Quantum quasicrystals of spin-orbit coupled dipolar bosons

TL;DR

This paper explores how spin-orbit coupling and dipolar interactions in Bose gases can lead to stable quantum crystalline and quasicrystalline phases, with potential experimental realization in dysprosium condensates.

Contribution

It demonstrates the stabilization of quantum crystalline and quasicrystalline phases in dipolar Bose gases with spin-orbit coupling, including effects of fermionic coupling and experimental feasibility.

Findings

Degenerate dispersion minima lead to crystalline phases.

Dipolar interactions stabilize quasicrystalline states.

Phases are detectable in dysprosium condensates.

Abstract

We study quasi-two-dimensional dipolar Bose gases in which the bosons experience a Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We show that the degenerate dispersion minimum due to the spin-orbit coupling, combined with the long-range dipolar interaction, can stabilize a number of quantum crystalline and quasicrystalline ground states. Coupling the bosons to a fermionic species can further stabilize these phases. We estimate that the crystalline and quasicrystalline phases should be detectable in realistic dipolar condensates, e.g., dysprosium, and discuss their symmetries and excitations.