Matter-wave vortices and solitons in anisotropic optical lattices

Using numerical methods, we construct families of vortical, quadrupole, and fundamental solitons in a two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear-Schrödinger/Gross-Pitaevskii equation which models Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) or photonic crystals. The equation includes the attractive or repulsive cubic nonlinearity and an anisotropic periodic potential. Two types of anisotropy are considered, accounted for by the difference in the strengths of the 1D sublattices, or by a difference in their periods. The limit case of the quasi-1D optical lattice (OL), when one sublattice is missing, is included too. By means of systematic simulations, we identify stability limits for two species of vortex solitons and quadrupoles, of the rhombus and square types. In the attraction model, rhombic vortices and quadrupoles remain stable up to the limit case of the quasi-1D lattice. In the same model, finite stability limits are found for vortices and quadrupoles of the square type, in terms of the anisotropy parameter. In the repulsion model, rhombic vortices and quadrupoles are stable in large parts of the first finite bandgap (FBG). Another species of partly stable anisotropic states is found in the second FBG, subfundamental dipoles, each squeezed into a single cell of the OL. Square-shaped quadrupoles are completely unstable in the repulsion model, while vortices of the same type are stable only in weakly anisotropic OL potentials.     

One-dimensional delocalizing transitions of matter waves in optical lattices

We investigate, both analytically and numerically, the conditions for the occurrence of the delocalizing transition phenomenon of one-dimensional localized modes of several nonlinear continuous periodic and discrete systems of the nonlinear Schrödinger type. We show that either non-existence of solitons in the small amplitude limit or the loss of stability along existence branches can lead to delocalizing transitions, which occur following different scenarios. Examples of delocalizing transitions of both types are provided for a class of equations which describe single component and binary mixtures of Bose-Einstein condensates trapped in linear and nonlinear optical lattices.     

光晶格中超流费米气体的能隙孤子

研究了一维光晶格中超流费米气体的能隙孤子. 应用平均场理论和超流费米气体的流体动力学模型, 利用变分法得到了在整个跨越区超流费米气体在光晶格中存在带隙孤子的条件, 即原子间的非线性相互作用项与系统化学势以及晶格深度的相互关系. 通过对超流费米气体的基态能隙孤子空间分布的分析与对比, 揭示了在一维情况下超流费米气体能隙孤子的存在并发现超流费米气体能隙孤子在整个跨越区当系统从Bose-Einstein凝聚端跨越到BCS端时孤子存在的条件与孤子空间分布存在明显的差别.     

Bright solitons and soliton trains in a fermion-fermion mixture

We use a time-dependent dynamical mean-field-hydrodynamic model to predict and study bright solitons in a degenerate fermion-fermion mixture in a quasi-one-dimensional cigar-shaped geometry using variational and numerical methods. Due to a strong Pauli-blocking repulsion among identical spin-polarized fermions at short distances there cannot be bright solitons for repulsive interspecies fermion-fermion interactions. However, stable bright solitons can be formed for a sufficiently attractive interspecies interaction. We perform a numerical stability analysis of these solitons and also demonstrate the formation of soliton trains. These fermionic solitons can be formed and studied in laboratory with present technology.     

Switching and Self-trapping Dynamics of Dark Solitons in a Two-Component Bose-Einstein Condensate

Two coupled dark solitons are considered in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate, and their dynamics are investigated by the variational approach based the renormalized integrals of motion. The stationary states as physical solutions to the describing equations are obtained, and the dynamic mechanism is demonstrated by performing a coordinate of a classical particle moving in an effective potential field. The switching and selftrapping dynamics of the coupled dark vector solitons are discussed by the evolution of the atom population transferring ratio.     

Matter-wave solitons in the presence of collisional inhomogeneities: Perturbation theory and the impact of derivative terms

We study the dynamics of bright and dark matter-wave solitons in the presence of a spatially varying nonlinearity. When the spatial variation does not involve zero crossings, a transformation is used to bring the problem to a standard nonlinear Schrödinger form, but with two additional terms: an effective potential one and a non-potential term. We illustrate how to apply perturbation theory of dark and bright solitons to the transformed equations. We develop the general case, but primarily focus on the non-standard special case whereby the potential term vanishes, for an inverse square spatial dependence of the nonlinearity. In both cases of repulsive and attractive interactions, appropriate versions of the soliton perturbation theory are shown to accurately describe the soliton dynamics.     

