arXiv subjects

Axel Pelster

Publications and source records attributed to Axel Pelster.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Statics and dynamics of quasi one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate in harmonic and dimple trap

We investigate a quasi one-dimensional $^{87}\text{Rb}$ Bose-Einstein condensate in a harmonic trap with an additional dimple trap (dT) in the center. Within a zero-temperature Gross-Pitaevskii mean-field description we provide a one-dimensional physical intuitive model, which we solve by both a time-independent variational approach and numerical calculations. With this we obtain at first equilibrium results for the emerging condensate wave function which reveal that a dimple trap potential induces a bump or a dip in case of a red- or a blue-detuned Gaussian laser beam, respectively. Afterwards, we investigate how this dT induced bump/dip-imprint upon the condensate wave function evolves for two quench scenarios. At first we consider the generic case that the harmonic confinement is released. During the resulting time-of-flight expansion it turns out that the dT induced bump in the condensate wave function remains present, whereas the dip starts decaying after a characteristic time scale which decreases with increasing blue-detuned dT depth. Secondly, once the red- or blue-detuned dT is switched off, we find that bright shock-waves or gray/dark bi-soliton trains emerge which oscillate within the harmonic confinement with a characteristic frequency.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Tunable anisotropic superfluidity in an optical kagome superlattice

We study the phase diagram of the Bose-Hubbard model on the kagome lattice with a broken sublattice symmetry. Such a superlattice structure can naturally be created and tuned by changing the potential offset of one sublattice in the optical generation of the frustrated lattice. The superstructure gives rise to a rich quantum phase diagram, which is analyzed by combining Quantum Monte Carlo simulations with the Generalized Effective Potential Landau Theory. Mott phases with non-integer filling and a characteristic order along stripes are found, which show a transition to a superfluid phase with an anisotropic superfluid density. Surprisingly, the direction of the superfluid anisotropy is changing between different symmetry directions as a function of the particle number or the hopping strength. Finally, we discuss characteristic signatures of anisotropic phases in time-of-flight absorption measurements.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Bogoliubov Theory of Dipolar Bose Gas in Weak Random Potential

We consider a dilute homogeneous Bose gas with both an isotropic short-range contact interaction and an anisotropic long-range dipole-dipole interaction in a weak random potential at low temperature in three dimensions. Within the realm of Bogoliubov theory we analyze how both condensate and superfluid depletion are depleted due to quantum and thermal fluctuations as well as disorder fluctuations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

A theory of finite-temperature Bose-Einstein condensates in neutron stars

We investigate the possible occurrence of a Bose-Einstein condensed phase of matter within neutron stars due to the formation of Cooper pairs among the superfluid neutrons. To this end we study the condensation of bosonic particles under the influence of both a short-range contact and a long-range gravitational interaction in the framework of a Hartree-Fock theory. We consider a finite-temperature scenario, generalizing existing approaches, and derive macroscopic and astrophysically relevant quantities like a mass limit for neutron stars.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Parametric Resonance in Bose-Einstein Condensates

We demonstrate parametric resonance in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) with attractive two-body interaction in a harmonic trap under parametric excitation by periodic modulation of the s-wave scattering length. We obtain nonlinear equations of motion for the widths of the condensate using a Gaussian variational ansatz for the Gross-Pitaevskii condensate wave function. We conduct both linear and nonlinear stability analyses for the equations of motion and find qualitative agreement, thus concluding that the stability of two equilibrium widths of a BEC might be inverted by parametric excitation.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Tuning the Quantum Phase Transition of Bosons in Optical Lattices via Periodic Modulation of s-Wave Scattering Length

We consider interacting bosons in a 2D square and a 3D cubic optical lattice with a periodic modulation of the s-wave scattering length. At first we map the underlying periodically driven Bose-Hubbard model for large enough driving frequencies approximately to an effective time-independent Hamiltonian with a conditional hopping. Combining different analytical approaches with quantum Monte Carlo simulations then reveals that the superfluid-Mott insulator quantum phase transition still exists despite the periodic driving and that the location of the quantum phase boundary turns out to depend quite sensitively on the driving amplitude. A more detailed quantitative analysis shows even that the effect of driving can be described within the usual Bose-Hubbard model provided that the hopping is rescaled appropriately with the driving amplitude. This finding indicates that the Bose-Hubbard model with a periodically driven s-wave scattering length and the usual Bose-Hubbard model belong to the same universality class from the point of view of critical phenomena.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Perturbative calculation of critical exponents for the Bose-Hubbard model

