Formation of Quantum Shock Waves by Merging and Splitting Bose-Einstein Condensates

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex dynamics of merging and splitting Bose-Einstein condensates, revealing the formation of quantum shock waves, soliton trains, vortex rings, and transitions between different wave phenomena through experiments and simulations.

Contribution

It provides new experimental and numerical insights into quantum shock wave formation and dynamics in BECs during merging and splitting processes.

Findings

Observation of soliton trains with over ten solitons

Formation of high-density bulges and quantum shock waves

Transition from sound waves to dispersive shock waves

Abstract

The processes of merging and splitting dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates are studied in the nonadiabatic, high-density regime. Rich dynamics are found. Depending on the experimental parameters, uniform soliton trains containing more than ten solitons or the formation of a high-density bulge as well as quantum (or dispersive) shock waves are observed experimentally within merged BECs. Our numerical simulations indicate the formation of many vortex rings. In the case of splitting a BEC, the transition from sound-wave formation to dispersive shock-wave formation is studied by use of increasingly stronger splitting barriers. These experiments realize prototypical dispersive shock situations.