Quantum Versus Mean Field Behavior of Normal Modes of a Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Magnetic Trap

TL;DR

This paper compares quantum and mean field behaviors of a Bose-Einstein condensate's normal modes, highlighting collapse and revival phenomena influenced by particle number, scattering length, and initial conditions.

Contribution

It provides analytical and numerical analysis of collapse and revival times in BEC normal modes, emphasizing quantum effects beyond mean field approximations.

Findings

Collapse times depend on scattering length, initial amplitude, and particle number.

Revival times can occur over several seconds if the normal component is suppressed.

Quantum effects lead to observable collapses and revivals in finite particle BECs.

Abstract

Quantum evolution of a collective mode of a Bose-Einstein condensate containing a finite number N of particles shows the phenomena of collapses and revivals. The characteristic collapse time depends on the scattering length, the initial amplitude of the mode and N. The corresponding time values have been derived analytically under certain approximation and numerically for the parabolic atomic trap. The revival of the mode at time of several seconds, as a direct evidence of the effect, can occur, if the normal component is significantly suppressed. We also discuss alternative means to verify the proposed mechanism.