Michele Correggi - Vortices in Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates: A Review of (Recent) Mathematical Results

Vortices in Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates
A Review of (Recent) Mathematical Results

Michele Correggi
CIRM
FBK, Trento
15/09/2009
Mathematical Models of Quantum Fluids
Universit`a di Verona
M. Correggi (CIRM) Vortices in Rotating BE Condensates Verona 15/09/2009 1 / 35
Outline
1
General Setting and Background: the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) Theory
for Rotating Bose-Einstein (BE) Condensates [A].
2
Vortices and Rotational Symmetry Breaking.
3
The Thomas-Fermi (TF) Limit of the GP Theory:
Harmonic trapping potentials [IM].
(Strongly) Anharmonic trapping potentials [CY].
Main References
[A] A. Aftalion, Vortices in Bose-Einstein Condensates, 2006.
[CY] M.C., J. Yngvason, J. Phys. A 41 (2008), 445002.
[IM] R. Ignat, V. Millot, J. Funct. Anal. 233 (2006), 260306.
Physics: A.L. Fetter, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81 (2009), 647691.
Numerics: W. Bao, in Dynamics in Models of Coarsening,
Coagulation, Condensation and Quantization, 2007.
General Setting and Background
The GP Theory of a Rotating BE Condensate in a Trap
2d BE condensate rotating along the zaxis with angular velocity .
External trap given by a potential V(r ) (V(r ) as r ).
The stationary ground state properties of a rotating BE condensate
can be described through minimizers of the GP energy functional (in
the non-inertial rotating frame).
L = i (x
y
y
x
) is the zcomponent of the angular momentum.
2
is the coupling parameter ( scattering length).
The TF limit is 0 (large coupling and/or fast rotation).
The GP Energy Functional
c
GP
[] =
_
R
2
dr
_
[[
2
L + V(r ) [[
2
+
[[
4
2
_
.
Minimization of the GP Functional
c
GP
[] =
_
R
2
dr
_
_
i
2
+
_
V(r )

2
r
2
4
_
[[
2
+
[[
4
2
_
The vector potential is

A
= e
z
r /2.
GP ground state energy E
GP
= inf
2
=1
c
GP
[].
GP
stands for any corresponding minimizer.
Boundedness from Below of c
GP
Assume that V L
2
loc
(R
3
) and either V(r ) r
2
, < 2, or V(r ) r
s
,
s > 2, as r = c
GP
is bounded from below. Usually one considers
the harmonic potential V(r ) = r
2
(upper bound on !),
(strongly) anharmonic (homogeneous) potentials V(r ) r
s
, s > 2
(no upper bound on !): the simplest example is a connement to
the unitary disc B
1
with Neumann boundary conditions (s = ).
Existence of a Minimizer
GP
Under the same hypothesis on V, (at least) one minimizer
GP
.
GP
solves the GP time-independent equation
GP
L
GP
+ V
GP
+ 2
2
GP
GP
=
GP
GP
.
The chemical potential
GP
is xed by the L
2
normalization:
GP
= E
GP
+
2
|
GP
|
4
4
.
If V is smooth, the same is
GP
.
Uniqueness of
GP
The minimizer is not necessarily unique.
Non-uniqueness is due to the presence of the angular momentum
term. If = 0, c
GP
is strictly convex in = [[
2
.
Non-uniqueness is strictly related to the occurence of isolated vortices
rotational symmetry breaking.
Ginzburg-Landau vs. Gross-Pitaevskii
[GL] Minimize c
GL
w.r.t. u and

A with h = curl(
A), h
ex
=
(uniform magnetic eld),
c
GL
[u,
A] =
_
D
dr
_
_
i
A
_
u
2
+[h h
ex
[
2
+
2
(1 [u[
2
)
2
_
.
[GP] Minimize c
GP
w.r.t. L
2
normalized (r ) =
_
(r )u(r ),
c
GP
[] = c
TF
[] +
_
S
dr
_
_
i
_
u
2
+
2
_
1 [u[
2
_
_
.
Main Dierences:
In GL there is an additional minimization w.r.t.