Nonlinear phenomena in degenerate quantum gases

In this introductory survey, we give an overview of the main physical problems and corresponding themes of research addressed in this Special Issue. We also briefly discuss some avenues of potential interest for future research in degenerate quantum gases.     

Controlling Chaos Probability of a Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Weak Optical Superlattice

The spatial chaos probability of a Bose-Einstein condensate perturbed by a weak optical superlattice is studied. It is demonstrated that the spatial. chaotic solution appears with a certain probability in a given parameter region under a random boundary condition. The effects of the lattice depths and wave vectors on the chaos probability are illustrated, and different regions associated with different chaos probabilities are found. This suggests a feasible scheme for suppressing and strengthening chaos by adjusting the optical superlattice experimentaJly.     

Suppression of Chaos in a Bose-Einstein Condensate Loaded into a Moving Optical Superlattice Potential

We have shown that the application of modulating the secondary lattice is an efficient route to suppressing the generation of chaotic traveling waves of a Bose-Einstein Condensate with attractive interatomic interaction loaded into a moving optical superlattiee consisting of two lattices. With the Melnikov method, we obtain the optimal value of the relative phase between the two lattice harmonics for the control of chaos. We also find that the regularization route as the potential depth of the secondary lattice is varied and fairly rich, including the period-doubling bifurcations.     

Controlled Manipulation with a Bose--Einstein Condensates N-Soliton Train under the Influence of Harmonic and Tilted Periodic Potentials

A model of the perturbed complex Toda chain （PCTC） to describe the dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate （BEC） N-soliton train trapped in an applied combined external potential consisting of both a weak harmonic and tilted periodic component is first developed. Using the developed theory, the BEC N-soliton train dynamics is shown to be well approximated by 4N coupled nonlinear differential equations, which describe the fundamental interactions in the system arising from the interplay of amplitude, velocity, centre-of-mass position, and phase. The simplified analytic theory allows for an efficient and convenient method for characterizing the BEC N-soliton train behaviour. It further gives the critical values of the strength of the potential for which one or more localized states can be extracted from a soliton train and demonstrates that the BEC N-soliton train can move selectively from one lattice site to another by simply manipulating the strength of the potential.     

Integrability of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation with Feshbach resonance management

In this Letter we study the integrability of a class of Gross-Pitaevskii equations managed by Feshbach resonance in an expulsive parabolic external potential. By using WTC test, we find a condition under which the Gross-Pitaevskii equation is completely integrable. Under the present model, this integrability condition is completely consistent with that proposed by Serkin, Hasegawa, and Belyaeva [V.N. Serkin, A. Hasegawa, T.L. Belyaeva, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 (2007) 074102]. Furthermore, this integrability can also be explicitly shown by a transformation, which can convert the Gross-Pitaevskii equation into the well-known standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation. By this transformation, each exact solution of the standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation can be converted into that of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which builds a systematical connection between the canonical solitons and the so-called nonautonomous ones. The finding of this transformation has a significant contribution to understanding the essential properties of the nonautonomous solitons and the dynamics of the Bose-Einstein condensates by using the Feshbach resonance technique.     

Fission and Fusion of Two Bright Solitons in a Growing Bose--Einstein Condensate

We analytically study the interaction characteristics of two bright solitons in a one-dimensional growing Bose- Einstein condensate with time-dependent periodic atomic scattering length. It is shown that the interaction between two bright solitons can generate fission and fusion in the presence of both time-dependent periodic atomic scattering length and the growing case. Furthermore, we propose experimental protocols to realize these interaction phenomena by varying the scattering length via the Feshbach resonance in the future experiment.     

Complete and orthonormal eigenfunctions of excitations to a one-dimensional dark soliton

We study linear excitations to a one-dimensional dark soliton described by a defocusing nonlinear Schödinger equation. By solving an eigenvalue problem for the excitations we obtain all eigenvalues and eigenfunctions and prove rigorously that these eigenfunctions are orthonormal and form a complete set. We then use the eigenfunctions to obtain the exact form of linear excitations for any given initial condition and to investigate the transverse stability of the dark soliton. The rigorous results reported in the present work can be applied to study the dynamics of dark solitons in various nonlinear optical media and Bose-Einstein condensates.     

