Dark soliton decay due to trap anharmonicity in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates
- Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)
A number of recent experiments with nearly pure atomic Bose-Einstein condensates have confirmed the predicted dark soliton oscillations when under harmonic trapping. However, a dark soliton propagating in an inhomogeneous condensate has also been predicted to be unstable to the emission of sound waves. Although harmonic trapping supports an equilibrium between the coexisting soliton and sound, we show that the ensuing dynamics are sensitive to trap anharmonicities. Such anharmonicities can break the soliton-sound equilibrium and lead to the net decay of the soliton on a considerably shorter time scale than other dissipation mechanisms. Thus, we propose that small realistic modifications to existing experimental setups could enable the experimental observation of this decay channel.
- OSTI ID:
- 21413303
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 81, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.033606; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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