Shell-shaped condensates with gravitational sag: contact and dipolar interactions

TL;DR

This paper studies thin shell-shaped Bose-Einstein condensates in bubble traps under small gravity, focusing on contact and dipolar interactions, and explores their dynamics and potential for space-based gravity sensing.

Contribution

It analyzes the effects of dipolar anisotropy and gravity on shell condensates, and investigates their oscillation dynamics for potential space sensor applications.

Findings

Dipolar interactions are enhanced by misalignment with gravity.

Gravity influences the oscillation modes of shell condensates.

Shell condensates could serve as sensitive gravity sensors in space.

Abstract

We investigate Bose-Einstein condensates in bubble trap potentials in the presence of a small gravity. In particular, we focus on thin shells and study both contact and dipolar interacting condensates. We first analyze the effects of the anisotropic nature of the dipolar interactions, which already appear in the absence of gravity and are enhanced when the polarization axis of the dipoles and the gravity are slightly misaligned. Then, in the small gravity context, we investigate the dynamics of small oscillations of these thin, shell-shaped condensates triggered either by an instantaneous tilting of the gravity direction or by a sudden change of the gravity strength. This system could be a preliminary stage for realizing a gravity sensor in space laboratories.