arXiv subjects

D. A. W. Hutchinson

Publications and source records attributed to D. A. W. Hutchinson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

Optimization of energy transport in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex via site-varying pigment-protein interactions

Energy transport in photosynthetic systems can be tremendously efficient. In particular we study exciton transport in the Fenna-Mathews-Olsen (FMO) complex found in green sulphur bacteria. The exciton dynamics and energy transfer efficiency is dependent upon the interaction with the system environment. Based upon realistic, site-dependent, models of the system-bath coupling, we show that this interaction is highly optimised in the case of FMO. Furthermore we identify two transport pathways and note that one is dominated by coherent dynamics and the other by classical energy dissipation. In particular we note a strong correlation between energy transport efficiency and coherence for exciton transfer from bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) 8 to BChl 4. The existence of two clear pathways and the role played by BChl 4 also challenges assumptions around the coupling of the FMO complex to the reaction centre.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2013

A nonlocal kinetic energy functional for an inhomogeneous two-dimensional Fermi gas

The average-density approximation is used to construct a nonlocal kinetic energy functional for an inhomogeneous two-dimensional Fermi gas. This functional is then used to formulate a Thomas-Fermi von Weizsäcker-like theory for the description of the ground state properties of the system. The quality of the kinetic energy functional is tested by performing a fully self-consistent calculation for an ideal, harmonically confined, two-dimensional system. Good agreement with exact results are found, with the number and kinetic energy densities exhibiting oscillatory structure associated with the nonlocality of the energy functional. Most importantly, this functional shows a marked improvement over the two-dimensional Thomas-Fermi von Weizsäcker theory, particularly in the vicinity of the classically forbidden region.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Finite Temperature Dipolar ultra-cold Bose gas with Exchange Interactions

We develop finite temperature theory for a trapped dipolar Bose gas including thermal exchange interactions. Previous treatments neglected these, difficult to compute, terms. We present a methodology for numerically evaluating the thermal exchange contributions, making use of cylindrical symmetry. We then investigate properties of the dipolar gas, including calculating the excitation spectrum over the full range of trap anisotropy. We evaluate the contributions due to thermal exchange noting that, under some regimes, these effects can be at least as significant as the direct interaction. We therefore provide guidance as to when these cumbersome terms can be neglected and when care should be exercised regarding their omission.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2012

Simulation of magnetoresistance in disordered ultracold atomic Bose gases

Anderson localization was first investigated in the context of electrons in solids. One of the successes was in explaining the puzzle of negative magneto-resistance - as early as the 1940s it had been observed that electron diffusion rates in some materials can increase with the application of a magnetic field. Anderson localization has now been demonstrated in ultra-cold atomic gases. We present a theoretical study of the two-dimensional ultra-cold Bose gas in the presence of disorder, to which we apply a synthetic magnetic field. We demonstrate that, in the ballistic transport regime this leads to positive magneto-resistance and that, in the diffusive and strong localization regimes, can also lead to negative magneto-resistance. We propose experimental scenarios to observe these effects.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Dynamical Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Theory of Vortices in Bose-Einstein Condensates at Finite Temperature

We present a method utilizing the continuity equation for the condensate density to make predictions of the precessional frequency of single off-axis vortices and of vortex arrays in Bose-Einstein condensates at finite temperature. We also present an orthogonalized Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) formalism. We solve the continuity equation for the condensate density self-consistently with the orthogonalized HFB equations, and find stationary solutions in the frame rotating at this frequency. As an example of the utility of this formalism we obtain time-independent solutions for quasi-two-dimensional rotating systems in the co-rotating frame. We compare these results with time-dependent predictions where we simulate stirring of the condensate.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Effects of Interactions and Temperature in Disordered Ultra-Cold Bose Gases