We develop a strategy for calculating critical exponents for the Mott insulator-to-superfluid transition shown by the Bose-Hubbard model. Our approach is based on the field-theoretic concept of the effective potential, which provides a natural extension of the Landau theory of phase transitions to quantum critical phenomena. The coefficients of the Landau expansion of that effective potential are obtained by high-order perturbation theory. We counteract the divergency of the weak-coupling perturbation series by including the seldom considered Landau coefficient $a_6$ into our analysis. Our preliminary results indicate that the critical exponents for both the condensate density and the superfluid density, as derived from the two-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model, deviate by less than $1\%$ from the best known estimates computed so far for the three-dimensional $XY$ universality class.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Superfluid phases of spin-1 bosons in cubic optical lattice

We analyze theoretically the emergence of different superfluid phases of spin-1 bosons in a three-dimensional cubic optical lattice by generalizing the recently developed Ginzburg-Landau theory for the Bose-Hubbard model to a spinor Bose gas. In particular at zero temperature, our theory distinguishes within its validity range between various superfluid phases for an anti-ferromagnetic interaction with an external magnetic field. In addition, we determine that the superfluid-Mott insulator phase transition is of second order and that the transitions between the respective superfluid phases with anti-ferromagnetic interaction can be both of first and second order.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Tuning superfluid phases of spin-1 bosons in cubic optical lattice with linear Zeeman effect

We analyze theoretically a spinor Bose gas loaded into a three-dimensional cubic optical lattice. In order to account for different superfluid phases of spin-1 bosons in the presence of an external magnetic field, we work out a Ginzburg-Landau theory for the underlying spin-1 Bose-Hubbard model. In particular at zero temperature, we determine both the Mott and the superfluid phases for the competition between the anti-ferromagnetic interaction and the linear Zeeman effect within the validity range of the Ginzburg-Landau theory. Moreover, we find that the phase transition between the superfluid and Mott insulator phases is of second order and that the transitions between the respective superfluid phases for anti-ferromagnetic interaction can be both of first and second order.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensates in Weak Anisotropic Disorder

Here we study properties of a homogeneous dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in a weak anisotropic random potential with Lorentzian correlation at zero temperature. To this end we solve perturbatively the Gross-Pitaevskii equation to second order in the random potential strength and obtain analytic results for the disorder ensemble averages of both the condensate and the superfluid depletion, the equation of state, and the sound velocity. For a pure contact interaction and a vanishing correlation length, we reproduce the seminal results of Huang and Meng, which were originally derived within a Bogoliubov theory around a disorder-averaged background field. For dipolar interaction and isotropic Lorentzian-correlated disorder, we obtain results which are qualitatively similar to the case of an isotropic Gaussian-correlated disorder. In the case of an anisotropic disorder, the physical observables show characteristic anisotropies which arise from the formation of fragmented dipolar condensates in the local minima of the disorder potential.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Generalized Effective Potential Landau Theory for Bosonic Quadratic Superlattices

We study the properties of the Bose-Hubbard model for a quadratic optical superlattice. To this end we generalize a recently established effective potential Landau theory for a single component to the case of multi components and find not only the characteristic incompressible solid phases with fractional filling, but also obtain the underlying quantum phase diagram in the whole parameter region at zero temperature. Comparing our analytic results with corresponding ones from quantum Monte Carlo simulations demonstrates the high accuracy of the generalized effective potential Landau theory (GEPLT). Finally, we comment on the advantages and disadvantages of the GEPLT in view of a direct comparison with a corresponding decoupled mean-field theory.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Breakdown of Kohn Theorem Near Feshbach Resonance

We study the collective excitation frequencies of a harmonically trapped 85Rb Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in the vicinity of a Feshbach resonance. To this end, we solve the underlying Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation by using a Gaussian variational approach and obtain the coupled set of ordinary differential equations for the widths and the center of mass of the condensate. A linearization shows that the dipole mode frequency decreases when the bias magnetic field approaches the Feshbach resonance, so the Kohn theorem is violated.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Green's Function Approach to the Bose-Hubbard Model

We use a diagrammatic hopping expansion to calculate finite-temperature Green functions of the Bose-Hubbard model which describes bosons in an optical lattice. This technique allows for a summation of subsets of diagrams, so the divergence of the Green function leads to non-perturbative results for the boundary between the superfluid and the Mott phase for finite temperatures. Whereas the first-order calculation reproduces the seminal mean-field result, the second order goes beyond and shifts the phase boundary in the immediate vicinity of the critical parameters determined by the latest high-precision Monte-Carlo simulations of the Bose-Hubbard model. In addition, our Green's function approach allows for calculating the excitation spectrum at finite temperature and for determining the effective masses of particles and holes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2013

