Analogies between dark solitons in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates and optical systems

TL;DR

This paper explores the similarities between dark solitons in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates and optical systems, focusing on their stability, decay mechanisms, and vortex dynamics, highlighting the underlying nonlinear physics common to both.

Contribution

It provides a comparative overview of dark solitons in atomic and optical systems, emphasizing their stability and decay processes, which is a novel synthesis of these two areas.

Findings

Dark solitons exhibit similar stability properties in both systems.

Decay of dark solitons involves radiation emission in both contexts.

Vortex dynamics share common features across atomic and optical systems.

Abstract

Dark solitons have been observed in optical systems (optical fibres, dielectric guides and bulk media), and, more recently, in harmonically confined atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. This paper presents an overview of some of the common features and analogies experienced by these two intrinsically nonlinear systems, with emphasis on the stability of dark solitons in such systems and their decay via emission of radiation. The closely related issue of vortex dynamics in such systems is also briefly discussed.