condensate

A Bose-Einstein condensate represents the most 'classical' form of a matter wave, just as an optical laser emits the most classical form of an electromagnetic wave. Nevertheless, the matter wave field has a quantized structure owing to the granularity of the discrete underlying atoms. Although such a field is usually assumed to be intrinsically stable (apart from incoherent loss processes), this is no longer true when the condensate is in a coherent superposition of different atom number states. For example, in a Bose-Einstein condensate confined by a three-dimensional optical lattice, each potential well can be prepared in a coherent superposition of different atom number states, with constant relative phases between neighbouring lattice sites. It is then natural to ask how the individual matter wave fields and their relative phases evolve. Here we use such a set-up to investigate these questions experimentally, observing that the matter wave field of the Bose-Einstein condensate undergoes a periodic series of collapses and revivals; this behaviour is directly demonstrated in the dynamical evolution of the multiple matter wave interference pattern. We attribute the oscillations to the quantized structure of the matter wave field and the collisions between individual atoms.     

玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体中孤子正碰及相移的研究

采用推广的PLK(Poincare-Lighthill-Kuo)方法研究二维盘状玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体(BEC)中孤子的正碰,得到了2个描述暗孤子及其传播的KdV方程和孤子正碰引起的相移.与准一维柱状BEC中孤子正碰的相移结果进行比较发现:当波数取1时,二维平面上孤子正碰后发生的相移与一维柱线上孤子正碰后发生的相移近似相等.     

Direct observation of growth and collapse of a Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive interactions

Quantum theory predicts that Bose-Einstein condensation of a spatially homogeneous gas with attractive interactions is precluded by a conventional phase transition into either a liquid or solid. When confined to a trap, however, such a condensate can form, provided that its occupation number does not exceed a limiting value. The stability limit is determined by a balance between the self-attractive forces and a repulsion that arises from position-momentum uncertainty under conditions of spatial confinement. Near the stability limit, self-attraction can overwhelm the repulsion, causing the condensate to collapse. Growth of the condensate is therefore punctuated by intermittent collapses that are triggered by either macroscopic quantum tunnelling or thermal fluctuation. Previous observations of growth and collapse dynamics have been hampered by the stochastic nature of these mechanisms. Here we report direct observations of the growth and subsequent collapse of a 7Li condensate with attractive interactions, using phase-contrast imaging. The success of the measurement lies in our ability to reduce the stochasticity in the dynamics by controlling the initial number of condensate atoms using a two-photon transition to a diatomic molecular state.     

非对称囚禁二维玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚孤子的演化

利用变分法解G ross-P itaevsk ii方程,研究了囚禁在各向异性势阱中的二维饼状玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体(BEC)孤子的演化规律,发现通过在圆柱形对称的磁阱中的某一方向引入光格电势,不仅使BEC孤子在该方向趋向稳定,而且通过相互耦合作用也能影响其它方向从而使孤子的膨胀变慢,使BEC孤子的稳定性增加。其效果与势阱中的原子数、势阱系数和光格参数有关。     

反抛物势与双光晶格势中的三维玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子

提出了一种处理囚禁于反抛物势和双光晶格复合势中玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子动力学的能量密度泛函和直接数值仿真相结合的方法.利用静态Gross-Pitaevskii方程和柱对称玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子试探波函数,给出了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚静态涡旋孤子能量密度泛函的解析式,再运用数值模拟含时Gross-Pi-taevskii方程的方法,得到了稳定演化的涡旋孤子;并且通过调控双光晶格势,实现了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚涡旋孤子从某一晶格势槽为初始位置到任意位置的操控,为玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚的实验和应用研究提供了一定的理论依据.值得指出的是,双涡旋孤子的稳定演化与操控是最重要的发现.