Complex-scaling approach to the decay of Bose-Einstein condensates
Abstract
The mean-field dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate is studied in the presence of a microscopic trapping potential from which the condensate can escape via tunneling through finite barriers. We show that the method of complex scaling can be used to obtain a quantitative description of this decay process. A real-time propagation approach that is applied to the complex-scaled Gross-Pitaevskii equation allows us to calculate the chemical potentials and lifetimes of the metastably trapped Bose-Einstein condensate. The method is applied to a one-dimensional harmonic confinement potential combined with a Gaussian envelope, for which we compute the lowest symmetric and antisymmetric quasibound states of the condensate. A comparison with alternative approaches using absorbing boundary conditions as well as complex absorbing potentials shows good agreement.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review A
- Pub Date:
- February 2006
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.73.023619
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0402089
- Bibcode:
- 2006PhRvA..73b3619S
- Keywords:
-
- 03.75.Lm;
- 03.75.Hh;
- 32.80.Dz;
- Tunneling Josephson effect Bose-Einstein condensates in periodic potentials solitons vortices and topological excitations;
- Static properties of condensates;
- thermodynamical statistical and structural properties;
- Autoionization;
- Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter
- E-Print:
- 10 pages, 6 figures