Mean-field model of interaction between bright vortex solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates

TL;DR

This paper investigates the interactions of vortex solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates using numerical solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, revealing different behaviors based on phase differences and suggesting future experimental directions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical analysis of vortex soliton interactions in BECs, highlighting phase-dependent behaviors and proposing new experimental investigations.

Findings

Opposite phase solitons repel and remain separate.

In-phase solitons attract, interact, and coalesce.

General phase solitons exchange matter and interact inelastically.

Abstract

Using the explicit numerical solution of the axially-symmetric Gross-Pitaevskii equation we study the dynamics of interaction among vortex solitons in a rotating matter-wave bright soliton train in a radially trapped and axially free Bose-Einstein condensate to understand certain features of the experiment by Strecker et al.[2002 Nature 417 150]. In a soliton train, solitons of opposite phase (phase delta = pi) repel and stay apart without changing shape; solitons with delta = 0 attract, interact and coalesce, but eventually come out; solitons with a general delta usually repel but interact inelastically by exchanging matter. We study and suggest future experiments with vortex solitons.