# Observation of universal quench dynamics and Townes soliton formation from modulational instability in two-dimensional Bose gases

## TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates the universal nonequilibrium dynamics of two-dimensional Bose gases quenched from repulsive to attractive interactions, revealing modulational instability, Townes soliton formation, and universal behaviors in a many-body quantum system.

## Contribution

It demonstrates the formation of Townes solitons from modulational instability in 2D Bose gases and provides detailed real-time measurements of the dynamical process.

## Key findings

- Observation of modulational instability leading to soliton formation
- Density distributions match Townes soliton profiles
- Universal behaviors in collapse and collision dynamics

## Abstract

We experimentally study universal nonequilibrium dynamics of two-dimensional atomic Bose gases quenched from repulsive to attractive interactions. We observe the manifestation of modulational instability that, instead of causing collapse, fragments a large two-dimensional superfluid into multiple wave packets universally around a threshold atom number necessary for the formation of Townes solitons. We confirm that the density distributions of quench-induced solitary waves are in excellent agreement with the stationary Townes profiles. Furthermore, our density measurements in the space and time domain reveal detailed information about this dynamical process, from the hyperbolic growth of density waves, the formation of solitons, to the subsequent collision and collapse dynamics, demonstrating multiple universal behaviors in an attractive many-body system in association with the formation of a quasistationary state.