# Formation of matter-wave soliton trains by modulational instability

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how modulational instability in Bose-Einstein condensates leads to the formation of matter-wave soliton trains, revealing universal scaling laws and the nature of soliton interactions.

## Contribution

It characterizes modulational instability using Feshbach resonance tuning and clarifies the interaction dynamics within soliton trains through real-time imaging.

## Key findings

- Universal scaling laws of modulational instability identified
- Soliton trains form with effectively repulsive interactions
- Real-time imaging confirms the evolution of soliton interactions

## Abstract

Nonlinear systems can exhibit a rich set of dynamics that are inherently sensitive to their initial conditions. One such example is modulational instability, which is believed to be one of the most prevalent instabilities in nature. By exploiting a shallow zero-crossing of a Feshbach resonance, we characterize modulational instability and its role in the formation of matter-wave soliton trains from a Bose-Einstein condensate. We examine the universal scaling laws exhibited by the system, and through real-time imaging, address a long-standing question of whether the solitons in trains are created with effectively repulsive nearest neighbor interactions, or rather, evolve into such a structure.