Metastability of quantum droplet clusters

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that two-dimensional quantum droplet clusters can form metastable ring-shaped structures with diverse dynamical behaviors, which are predictable and resilient to perturbations, expanding understanding of quantum fluid stability.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of metastable ring-shaped quantum droplet clusters and analyzes their dynamical behaviors and stability using energy-minimization methods.

Findings

Clusters can rotate, pulsate, or expand depending on initial conditions.

Equilibrium cluster radii can be predicted via energy minimization.

Metastable clusters withstand abrupt changes and perturbations.

Abstract

We show that metastable ring-shaped clusters can be constructed from two-dimensional quantum droplets in systems described by the Gross-Pitaevskii equations augmented with Lee-Huang-Yang quantum corrections. The clusters exhibit dynamical behaviours ranging from contraction to rotation with simultaneous periodic pulsations, or expansion, depending on the initial radius of the necklace pattern and phase shift between adjacent quantum droplets. We show that, using an energy-minimization analysis, one can predict equilibrium values of the cluster radius that correspond to rotation without radial pulsations. In such a regime, the clusters evolve as metastable states, withstanding abrupt variations in the underlying scattering lengths and keeping their azimuthal symmetry in the course of evolution, even in the presence of considerable perturbations.