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Position-dependent spin-orbit coupling for ultracold atoms

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Gary LiuORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

We theoretically explore atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) subject to position-dependent spin-orbit coupling (SOC). This SOC can be produced by cyclically laser coupling four internal atomic ground (or metastable) states in an environment where the detuning from resonance depends on position. The resulting spin-orbit coupled BEC phase-separates into domains, each of which contain density modulations - stripes - aligned either along the x or y direction. In each domain, the stripe orientation is determined by the sign of the local detuning. When these stripes have mismatched spatial periods along domain boundaries, non-trivial topological spin textures form at the interface, including skyrmions-like spin vortices and anti-vortices. In contrast to vortices present in conventional rotating BECs, these spin-vortices are stable topological defects that are not present in the corresponding homogenous stripe-phase spin-orbit coupled BECs.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Su SW, Gou SC, Liu IK, Spielman IB, Santos L, Acus A, Mekys A, Ruseckas J, Juzeliunas G

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: New Journal of Physics

Year: 2015

Volume: 17

Online publication date: 31/03/2015

Acceptance date: 02/03/2015

Date deposited: 18/03/2020

ISSN (electronic): 1367-2630

Publisher: IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft

URL: https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033045

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033045

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