Geometric Resonances in Bose-Einstein Condensates with Two- and Three-Body Interactions

We investigate geometric resonances in Bose-Einstein condensates by solving the underlying time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation for systems with two- and three-body interactions in an axially-symmetric harmonic trap. To this end, we use a recently developed analytical method [Phys. Rev. A 84, 013618 (2011)], based on both a perturbative expansion and a Poincaré-Lindstedt analysis of a Gaussian variational approach, as well as a detailed numerical study of a set of ordinary differential equations for variational parameters. By changing the anisotropy of the confining potential, we numerically observe and analytically describe strong nonlinear effects: shifts in the frequencies and mode coupling of collective modes, as well as resonances. Furthermore, we discuss in detail the stability of a Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of an attractive two-body interaction and a repulsive three-body interaction. In particular, we show that a small repulsive three-body interaction is able to significantly extend the stability region of the condensate.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Bose-Einstein Condensate in Weak 3d Isotropic Speckle Disorder

The effect of a weak three-dimensional (3d) isotropic laser speckle disorder on various thermodynamic properties of a dilute Bose gas is considered at zero temperature. First, we summarize the derivation of the autocorrelation function of laser speckles in 1d and 2d following the seminal work of Goodman. The goal of this discussion is to show that a Gaussian approximation of this function, proposed in some recent papers, is inconsistent with the general background of laser speckle theory. Then we propose a possible experimental realization for an isotropic 3d laser speckle potential and derive its corresponding autocorrelation function. Using a Fourier transform of that function, we calculate both condensate depletion and sound velocity of a Bose-Einstein condensate as disorder ensemble averages of such a weak laser speckle potential within a perturbative solution of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. By doing so, we reproduce the expression of the normalfluid density obtained earlier within the treatment of Landau. This physically transparent derivation shows that condensate particles, which are scattered by disorder, form a gas of quasiparticles which is responsible for the normalfluid component.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Beyond Mean-Field Low-Lying Excitations of Dipolar Bose Gases

We theoretically investigate various beyond mean-field effects on Bose gases at zero temperature featuring the anisotropic and long-range dipole-dipole interaction in addition to the isotropic and short-range contact interaction. Within the realm of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory, we consider static properties and low-lying excitations of both homogeneous and harmonically trapped dipolar bosonic gases. For the homogeneous system, the condensate depletion, the ground-state energy, the equation of state, and the speed of sound are discussed in detail. Making use of the local density approximation, we extend these results in order to study the properties of a dipolar Bose gas in a harmonic trap and in the regime of large particle numbers. After deriving the equations of motion for the general case of a triaxial trap, we analyze the influence of quantum fluctuations on important properties of the gas, such as the equilibrium configuration and the low-lying excitations in the case of a cylinder-symmetric trap. In addition to the monopole and quadrupole oscillation modes, we also discuss the radial quadrupole mode. We find that the latter acquires a quantum correction exclusively due to the dipole-dipole interaction. As a result, we identify the radial quadrupole as a reasonably accessible source for the signature of dipolar many-body effects and stress the enhancing character that dipolar interactions have for quantum fluctuations in the other oscillation modes.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Ginzburg-Landau Theory for the Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard Model

We develop a Ginzburg-Landau theory for the Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard model which effectively describes both static and dynamic properties of photons evolving in a cubic lattice of cavities, each filled with a two-level atom. To this end we calculate the effective action to first-order in the hopping parameter. Within a Landau description of a spatially and temporally constant order parameter we calculate the finite-temperature mean-field quantum phase boundary between a Mott insulating and a superfluid phase of polaritons. Furthermore, within the Ginzburg-Landau description of a spatio-temporal varying order parameter we determine the excitation spectra in both phases and, in particular, the sound velocity of light in the superfluid phase.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Quantum Fluctuations in Dipolar Bose Gases

We investigate the influence of quantum fluctuations upon dipolar Bose gases by means of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. Thereby, we make use of the local density approximation to evaluate the dipolar exchange interaction between the condensate and the excited particles. This allows to obtain the Bogoliubov spectrum analytically in the limit of large particle numbers. After discussing the condensate depletion and the ground-state energy correction, we derive quantum corrected equations of motion for harmonically trapped dipolar Bose gases by using superfluid hydrodynamics. These equations are subsequently applied to analyze the equilibrium configuration, the low-lying oscillation frequencies, and the time-of-flight dynamics. We find that both atomic magnetic and molecular electric dipolar systems offer promising scenarios for detecting beyond mean-field effects.

physics.atom-ph↗