Onset time for energy oscillations in a two-dimensional trapped Bose gas excited by a red laser potential

Abstract

We explore the energy dynamics of a two dimensional (2D) harmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate inside a box potential, excited by a moving red-detuned laser potential (RDLP). For an RDLP velocity $v$ less than a critical value $v_c$, energy oscillations are observed to begin simultaneously with the motion of the RDLP. For $v > v_c$, these oscillations are delayed through a transient in the energy. At the end of the delay time $t_{ons}$, the energy oscillations are regenerated again, and $t_{ons}$ is found to depend on $v$ through universal relations for two cases: one for an RDLP depth sufficient to break off a BEC fragment, another for a depth insufficient to split the BEC. In the case of splitting, $t_{ons}$ exactly equals the time it takes the BEC fragment (dragged by the RDLP trough) to reach the hard wall of the box potential.