Liquid quantum droplets of ultracold magnetic atoms. (18th October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferrier-Barbut, Igor; Schmitt, Matthias; Wenzel, Matthias; Kadau, Holger; Pfau, Tilman
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 49:Number 21(2016:Nov. 01)
• Publication Date: 2016-10-18
• Subjects: quantum liquids -- quantum gases -- quantum many-body systems; Atoms -- Periodicals; Molecules -- Periodicals; Optics -- Periodicals; Nuclear physics -- Periodicals; 539.6
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-4075/49/21/214004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-4075

Abstract

Abstract: The simultaneous presence of two competing inter-particle interactions can lead to the emergence of new phenomena in a many-body system. Among others, such effects are expected in dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates, subject to dipole–dipole interaction and short-range repulsion. Magnetic quantum gases and in particular Dysprosium gases, offering a comparable short-range contact and a long-range dipolar interaction energy, remarkably exhibit such emergent phenomena. In addition an effective cancellation of mean-field effects of the two interactions results in a pronounced importance of quantum-mechanical beyond mean-field effects. For a weakly dominant dipolar interaction the striking consequence is the existence of a new state of matter equilibrated by the balance between weak mean-field attraction and beyond mean-field repulsion. Though exemplified here in the case of dipolar Bose gases, this state of matter should appear also with other microscopic interactions types, provided a competition results in an effective cancellation of the total mean-field. The macroscopic state takes the form of so-called quantum droplets. We present the effects of a long-range dipolar interaction between these droplets.