Density oscillations in trapped dipolar condensates

TL;DR

This paper explores how dipolar interactions affect the ground state and expansion behavior of trapped condensates, revealing specific density profiles and conditions for oscillations observable via imaging.

Contribution

It identifies the conditions under which density oscillations occur in dipolar condensates and links these to trap geometry and interaction parameters.

Findings

Dipolar interactions induce biconcave and dumbbell density profiles.

Density oscillations occur only in specific parameter regions.

Density oscillations are detectable through time-of-flight imaging.

Abstract

We investigated the ground state wave function and free expansion of a trapped dipolar condensate. We find that dipolar interaction may induce both biconcave and dumbbell density profiles in, respectively, the pancake- and cigar-shaped traps. On the parameter plane of the interaction strengths, the density oscillation occurs only when the interaction parameters fall into certain isolated areas. The relation between the positions of these areas and the trap geometry is explored. By studying the free expansion of the condensate with density oscillation, we show that the density oscillation is detectable from the time-of-flight image.