Three-Dimensional Roton Excitations and Supersolid Formation in Rydberg-Excited Bose-Einstein Condensates
Abstract
We study the behavior of a Bose-Einstein condensate in which atoms are weakly coupled to a highly excited Rydberg state. Since the latter have very strong van der Waals interactions, this coupling induces effective, nonlocal interactions between the dressed ground state atoms, which, opposed to dipolar interactions, are isotropically repulsive. Yet, one finds partial attraction in momentum space, giving rise to a roton-maxon excitation spectrum and a transition to a supersolid state in three-dimensional condensates. A detailed analysis of decoherence and loss mechanisms suggests that these phenomena are observable with current experimental capabilities.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- May 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.195302
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1001.3250
- Bibcode:
- 2010PhRvL.104s5302H
- Keywords:
-
- 67.80.K-;
- 03.75.Kk;
- 32.80.Ee;
- 32.80.Qk;
- Other supersolids;
- Dynamic properties of condensates;
- collective and hydrodynamic excitations superfluid flow;
- Rydberg states;
- Coherent control of atomic interactions with photons;
- Physics - Atomic Physics;
- Condensed Matter - Quantum Gases
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 5 figures