Quantum-Fluctuation-Driven Dynamics of Droplet Splashing, Recoiling and Deposition in Ultracold Binary Bose Gases

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum simulation approach using ultracold Bose gases to study droplet impact dynamics, revealing thresholds and scaling laws for splashing, recoiling, and deposition outcomes driven by quantum fluctuations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum simulation framework for droplet impact phenomena in ultracold atoms, connecting quantum fluctuations to classical-like droplet behaviors.

Findings

Identified thresholds for splashing and recoiling using Weber number.

Established a universal scaling law between spreading factor and Weber number.

Proposed residual quantum fluctuations as probes for collective droplet modes.

Abstract

Droplet impact on a surface is practically relevant to a variety of fields in nature and industry, while a complete control of its outcomes remains challenging due to various unmanageable factors. In this work, we propose the quantum simulation of droplet impact outcomes in the platform of ultracold atoms. Specifically, we study the quantum-fluctuation-driven dynamics (QFDD) of two-dimensional Bose-Bose mixtures from an initial Townes soliton towards the formation of a quantum droplet. By tuning the fluctuation energy of the initial Townes state through its size and number, the subsequent QFDD can produce various outcomes including splashing, recoiling, and deposition, similar to those in droplet impact dynamics. We have utilized the Weber number to identify the thresholds of splashing and recoiling, and further established a universal scaling law between the maximum spreading factor and the Weber number in the recoiling regime. In addition, we show that the residual QFDD in the deposition regime can be used to probe the collective breathing modes of a quantum droplet. Our results reveal a mechanism for the droplet impact outcomes, which can be directly tested in cold-atom experiments and can pave the way for exploring intriguing droplet dynamics in a clean and fully controlled quantum setting.