We simulate ultra-cold interacting Bosons in quasi-one-dimensional, incommensurate optical lattices. In the tight-binding limit, these lattices have pseudo-random on-site energies and thus can potentially lead to Anderson localization. We explore the parameter regimes that lead to Anderson localization and investigate the role of repulsive interactions, harmonic confinement and finite temperature. We find that interactions can obscure the exponential localization characteristic of Anderson localization, thus impeding the direct observation of this phenomenon when interactions are present.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Precession of Vortices in Dilute Bose-Einstein Condensates at Finite Temperature

We demonstrate that the precessional frequencies of vortices in Bose Einstein condensates (BECs) are determined by a conservation law, and not by the lowest lying excitation energy mode. We determine the precessional frequency for a single off-axis vortex and vortex lattices in BECs using the continuity equation, and solve this self-consistently with the time-independent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations in the rotating frame. We find agreement with zero temperature calculations (Bogoliubov approximation), and a smooth variation in the precession frequency as the temperature is increased. Time-dependent solutions confirm the validity of these predictions.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

The dynamics of coherence between coupled and decoupled one-dimensional quasicondensates

We reproduce the sub-exponential decoherence of one-dimensional quasicondensates observed in recent experiments. Counter-intuitively, the quasicondensates may decohere even when stongly coupled, if the temperature is large enough or the peak density is low enough to allow significant density fluctuations. We also propose an experiment to investigate the growth of coherence between two initially incoherent quasicondensates. We predict that the coherence will rise on a much slower timescale, and the final coherence again depends strongly on the density fluctuations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2009

Quantifying Finite Temperature Effects in Atom Chip Interferometry of Bose-Einstein Condensates

We quantify the effect of phase fluctuations on atom chip interferometry of Bose-Einstein condensates. At very low temperatures, we observe small phase fluctuations, created by mean-field depletion, and a resonant production of vortices when the two clouds are initially in anti-phase. At higher temperatures, we show that the thermal occupation of Bogoliubov modes makes vortex production vary smoothly with the initial relative phase difference between the two atom clouds. We also propose a technique to observe vortex formation directly by creating a weak link between the two clouds. The position and direction of circulation of the vortices is subsequently revealed by kinks in the interference fringes produced when the two clouds expand into one another. This procedure may be exploited for precise force measurement or motion detection.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2008

Incoherence of Bose-Einstein condensates at supersonic speeds due to quantum noise

We calculate the effect of quantum noise in supersonic transport of Bose-Einstein condensates. When an obstacle obstructs the flow of atoms, quantum fluctuations cause atoms to be scattered incoherently into random directions. This suppresses the propagation of Cherenkov radiation, creating quantum turbulence and a crescent of incoherent atoms around the obstacle. We observe similar dynamics if the BEC is stirred by a laser beam: crescents of incoherent atoms are emitted from the laser's turning-points. Finally, we investigate supersonic flow through a disordered potential, and find that the quantum fluctuations generate an accumulation of incoherent atoms as the condensate enters the disorder.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Non-equilibrium dynamics: Studies of reflection of Bose-Einstein condensates

The study of the non-equilibrium dynamics in Bose-Einstein condensed gases has been dominated by the zero-temperature, mean field Gross-Pitaevskii formalism. Motivated by recent experiments on the reflection of condensates from silicon surfaces, we revisit the so-called {\em classical field} description of condensate dynamics, which incorporates the effects of quantum noise and can also be generalized to include thermal effects. The noise is included in a stochastic manner through the initial conditions. We show that the inclusion of such noise is important in the quantitative description of the recent reflection experiments.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2006

Density functional theory of the trapped Fermi gas in the unitary regime

We investigate a density-functional theory (DFT) approach for an unpolarized trapped dilute Fermi gas in the unitary limit . A reformulation of the recent work of T. Papenbrock [Phys. Rev. A, {\bf 72}, 041602(R) (2005)] in the language of fractional exclusion statistics allows us to obtain an estimate of the universal factor, $ξ_{3D}$, in three dimensions (3D), in addition to providing a systematic treatment of finite-$N$ corrections. We show that in 3D, finite-$N$ corrections lead to unphysical values for $ξ_{3D}$, thereby suggesting that a simple DFT applied to a small number of particles may not be suitable in 3D. We then perform an analogous calculation for the two-dimensional (2D) system in the infinite-scattering length regime, and obtain a value of $ξ_{2D}=1$. Owing to the unique properties of the Thomas-Fermi energy density-functional in 2D our result, in contrast to 3D, is {\em exact} and therefore requires no finite-$N$ corrections.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Disruption of reflecting Bose-Einstein condensates due to inter-atomic interactions and quantum noise

