Dynamics of Stripe Patterns in Supersolid Spin-Orbit-Coupled Bose Gases

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dynamic behavior of density stripe patterns in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates, revealing their nonrigid, oscillatory nature under spin perturbations and highlighting their superfluid and crystalline coexistence.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of the dynamic properties of supersolid density modulations in spin-orbit-coupled Bose gases, combining analytical and numerical approaches.

Findings

Density stripes are nonrigid and oscillate under spin perturbations.

Spin waves induce crystal-like oscillations in stripe periodicity and orientation.

The system exhibits superfluidity alongside dynamic crystalline order.

Abstract

Despite ground-breaking observations of supersolidity in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates, until now the dynamics of the emerging spatially periodic density modulations has been vastly unexplored. Here, we demonstrate the nonrigidity of the density stripes in such a supersolid condensate and explore their dynamic behavior subject to spin perturbations. We show both analytically in infinite systems and numerically in the presence of a harmonic trap how spin waves affect the supersolid's density profile in the form of crystal waves, inducing oscillations of the periodicity as well as the orientation of the fringes. Both these features are well within reach of present-day experiments. Our results show that this system is a paradigmatic supersolid, featuring superfluidity in conjunction with a fully dynamic crystalline structure.