Multi-resonant spinor dynamics in a Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This paper investigates the complex spinor dynamics in a Bose-Einstein condensate of Rb-87, revealing multi-resonant magnetic field effects linked to trap inhomogeneity and Bogoliubov excitations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the importance of trap inhomogeneity in the magnetic field dependence of pair creation in spinor condensates, connecting it to Bogoliubov excitations.

Findings

Multi-resonant magnetic field dependence observed.

Correlation between trap inhomogeneity and pair creation.

Identification of Bogoliubov spin excitations as key factors.

Abstract

We analyze the spinor dynamics of a Rb-87 F=2 condensate initially prepared in the m_F=0 Zeeman sublevel. We show that this dynamics, characterized by the creation of correlated atomic pairs in m_F=+/-1, presents an intriguing multi-resonant magnetic field dependence induced by the trap inhomogeneity. This dependence is directly linked to the most unstable Bogoliubov spin excitations of the initial m_F = 0 condensate, showing that, in general, even a qualitative understanding of the pair creation efficiency in a spinor condensate requires a careful consideration of the confinement.