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S. Stringari

Publications and source records attributed to S. Stringari.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Tkachenko oscillations and the compressibility of a rotating Bose gas

The elastic oscillations of the vortex lattice of a cold Bose gas (Tkachenko modes) are shown to play a crucial role in the saturation of the compressibility sum rule, as a consequence of the hybridization with the longitudinal degrees of freedom. The presence of the vortex lattice is responsible for a $q^2$ behavior of the static structure factor at small wavevectors $q$, which implies the absence of long range order in 2D configurations at zero temperature. Sum rules are used to calculate the Tkachenko frequency in the presence of harmonic trapping. Results are derived in the Thomas-Fermi regime and compared with experiments as well as with previous theoretical estimates.

cond-mat.soft

Momentum distribution of a trapped Fermi gas with large scattering length

Using a scattering length parametrization of the BCS-BEC crossover as well as the local density approximation for the density profile, we calculate the momentum distribution of a harmonically trapped atomic Fermi gas at zero temperature. Various interaction regimes are considered, including the BCS phase, the unitarity limit and the molecular regime. We show that the relevant parameter which characterizes the crossover is given by the dimensionless combination $N^{1/6}a/a_{ho}$, where $N$ is the number of atoms, $a$ is the scattering length and $a_{ho}$ is the oscillator length. The width of the momentum distribution is shown to depend in a crucial way on the value and sign of this parameter. Our predictions can be relevant for experiments on ultracold atomic Fermi gases near a Feshbach resonance.

cond-mat

Dynamics of a classical gas including dissipative and mean field effects

By means of a scaling ansatz, we investigate an approximated solution of the Boltzmann-Vlasov equation for a classical gas. Within this framework, we derive the frequencies and the damping of the collective oscillations of a harmonically trapped gas and we investigate its expansion after release of the trap. The method is well suited to studying the collisional effects taking place in the system and in particular to discussing the crossover between the hydrodynamic and the collisionless regimes. An explicit link between the relaxation times relevant for the damping of the collective oscillations and for the expansion is established.

cond-mat

Kelvin Modes of a fast rotating Bose-Einstein Condensate

Using the concept of diffused vorticity and the formalism of rotational hydrodynamics we calculate the eigenmodes of a harmonically trapped Bose-Einstein condensate containing an array of quantized vortices. We predict the occurrence of a new branch of anomalous excitations, analogous to the Kelvin modes of the single vortex dynamics. Special attention is devoted to the excitation of the anomalous scissors mode.

cond-mat.stat-mech

Violation of self-similarity in the expansion of a 1D Bose gas

The expansion of a 1D Bose gas is investigated employing the Lieb-Liniger equation of state within the local density approximation. We show that during the expansion the density profile of the gas does not follow a self-similar solution, as one would expect from a simple scaling Ansatz. We carry out a variational calculation, which recovers the numerical results for the expansion, the equilibrium properties of the density profile, and the frequency of the lowest compressional mode. The variational approach allows for the analysis of the expansion in all interaction regimes between the mean field and the Tonks-Girardeau limits, and in particular shows the range of parameters for which the expansion violates self-similarity.

cond-mat

Expansion of an interacting Fermi gas

We study the expansion of a dilute ultracold sample of fermions initially trapped in a anisotropic harmonic trap. The expansion of the cloud provides valuable information about the state of the system and the role of interactions. In particular the time evolution of the deformation of the expanding cloud behaves quite differently depending on whether the system is in the normal or in the superfluid phase. For the superfluid phase, we predict an inversion of the deformation of the sample, similarly to what happens with Bose-Einstein condensates. Viceversa, in the normal phase, the inversion of the aspect ratio is never achieved, if the mean field interaction is attractive and collisions are negligible.

cond-mat.soft

Dynamic structure factor of a Bose Einstein condensate in a 1D optical lattice

We study the effect of a one dimensional periodic potential on the dynamic structure factor of an interacting Bose Einstein condensate at zero temperature. We show that, due to phononic correlations, the excitation strength towards the first band develops a typical oscillating behaviour as a function of the momentum transfer, and vanishes at even multiples of the Bragg momentum. The effects of interactions on the static structure factor are found to be significantly amplified by the presence of the optical potential. Our predictions can be tested in stimulated photon scattering experiments.

cond-mat.soft

Macroscopic dynamics of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate in the presence of 1D and 2D optical lattices

The hydrodynamic equations of superfluids for a weakly interacting Bose gas are generalized to include the effects of periodic optical potentials produced by stationary laser beams. The new equations are characterized by a renormalized interaction coupling constant and by an effective mass accounting for the inertia of the system along the laser direction. For large laser intensities the effective mass is directly related to the tunneling rate between two consecutive wells. The predictions for the frequencies of the collective modes of a condensate confined by a magnetic harmonic trap are discussed for both 1D and 2D optical lattices and compared with recent experimental data.

cond-mat

Expansion of a coherent array of Bose-Einstein condensates

We investigate the properties of a coherent array containing about 200 Bose-Einstein condensates produced in a far detuned 1D optical lattice. The density profile of the gas, imaged after releasing the trap, provides information about the coherence of the ground-state wavefunction. The measured atomic distribution is characterized by interference peaks. The time evolution of the peaks, their relative population as well as the radial size of the expanding cloud are in good agreement with the predictions of theory. The 2D nature of the trapped condensates and the conditions required to observe the effects of coherence are also discussed.

