Giant vortex phase transition in rapidly rotating trapped Bose-Einstein condensates

TL;DR

This paper investigates phase transitions in rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensates, focusing on vortex behavior and the formation of a central hole at high rotation speeds, revealing complex superfluid dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces the analysis of vortex disappearance and the giant vortex phase transition in rapidly rotating condensates, expanding understanding of superfluid behavior under extreme rotation.

Findings

Vortices gather in a central hole at high rotation speeds

Disappearance of vortices from the bulk occurs in the giant vortex phase

Phase transitions depend on the rotation velocity and trapping potential

Abstract

A Bose-Einstein condensate of cold atoms is a superfluid and thus responds to rotation of its container by the nucleation of quantized vortices. If the trapping potential is su ciently strong, there is no theoretical limit to the rotation frequency one can impose to the fluid, and several phase transitions characterized by the number and distribution of vortices occur when it is increased from zero to infinity. In this note we focus on a regime of very large rotation velocity where vortices disappear from the bulk of the fluid, gathering in a central hole of low matter density induced by the centrifugal force.