Anomalous minimization for critical velocity of superflow along a step potential

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kanjo, Akihiro, Takeuchi, Hiromitsu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Kanjo, Akihiro
Takeuchi, Hiromitsu
author_facet Kanjo, Akihiro
Takeuchi, Hiromitsu
contents To reveal a microscopic mechanism for the anomalous minimization and dependence of the superfluid critical velocity on a moving obstacle potential in a atomic Bose-Einstein condensate [\href{https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.91.053615}{Phys.~Rev.~A \textbf{91}, 053615 (2015)}], we introduce a considerably simplified model of superflow along a step potential. The energy spectrum and wave functions of the lowest-energy excitations in this system are well described by the semi-classical analysis based on the Bogoliubov theory. We found that the critical velocity is minimized and becomes zero when the potential height equals the hydrostatic chemical potential, which corresponds to the critical point of the local condensation phase transition inside the step potential. In a finite-size system, the critical velocity $v_\mathrm{c}$ obeys a power-law scaling with the system size $L_x$ as $v_\mathrm{c}\propto L_x^{-0.963}$. This criticality provides an explanation of the power-law scaling of the minimum critical velocity observed in the experiment.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_04006
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Anomalous minimization for critical velocity of superflow along a step potential
Kanjo, Akihiro
Takeuchi, Hiromitsu
Quantum Gases
To reveal a microscopic mechanism for the anomalous minimization and dependence of the superfluid critical velocity on a moving obstacle potential in a atomic Bose-Einstein condensate [\href{https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.91.053615}{Phys.~Rev.~A \textbf{91}, 053615 (2015)}], we introduce a considerably simplified model of superflow along a step potential. The energy spectrum and wave functions of the lowest-energy excitations in this system are well described by the semi-classical analysis based on the Bogoliubov theory. We found that the critical velocity is minimized and becomes zero when the potential height equals the hydrostatic chemical potential, which corresponds to the critical point of the local condensation phase transition inside the step potential. In a finite-size system, the critical velocity $v_\mathrm{c}$ obeys a power-law scaling with the system size $L_x$ as $v_\mathrm{c}\propto L_x^{-0.963}$. This criticality provides an explanation of the power-law scaling of the minimum critical velocity observed in the experiment.
title Anomalous minimization for critical velocity of superflow along a step potential
topic Quantum Gases
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.04006