Dynamics of F=1 87Rb condensates at finite temperatures

TL;DR

This paper studies the spin dynamics of F=1 87Rb Bose-Einstein condensates in quasi-one-dimensional traps, revealing coherent oscillations, domain formation, and finite temperature effects including population equipartition.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of both zero and finite temperature spin dynamics, incorporating phase fluctuations and nonlinear interactions in a quasi-one-dimensional setting.

Findings

Coherent oscillations observed at zero temperature.

Multiple domain formation in the condensate.

Population equipartition at finite temperature.

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of a F=1 spinor Bose-Einstein condensate of 87Rb atoms confined in a quasi-one-dimensional trap both at zero and at finite temperature. At zero temperature, we observe coherent oscillations between populations of the various spin components and the formation of multiple domains in the condensate. We study also finite temperature effects in the spin dynamics taking into account the phase fluctuations in the Bogoliubov-de Gennes framework. At finite T, despite complex multidomain formation in the condensate, population equipartition occurs. The length scale of these spin domains seems to be determined intrinsically by nonlinear interactions.