Effect of interactions on the localization of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a quasi-periodic lattice

TL;DR

This paper investigates how interactions influence the localization and transport of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a quasi-periodic lattice, combining theoretical modeling and experimental observations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the interplay between interactions and quasi-disorder in BEC localization through combined experimental and theoretical analysis.

Findings

Localization is affected by atom number and interactions.

Transport is blocked at low atom numbers and resumes at higher numbers.

Gross-Pitaevskii solutions explain the interaction effects on localization.

Abstract

The transport properties of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a 1D incommensurate bichromatic lattice are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. We observe a blockage of the center of mass motion with low atom number, and a return of motion when the atom number is increased. Solutions of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation show how the localization due to the quasi-disorder introduced by the incommensurate bichromatic lattice is affected by the interactions.