Dynamics of kicked matter-wave solitons in an optical lattice

We investigate effects of the application of a kick to one-dimensional matter-wave solitons in a self-attractive Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in an optical lattice. The resulting soliton’s dynamics is studied within the framework of the time-dependent nonpolynomial Schrödinger equation. The crossover from the pinning to quasi-free motion crucially depends on the size of the kick, strength of the self-attraction, and parameters of the optical lattice.     

Formal analytical solutions for the Gross-Pitaevskii equation

Considering the Gross-Pitaevskii integral equation we are able to formally obtain an analytical solution for the order parameter Φ(x) and for the chemical potential μ as a function of a unique dimensionless non-linear parameter Λ. We report solutions for different ranges of values for the repulsive and the attractive non-linear interactions in the condensate. Also, we study a bright soliton-like variational solution for the order parameter for positive and negative values of Λ. Introducing an accumulated error function we have performed a quantitative analysis with respect to other well-established methods as: the perturbation theory, the Thomas-Fermi approximation, and the numerical solution. This study gives a very useful result establishing the universal range of the Λ-values where each solution can be easily implemented. In particular, we showed that for Λ<−9, the bright soliton function reproduces the exact solution of GPE wave function.     

Motion of a Bose-Einstein Condensate Bright Soliton Incident on a Step-Like Potential

The motion characteristics of a Bose-Einstein condensate bright soliton incident on a local step-like potential barrier are investigated analytically by means of the variational approach. The dynamics of the soliton-potential interaction is studied as well. Then the results are verified by direct numerical simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. It is found that a moving bright soliton can be reflected from or pass over a step-like potentiaI in a controllable fashion, the critical velocity depends on the width of the soliton and the parameters of the step, and the motion trajectory of the soliton does not depend on its phase. The atom density envelope of the soliton is changed as the result of the interaction between the soliton and the step-like potential.     

Gap polariton solitons

We report the existence, and study mobility and interactions of gap polariton solitons in a microcavity with a periodic potential, where the light field is strongly coupled to excitons. Gap solitons are formed due to the interplay between the repulsive exciton-exciton interaction and cavity dispersion. The analysis is carried out in an analytical form, using the coupled-mode (CM) approximation, and also by means of numerical methods.     

Matter wave soliton collisions in the quasi one-dimensional potential

We consider soliton solutions of a two-dimensional nonlinear system with the self-focusing nonlinearity and a quasi 1D confining potential, taking harmonic potential as an example. We investigate a single soliton in detail and find criterion for possible collapse. This information is then used to investigate the dynamics of the two soliton collision. In this dynamics we identify three regimes according to the relation between nonlinear interaction and the excitation energy: elastic collision, excitation and collapse regime. We show that surprisingly accurate predictions can be obtained from variational analysis.     

Bose-Einstein solitons in time-dependent linear potential

In this paper, Bose-Einstein soliton solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time-dependent linear potential are considered. Based on the F-expansion method, we present a number of Jacobian elliptic function solutions. Particular cases of these solutions, where the elliptic function modulus equals 1 and 0, are various localized solutions and trigonometric functions, respectively. Specially, for V_ext = ZF(T) = Z[mg + Hcos (ω₁T)], we discussed the Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in the coupling external field with considering the effect of gravity; for F(T) = constant, it describes the wave (Langmuir or electromagnetic) in a linearly inhomogeneous plasma with cubic nonlinearly.     

Dynamics of Bright Solitons in Bose-Einstein Condensates with Complicated Potential

We present analytical solutions of the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrodinger equations of Bose-Einstein condensates in an expulsive parabolic background with a complex potential and gravitational field, by performing the Darboux transformation from a trivial seed solution. It is shown that under a safe range of parameter, the shape of bright soliton can be controlled well by adjusting the experimental parameter of the ratio of axial oscillation to radial oscillation and feeding condensates from a thermal cloud. The gravitational field can change the contrail of the bright soliton trains without changing their peak and width.