Parametric Driving of Dark Solitons in Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensates

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how parametric driving with optical paddles can control and extend the lifetime of dark solitons in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates by manipulating their energy exchange with sound fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of using periodic optical paddles to parametrically drive and stabilize dark solitons in Bose-Einstein condensates.

Findings

Soliton oscillation amplitude can be significantly reduced without damping.

Damped solitons can reach a stable, lower-energy state with extended lifetime.

The method effectively prolongs soliton lifetime up to the condensate's lifetime.

Abstract

A dark soliton oscillating in an elongated harmonically-confined atomic Bose-Einstein condensate continuously exchanges energy with the sound field. Periodic optical `paddles' are employed to controllably enhance the sound density and transfer energy to the soliton, analogous to parametric driving. In the absence of damping, the amplitude of the soliton oscillations can be dramatically reduced, whereas with damping, a driven soliton equilibrates as a stable dark soliton with lower energy, thereby extending the soliton lifetime up to the lifetime of the condensate.