Mean-field dynamics of the superfluid-insulator phase transition in a gas of ultracold atoms

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 2005 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.71.043601· OSTI ID:20653325

Zakrzewski, Jakub ^[1]

---

1. Instytut Fizyki imienia Mariana Smoluchowskiego and Mark Kac Complex Systems Research Center, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, ulica Reymonta 4, PL-30-059 Cracow (Poland)

A large-scale dynamical simulation of the superfluid-Mott-insulator transition in a gas of ultracold atoms placed in an optical lattice is performed using the time-dependent Gutzwiller mean-field approach. This approximate treatment allows us to take into account most of the details of the recent experiment [Greiner et al., Nature (London) 415, 39 (2002)] where by changing the depth of the lattice potential an adiabatic transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator state has been reported. Our simulations reveal a significant excitation of the system with a transition to insulator in restricted regions of the trap only.

• OSTI ID: 20653325
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 71, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.71.043601; (c) 2005 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
ATOMS
DEPTH
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITATION
MEAN-FIELD THEORY
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POTENTIALS
SIMULATION
SUPERFLUIDITY
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRAPS