Dicke-type phase transition in a spin-orbit-coupled Bose–Einstein condensate

Chris Hamner, Chunlei Qu, Yongping Zhang, JiaJia Chang, Ming Gong, Chuanwei Zhang () and Peter Engels ()
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Chris Hamner: Washington State University
Chunlei Qu: The University of Texas at Dallas
Yongping Zhang: Washington State University
JiaJia Chang: Washington State University
Ming Gong: The University of Texas at Dallas
Chuanwei Zhang: Washington State University
Peter Engels: Washington State University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Spin-orbit-coupled Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) provide a powerful tool to investigate interesting gauge field-related phenomena. Here we study the ground state properties of such a system and show that it can be mapped to the well-known Dicke model in quantum optics, which describes the interactions between an ensemble of atoms and an optical field. A central prediction of the Dicke model is a quantum phase transition between a superradiant phase and a normal phase. We detect this transition in a spin-orbit-coupled BEC by measuring various physical quantities across the phase transition. These quantities include the spin polarization, the relative occupation of the nearly degenerate single-particle states, the quantity analogous to the photon field occupation and the period of a collective oscillation (quadrupole mode). The applicability of the Dicke model to spin-orbit-coupled BECs may lead to interesting applications in quantum optics and quantum information science.

Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5023

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5023

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