Driving phase slips in a superfluid atom circuit with a rotating weak link
Quantum Gases
2013-12-06 v2
Abstract
We have observed well-defined phase slips between quantized persistent current states around a toroidal atomic (23Na) Bose-Einstein condensate. These phase slips are induced by a weak link (a localized region of reduced superfluid density) rotated slowly around the ring. This is analogous to the behavior of a superconducting loop with a weak link in the presence of an external magnetic field. When the weak link is rotated more rapidly, well-defined phase slips no longer occur, and vortices enter into the bulk of the condensate. A noteworthy feature of this system is the ability to dynamically vary the weak link and hence the critical current, a feature which is difficult to implement in superconducting or superfluid helium circuits.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1208.3608,
title = {Driving phase slips in a superfluid atom circuit with a rotating weak link},
author = {K. C. Wright and R. B. Blakestad and C. J. Lobb and W. D. Phillips and G. K. Campbell},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1208.3608},
year = {2013}
}