Interacting trapped bosons yield fragmented condensate states in low dimensions

Abstract

We investigate the level population statistics and degree of coherence encoded in the single-particle density matrix of harmonically trapped low-dimensional [quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) or quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D)] Bose gases with repulsive contact interactions. Using a variational analysis, we derive fragmentation of the condensate in the weakly confining directions into two (quasi-1D) and three (quasi-2D) mutually incoherent macroscopic pieces, upon increasing a dimensionless interaction measure beyond a critical value. Fragmented condensate many-body states in low-dimensional systems therefore occur well before the thermodynamic limit of infinite extension is reached, in which phase fluctuations of the matter wave field create an infinite number of nonmacroscopic fragments.

Locations

• Physical Review A - View
• arXiv (Cornell University) - View - PDF
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