English

Oscillating Superfluidity of Bosons in Optical Lattices

Soft Condensed Matter 2009-11-07 v3 Strongly Correlated Electrons

Abstract

We follow up on a recent suggestion by C. Orzel et. al., Science, 291, 2386 (2001), whereby bosons in an optical lattice would be subjected to a sudden parameter change from the Mott to the superfluid phase. We analyze the Bose Hubbard model with a modified coherent states path integral which can escribe - both - phases. The saddle point theory yields collective oscillations of the uniform superfluid order parameter. These would be seen in time resolved interference patterns made by the released gas. We calculate the collective oscillation's damping rate by phason pair emission. In two dimensions the overdamped region largely overlaps with the quantum critical region. Measurements of critical dynamics on the Mott side are proposed.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0206157,
  title  = {Oscillating Superfluidity of Bosons in Optical Lattices},
  author = {Ehud Altman and Assa Auerbach},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0206157},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

4 pages 1 eps figures; Final version as appears in PRL. Added discussion on spontaneous generation of vortices