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Title: Spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate in a tilted optical lattice

Journal Article · · Physical Review. A
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. NORDITA, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden) and Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)
  2. Sweden

Bloch oscillations appear for a particle in a weakly tilted periodic potential. The intrinsic spin Hall effect is an outcome of a spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate that both of these phenomena can be realized simultaneously in a gas of weakly interacting ultracold atoms exposed to a tilted optical lattice and to a set of spatially dependent light fields inducing an effective spin-orbit coupling. It is found that both the spin Hall and the Bloch oscillation effects may coexist, showing, however, a strong correlation between the two. These correlations are manifested as a transverse spin current oscillating in-phase with the Bloch oscillations. On top of the oscillations originating from the periodicity of the model, a trembling motion is found which is believed to be atomic Zitterbewegung. It is argued that the damping of these Zitterbewegung oscillations may to a large extent be prevented in the present setup considering a periodic optical lattice potential.

OSTI ID:
21460003
Journal Information:
Physical Review. A, Vol. 82, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.82.043620; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1050-2947
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English