Role of transverse excitations in the instability of Bose-Einstein condensates moving in optical lattices

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.70.043625· OSTI ID:20646419

Modugno, M; Tozzo, C; Dalfovo, F ^[1]; BEC-INFM Trento, I-38050 Povo ^[2]

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1. LENS-Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Firenze and INFM Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy)
2. Italy

The occurrence of energetic and dynamical instabilities in a Bose-Einstein condensate moving in a one-dimensional (1D) optical lattice is analyzed by means of the Gross-Pitaevskii theory. Results of full 3D calculations are compared with those of an effective 1D model, the nonpolynomial Schroedinger equation, pointing out the role played by transverse degrees of freedom. The instability thresholds are shown to be scarcely affected by transverse excitations, so that they can be accurately predicted by effective 1D models. Conversely, transverse excitations turn out to be important in characterizing the stability diagram and the occurrence of a complex radial dynamics above the threshold for dynamical instability. This analysis provides a realistic framework to discuss the dissipative dynamics observed in recent experiments.

• OSTI ID: 20646419
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 70, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.70.043625; (c) 2004 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION
DEGREES OF FREEDOM
EXCITATION
INSTABILITY
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
SCHROEDINGER EQUATION
STABILITY