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Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 110404 (2003) [4 pages]

Creation of Solitons and Vortices by Bragg Reflection of Bose-Einstein Condensates in an Optical Lattice

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R. G. Scott1, A. M. Martin1, T. M. Fromhold1, S. Bujkiewicz1,2, F. W. Sheard1, and M. Leadbeater3
1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
2Institute of Physics, Wrocław University of Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
3Department of Physics, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom

Received 19 July 2002; published 21 March 2003

We study the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates in an optical lattice and harmonic trap. The condensates are set in motion by displacing the trap and initially follow simple semiclassical paths, shaped by the lowest energy band. Above a critical displacement, the condensate undergoes Bragg reflection. For high atom densities, the first Bragg reflection generates a train of solitons and vortices, which destabilize the condensate and trigger explosive expansion. At lower densities, soliton and vortex formation requires multiple Bragg reflections, and damps the center-of-mass motion.

© 2003 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.110404
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.110404
PACS:
03.75.Kk, 05.45.Yv, 32.80.Pj, 42.50.Vk
 
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