We perform fully three-dimensional simulations, using the truncated Wigner method, to investigate the reflection of Bose-Einstein condensates from abrupt potential barriers. We show that the inter-atomic interactions can disrupt the internal structure of a cigar-shaped cloud with a high atom density at low approach velocities, damping the center-of-mass motion and generating vortices. Furthermore, by incorporating quantum noise we show that scattering halos form at high approach velocities, causing an associated condensate depletion. We compare our results to recent experimental observations.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Phase Transitions in Ultra-Cold Two-Dimensional Bose Gases

We briefly review the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation in the two-dimensional trapped Bose gas and, in particular the relationship to the theory of the homogeneous two-dimensional gas and the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase. We obtain a phase diagram for the trapped two-dimensional gas, finding a critical temperature above which the free energy of a state with a pair of vortices of opposite circulation is lower than that for a vortex-free Bose-Einstein condensed ground state. We identify three distinct phases which are, in order of increasing temperature, a phase coherent Bose-Einstein condensate, a vortex pair plasma with fluctuating condensate phase and a thermal Bose gas. The thermal activation of vortex-antivortex pair formation is confirmed using finite-temperature classical field simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

Transition from Bose-Einstein Condensate to Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Phase

We obtain a phase diagram for a trapped two-dimensional ultra-cold Bose gas. We find a critical temperature above which the free energy of a state with a pair of vortices of opposite circulation is lower than the one for a vortex-free Bose-Einstein condensed ground state. We identify three distinct phases which are, in order of increasing temperature; a phase coherent Bose-Einstein condensate, a vortex pair plasma with a fluctuating condensate phase, and a thermal Bose gas. The existence of the vortex pair phase could be verified using current experimental setups.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2005

A Finite Temperature Treatment of Ultracold Atoms in a 1-D Optical Lattice

We consider the effects of temperature upon the superfluid phase of ultracold, weakly interacting bosons in a one dimensional optical lattice. We use a finite temperature treatment of the Bose-Hubbard model based upon the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov formalism, considering both a translationally invariant lattice and one with additional harmonic confinement. In both cases we observe an upward shift in the critical temperature for Bose condensation. For the case with additional harmonic confinement, this is in contrast with results for the uniform gas.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2005

Novel Dynamical Resonances in Finite-Temperature Bose-Einstein Condensates

We describe a variety of intriguing mode-coupling effects which can occur in a confined Bose-Einstein condensed system at finite temperature. These arise from strong interactions between a condensate fluctuation and resonances of the thermal cloud yielding strongly non-linear behaviour. We show how these processes can be affected by altering the aspect ratio of the trap, thereby changing the relevant mode-matching conditions. We illustrate how direct driving of the thermal cloud can lead to significant shifts in the excitation spectrum for a number of modes and provide further experimental scenarios in which the dramatic behaviour observed for the $m=0$ mode at JILA (Jin {\it et al.} 1997) can be repeated. Our theoretical description is based on a successful second-order finite-temperature quantum field theory which includes the full coupled dynamics of the condensate and thermal cloud and all relevant finite-size effects.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2004

Many-body T-matrix of a two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate within the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov formalism

In a two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate the reduction in dimensionality fundamentally influences collisions between the atoms. In the crossover regime from three to two dimensions several scattering parameters have been considered. However, finite temperature results are more difficult to obtain. In this work we present the many-body T-matrix at finite temperatures within a gapless Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approach and compare to zero and finite temperature results obtained using different approaches. A semi-classical renormalization method is used to remove the ultra-violet divergence of the anomalous average.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