Spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate in a tilted optical lattice

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the simultaneous realization of Bloch oscillations and the spin Hall effect in a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate within a tilted optical lattice, revealing correlated oscillatory behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a method to observe both phenomena together in ultracold atoms with spin-orbit coupling, highlighting their strong correlation.

Findings

Coexistence of Bloch oscillations and spin Hall effect in the system

Transverse spin current oscillates in-phase with Bloch oscillations

Strong correlation between spin current and Bloch oscillations

Abstract

Bloch oscillations appear for a particle in a weakly tilted periodic potential. The intrinsic spin Hall effect is an outcome of a spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate that both these phenomena can be realized simultaneously in a gas of weakly interacting ultracold atoms exposed to a tilted optical lattice and to a set of spatially dependent light fields inducing an effective spin-orbit coupling. It is found that both the spin Hall as well as the Bloch oscillation effects may coexist, showing, however, a strong correlation between the two. These correlations are manifested as a transverse spin current oscillating in-phase with the Bloch oscillations.