Dynamics of a single vortex line in a Bose-Einstein condensate

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates the behavior and dynamics of a single quantized vortex line in a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate, revealing how vortex length and position relate to temperature and angular momentum.

Contribution

It provides experimental observations of vortex line curvature, lifetime, and dynamics in a BEC, confirming theoretical predictions and measuring vortex properties over time.

Findings

Vortex lines are mostly curved at the ends.

Vortex lifetime can reach up to 10 seconds at low temperatures.

Vortex length and displacement correlate with angular momentum.

Abstract

We study experimentally the line of a single quantized vortex in a rotating prolate Bose-Einstein condensate confined by a harmonic potential. In agreement with predictions, we find that the vortex line is in most cases curved at the ends. We monitor the vortex line leaving the condensate. Its length is measured as a function of time and temperature. For a low temperature, the survival time can be as large as 10 seconds. The length of the line and its deviation from the center of the trap are related to the angular momentum per particle along the condensate axis.