Jet-like tunneling from a trapped vortex

TL;DR

This paper investigates vortex tunneling in elliptically shaped traps, revealing a novel jet-like fluid flow caused by vortex-field interactions, with implications for superfluids, BECs, and light systems.

Contribution

It analytically and numerically demonstrates a new jet-like flow phenomenon arising from vortex interactions in non-circular traps.

Findings

Formation of jet-like singularities in vortex tunneling

Elongated traps cause narrow, directional ejections

Jets are related to caustic formation and trajectory convergence

Abstract

We analyze the tunneling of vortex states from elliptically shaped traps. Using the hydrodynamic representation of the Gross-Pitaevskii (Nonlinear Schr\"odinger) equation, we derive analytically and demonstrate numerically a novel type of quantum fluid flow: a jet-like singularity formed by the interaction between the vortex and the nonhomogenous field. For strongly elongated traps, the ellipticity overwhelms the circular rotation, resulting in the ejection of field in narrow, well-defined directions. These jets can also be understood as a formation of caustics since they correspond to a convergence of trajectories starting from the top of the potential barrier and meeting at a certain point on the exit line. They will appear in any coherent wave system with angular momentum and non-circular symmetry, such as superfluids, Bose-Einstein condensates, and light.