Macroscopic Self-Trapping and Dynamical Phase Transition in Momentum Space Bose-Einstein Condensates

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Main Authors: Schimelfenig, Colby, Serrano, Federico, Halverson, Corey, Mukhopadhyay, Annesh, Guan, Qingze, Engels, Peter
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Schimelfenig, Colby
Serrano, Federico
Halverson, Corey
Mukhopadhyay, Annesh
Guan, Qingze
Engels, Peter
author_facet Schimelfenig, Colby
Serrano, Federico
Halverson, Corey
Mukhopadhyay, Annesh
Guan, Qingze
Engels, Peter
contents Self-trapping is a hallmark phenomenon of nonlinear dynamics. It has significant applications in modern physics, including band structure engineering, phase transition dynamics, quantum metrology, and more. Dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), in which self-trapping can arise from interatomic interactions, are a prime testbed for probing nonlinear dynamics. In this Letter, we report the observation of self-trapping in a spin-orbit coupled BEC subjected to a stationary optical lattice. We employ Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling, complemented by a matching optical lattice that facilitates coupling between momentum eigenstates of the spin-orbit coupled system. By ramping the Raman detuning, we probe atomic current flow between these eigenstates and identify a clear distinction between a delocalized mixed state and a self-trapped regime. Following a quench of the Raman detuning, the time-averaged atomic current exhibits non-analytic behavior across the transition between these two regimes in certain parameter ranges, signaling a dynamical phase transition in the system.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_13056
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Macroscopic Self-Trapping and Dynamical Phase Transition in Momentum Space Bose-Einstein Condensates
Schimelfenig, Colby
Serrano, Federico
Halverson, Corey
Mukhopadhyay, Annesh
Guan, Qingze
Engels, Peter
Quantum Gases
Atomic Physics
Quantum Physics
Self-trapping is a hallmark phenomenon of nonlinear dynamics. It has significant applications in modern physics, including band structure engineering, phase transition dynamics, quantum metrology, and more. Dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), in which self-trapping can arise from interatomic interactions, are a prime testbed for probing nonlinear dynamics. In this Letter, we report the observation of self-trapping in a spin-orbit coupled BEC subjected to a stationary optical lattice. We employ Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling, complemented by a matching optical lattice that facilitates coupling between momentum eigenstates of the spin-orbit coupled system. By ramping the Raman detuning, we probe atomic current flow between these eigenstates and identify a clear distinction between a delocalized mixed state and a self-trapped regime. Following a quench of the Raman detuning, the time-averaged atomic current exhibits non-analytic behavior across the transition between these two regimes in certain parameter ranges, signaling a dynamical phase transition in the system.
title Macroscopic Self-Trapping and Dynamical Phase Transition in Momentum Space Bose-Einstein Condensates
topic Quantum Gases
Atomic Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.13056