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Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 100403 (2002) [4 pages]

Nonequilibrium Effects of Anisotropic Compression Applied to Vortex Lattices in Bose-Einstein Condensates

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P. Engels, I. Coddington, P. C. Haljan, and E. A. Cornell*
JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440

Received 16 April 2002; published 20 August 2002

We have studied the dynamics of large vortex lattices in a dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensate. While undisturbed lattices have a regular hexagonal structure, large-amplitude quadrupolar shape oscillations of the condensate are shown to induce a wealth of nonequilibrium lattice dynamics. When exciting an m=-2 mode, we observe shifting of lattice planes, changes of lattice structure, and sheetlike structures in which individual vortices appear to have merged. Excitation of an m=+2 mode dissolves the regular lattice, leading to randomly arranged but still strictly parallel vortex lines.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.100403
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.100403
PACS:
03.75.Fi, 67.40.Vs, 67.90.+z

*Quantum Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

 
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