Phase diagram of quantized vortices in a trapped Bose-Einstein condensed gas

TL;DR

This paper explores the phase diagram of quantized vortices in a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate, revealing how interatomic forces and temperature influence vortex stability and transitions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the thermodynamic stability and phase transitions of vortices in a trapped Bose gas at finite temperature, emphasizing the role of interatomic interactions.

Findings

Critical temperature for vortex stability has a maximum at a specific trap rotation frequency.

Transition to vortex state involves a discontinuity in condensate atom number.

Interatomic forces significantly shape the phase diagram in the large N regime.

Abstract

We investigate the thermodynamic stability of quantized vortices in a dilute Bose gas confined by a rotating harmonic trap at finite temperature. Interatomic forces play a crucial role in characterizing the resulting phase diagram, especially in the large $N$ Thomas-Fermi regime. We show that the critical temperature for the creation of stable vortices exhibits a maximum as a function of the frequency of the rotating trap and that the corresponding transition is associated with a discontinuity in the number of atoms in the condensate. Possible strategies for approaching the vortical region are discussed.