cond-mat.soft

Helium nanodroplets and trapped Bose-Einstein condensates as prototypes of finite quantum fluids

Helium nanodroplets and trapped Bose-Einstein condensates in dilute atomic gases offer complementary views of fundamental aspects of quantum many-body systems. We discuss analogies and differences, stressing their common theoretical background and peculiar features. We briefly review some relevant concepts, such as the meaning of superfluidity in finite systems, the behavior of elementary excitations and collective modes, as well as rotational properties and quantized vorticity.

cond-mat

Vortex nucleation and quadrupole deformation of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate

Using a semi-analytic model based on the Thomas-Fermi approximation, we investigate the relevance of the quadrupole deformation of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate for the nucleation of quantized vortices. For sufficiently high angular velocities $Ω$ of the trap, the tendency of the system to exhibit spontaneous deformation is shown to lower the barrier which inhibits the nucleation of vortices at smaller $Ω$. The corresponding value of the critical angular velocity $Ω_c$ is calculated as a function of the deformation of the trap and of the chemical potential. The theoretical predictions for $Ω_c$ refer to the case of a sudden switch-on of the deformed rotating trap and they are compared with recent experimental data.

cond-mat

Consequence of superfluidity on the expansion of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate

We study the time evolution of a rotating condensate, that expands after being suddenly released from the confining trap, by solving the hydrodynamic equations of irrotational superfluids. For slow initial rotation speeds, $Ω_{0}$, we find that the condensate's angular velocity increases rapidly to a maximum value and this is accompanied by a minimum in the deformation of the condensate in the rotating plane. During the expansion the sample makes a global rotation of approximately $π/2$, where the exact value depends on $Ω_{0}$. This minimum deformation can serve as an easily detectable signature of superfluidity in a Bose--Einstein condensate.

cond-mat.soft

Thermal vs quantum decoherence in double well trapped Bose-Einstein condensates

The quantum and thermal fluctuations of the phase are investigated in a cold Bose gas confined by a double well trap. The coherence of the system is discussed in terms of the visibility of interference fringes in both momentum and coordinate space. The visibility is calculated at zero as well as at finite temperature. The thermal fluctuations are shown to affect significantly the transition from the coherent to the incoherent regime even at very low temperatures. The coherence of an array of multiple condensates is also discussed.

cond-mat

Momentum transferred to a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate by stimulated light scattering

The response of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensed gas to a density perturbation generated by a two-photon Bragg pulse is investigated by solving the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We calculate the total momentum imparted to the condensate as a function of both the time duration of the pulse and the frequency difference of the two laser beams. The role of the dynamic response function in characterizing the time evolution of the system is pointed out, with special emphasis to the phonon regime. Numerical simulations are compared with the predictions of local density approximation. The relevance of our results for the interpretation of current experiments is also discussed.

cond-mat

Collective Excitations of a "Gravitationally" Self-Bound Bose Gas

We investigate the collective excitations of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in the self-binding regime produced by electromagnetically induced ``gravity'' (1/r attraction). Analytical expressions for the frequencies of the monopole and quadrupole modes are obtained at zero temperature, using the sum-rule approach, and compared with the exact results available in the Thomas-Fermi limit. The low-energy dynamics of such condensates is shown to be dominated by the effective ``plasma'' frequency. An analog of the Jeans gravitational instability is analyzed.

cond-mat

A superfluid gyroscope with cold atomic gases

A trapped Bose-Einstein condensed atomic gas containing a quantized vortex is predicted to exhibit precession after a sudden rotation of the confining potential. The equations describing the motion of the condensate are derived and the effects of superfluidity explicitly pointed out. The dependence of the precession frequency on the relevant parameters of the problem is discussed. The proposed gyroscope is well suited to explore rotational effects at the level of single quanta of circulation.

cond-mat

Shape deformations and angular momentum transfer in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates

Angular momentum can be transferred to a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate by distorting its shape with an external rotating field, provided the rotational frequency is larger than a critical frequency fixed by the energy and angular momentum of the excited states of the system. By using the Gross-Pitaevskii equation and sum rules, we explore the dependence of such a critical frequency on the multipolarity of the excitations and the asymmetry of the confining potential. We also discuss its possible relevance for vortex nucleation in rotating traps.

cond-mat

Overcritical Rotation of a Trapped Bose-Einstein Condensate

The rotational motion of an interacting Bose-Einstein condensate confined by a harmonic trap is investigated by solving the hydrodynamic equations of superfluids, with the irrotationality constraint for the velocity field. We point out the occurrence of an overcritical branch where the system can rotate with angular velocity larger than the oscillator frequencies. We show that in the case of isotropic trapping the system exhibits a bifurcation from an axisymmetric to a triaxial configuration, as a consequence of the interatomic forces. The dynamical stability of the rotational motion with respect to the dipole and quadrupole oscillations is explicitly discussed.

cond-mat