Vortex stability in interacting Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract

We study the stability of vortices in a binary system of Bose-Einstein condensates, with their wave functions modeled by a set of coupled, time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equations. Beginning with an effective two-dimensional system, we identify miscible and immiscible regimes characterized by the inter- and intra-atomic interactions and the initial configuration of the system. We then consider a binary system of Bose-Einstein condensates placed in a rotating harmonic trap and study the single vortex state in this system. We derive an approximate form for the energy of a single vortex in the binary system and the critical angular velocity for the global stability of a vortex at the center of the trap. We also compute the metastability onset angular velocity for the local stability of a vortex at the center of the trap. Numerical solutions to the Gross-Pitaevskii equations support these expressions. These rotational results inform us of a novel subphase within the miscible regime of the binary condensate system. We thus demonstrate the non-trivial aspects of vortex stability in interacting binary Bose-Einstein condensates as a result of their non-linear interactions.