Quantum Tricriticality and Phase Transitions in Spin-Orbit Coupled Bose-Einstein Condensates

Year: 2012

Authors: Li Y., Pitaevskii L.P., Stringari S.

Autors Affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento and INO-CNR BEC Center, I-38123 Povo, Italy; Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems, Kosygina 2, 119334 Moscow 119334, Russia

Abstract: We consider a spin-orbit coupled configuration of spin-1/2 interacting bosons with equal Rashba and Dresselhaus couplings. The phase diagram of the system at T = 0 is discussed with special emphasis on the role of the interaction treated in the mean-field approximation. For a critical value of the density and of the Raman coupling we predict the occurrence of a characteristic tricritical point separating the spin mixed, the phase separated, and the zero momentum states of the Bose gas. The corresponding quantum phases are investigated analyzing the momentum distribution, the longitudinal and transverse spin polarization, and the emergence of density fringes. The effect of harmonic trapping as well as the role of the breaking of spin symmetry in the interaction Hamiltonian are also discussed.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Volume: 108 (21)      Pages from: 225301-1  to: 225301-5

More Information: Useful discussions with I. Spielman and H. Zhai are acknowledged. This work has been supported by ERC through the QGBE grant and by the Italian MIUR through the PRIN-2009 grant.
KeyWords: Neutral Atoms
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.225301

ImpactFactor: 7.943
Citations: 348
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