Collapse of spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract

A finite-size quasi two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate collapses if the attraction between atoms is sufficiently strong. Here we present a theory of collapse for condensates with the interatomic attraction and spin-orbit coupling. We consider two realizations of spin-orbit coupling: the axial Rashba coupling and balanced, effectively one-dimensional, Rashba-Dresselhaus one. In both cases spin-dependent "anomalous" velocity, proportional to the spin-orbit coupling strength, plays a crucial role. For the Rashba coupling, this velocity forms a centrifugal component in the density flux opposite to that arising due to the attraction between particles and prevents the collapse at a sufficiently strong coupling. For the balanced Rashba-Dresselhaus coupling, the spin-dependent velocity can spatially split the initial state in one dimension and form spin-projected wavepackets, reducing the total condensate density. Depending on the spin-orbit coupling strength, interatomic attraction, and the initial state, this splitting either prevents the collapse or modifies the collapse process. These results show that the collapse can be controlled by a spin-orbit coupling, thus, extending the domain of existence of condensates of attracting atoms.

8 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (11)

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Vortex solitons in two-dimensional spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensates: effects of the Rashba-Dresselhaus coupling and the Zeeman splitting
• One- and two-dimensional solitons in PT-symmetric systems emulating the spin-orbit coupling
• Quasi-one-dimensional spin-orbit- and Rabi-coupled bright dipolar Bose-Einstein-condensate solitons
• Harmonically trapped attractive and repulsive spin-orbit and Rabi coupled Bose-Einstein condensates
• Matter-waves in Bose-Einstein condensates with spin-orbit and Rabi couplings