Spontaneously modulated spin textures in a dipolar spinor Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that magnetic dipolar interactions induce spontaneous decay of helical spin textures into modulated spin domains in a $^{87}$Rb F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein condensate, highlighting their crucial role in such quantum gases.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence that magnetic dipolar interactions drive the formation of short-wavelength spin domains, a phenomenon previously not well understood in $^{87}$Rb spinor gases.

Findings

Dipolar interactions cause decay of helical spin textures.

Eliminating dipolar interactions suppresses domain formation.

Magnetic dipole interactions are significant in $^{87}$Rb spinor gases.

Abstract

Helical spin textures in a $^{87}$Rb F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein condensate are found to decay spontaneously toward a spatially modulated structure of spin domains. This evolution is ascribed to magnetic dipolar interactions that energetically favor the short-wavelength domains over the long-wavelength spin helix. This is confirmed by eliminating the dipolar interactions by a sequence of rf pulses and observing a suppression of the formation of the short-range domains. This study confirms the significance of magnetic dipole interactions in degenerate $^{87}$Rb F=1 spinor gases.