Control of light-atom solitons and atomic transport by optical vortex beams propagating through a Bose-Einstein Condensate
arXiv:2203.11640 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.073902
Abstract
We model propagation of far-red-detuned optical vortex beams through a Bose-Einstein Condensate using nonlinear Schrödinger and Gross-Pitaevskii equations. We show the formation of coupled light/atomic solitons that rotate azimuthally before moving off tangentially, carrying angular momentum. The number, and velocity, of solitons, depends on the orbital angular momentum of the optical field. Using a Bessel-Gauss beam increases radial confinement so that solitons can rotate with fixed azimuthal velocity. Our model provides a highly controllable method of channelling a BEC and atomic transport.
5 pages, 4 figures