Spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the physics, ground states, excitations, and topological features of spinor and dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates, highlighting recent advances and unique vortex phenomena.

Contribution

It synthesizes current knowledge on spinor and dipolar BECs, including their symmetry classifications, vortex structures, and recent developments, offering a broad perspective on the field.

Findings

Classification of order parameter symmetry using group theory

Description of fractional and non-Abelian vortices

Review of recent experimental and theoretical advances

Abstract

An overview on the physics of spinor and dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) is given. Mean-field ground states, Bogoliubov spectra, and many-body ground and excited states of spinor BECs are discussed. Properties of spin-polarized dipolar BECs and those of spinor-dipolar BECs are reviewed. Some of the unique features of the vortices in spinor BECs such as fractional vortices and non-Abelian vortices are delineated. The symmetry of the order parameter is classified using group theory, and various topological excitations are investigated based on homotopy theory. Some of the more recent developments in a spinor BEC are discussed.