Quantum Phase Transition in an Antiferromagnetic Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensate
Quantum Gases
2011-11-08 v1 Atomic Physics
Abstract
We have experimentally observed the dynamics of an antiferromagnetic sodium Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) quenched through a quantum phase transition. Using an off-resonant microwave field coupling the F = 1 and F = 2 atomic hyperfine levels, we rapidly switched the quadratic energy shift q from positive to negative values. At q = 0 the system undergoes a transition from a polar to antiferromagnetic phase. We measured the dynamical evolution of the population in the F = 1, m_F = 0 state in the vicinity of this transition point and observed a mixed state of all 3 hyperfine components for q < 0. We also observed the coarsening dynamics of the instability for q<0, as it nucleated small domains that grew to the axial size of the cloud.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1109.1012,
title = {Quantum Phase Transition in an Antiferromagnetic Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensate},
author = {E. M. Bookjans and A. Vinit and C. Raman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1109.1012},
year = {2011}
}