A, whereas in GP

A is
given = major dierences in the minimizers but the ground state
energies can be close in certain regimes.
No L
2
normalization in GL = no chemical potential in GL = no
density in GL. Not only a technicality since there is some physics
behind it!
Vortices and Rotational Symmetry Breaking
c
GP
[] =
_
R
2
dr
_
_
i
2
+
_
V(r )

2
r
2
4
_
[[
2
+
[[
4
2
_
Rotational Symmetry Breaking
The functional c
GP
is invariant under rotations around the z-axis.
If is xed and large, the GP minimizer is not an eigenfunction of
the angular momentum (rotational symmetry breaking), due to the
occurrence of isolated vortices.
Vortices
GP
has a vortex at r
0
(
0
= x
0
+ iy
0
) with winding number d, if
GP
(r
0
) = 0, (locally)

GP
[
GP
[

_

0
[
0
[
_
d
.
Vortices in a Rotating BE Condensate [Dalibard et al 05]
Formation of quantized vortices in a rotating Rb BE condensate.
Vortices in a fast rotating Rb BE condensate in a quartic+quadratic trap.
Why Are Vortices Energetically Favorable?
c
GP
[] =
_
B
1
dr
_
[[
2
L +
2
[[
4
_
Energy Compensation
For small rotational velocities the condensate is at rest in the inertial
frame (superuidity) = [
GP
[ = const.
At higher angular velocities vortices start to occur: For small , a
vortex of degree d at the origin has the form f (r ) expid, with f
approx. constant outside B
(= nonlinear term).
Kinetic energy
_
B
1
\B
dr [[
2
d
2
_
B
1
\B
dr
1
r
2
Cd
2
[ log [.
Angular momentum
_
B
1
\B
dr
L d.
If C[ log [, a vortex can be energetically favorable.
Why/When More Vortices?
c
GP
[] =
_
B
1
dr
_
[[
2
L +
2
[[
4
_
Energy Optimization
So far we have not justied the breaking of the rotational symmetry,
since a vortex at the origin is an eigenfunction of L!
GP
can contain more than one vortex (= nonlinearity).
xes the total winding number d (angular momentum) of
GP
and, if is suciently large, d > 1.
Suppose d = 2: The kinetic energy is d
2
= 2 vortices of winding
number 1 have a smaller kinetic energy (1 + 1 = 2) than 1 vortex of
winding number 2 (2
2
= 4), but almost the same angular momentum.
If 1 the vortex cores are small ( ) and the interaction energy
can be neglected = many vortices can be energetically favorable.
Rotational Symmetry Breaking
Theorem (Symmetry Breaking [MC,Rindler-Daller,Yngvason 07])
As 0, no minimizer of c
GP
[] is an eigenfunction of the angular
momentum, if
6[ log [ + 3 <
C
for any constant C R

+
.
Symmetry breaking is due to occurrence of isolated vortices outside of
the origin.
The GP minimizer in no longer unique ( degeneracy).
The estimate of the symmetry breaking threshold is not optimal (it is
expected to be 2[ log [ [Aftalion,Du 01]).
The rotational symmetry is expected to be broken also for
1
.
The Thomas-Fermi Limit of the Gross-Pitaevskii Theory
Nucleation of Vortices (Harmonic Traps) [Ignat,Millot 06]
c
GP
[] =
_
R
2
dr
_
[[
2
L +
2
V(x, y)[[
2
+
2
[[
4
_
Harmonic trapping potential (rescaled): V(x, y) = (x
2
+
2
y
2
).
0 < 1 measures the asymmetry of the potential.
The coecient
2
of V is chosen so that the rst critical velocity is
O([ log [) (it is equivalent to rescale all lengths):
1
=
(
2
+1)
2
[ log [.
The vortex free prole
is the (unique L
2
normalized) minimizer of
c
GP
[] =
_
R
2
dr
_
[[
2
+
2
V[[
2
+
2
[[
4
_
.
is real and positive. If = 1, it is also radial.

As 0,
2

TF
(x, y) =
1
2
[ V(x, y)]
+
in L
(T).
Theorem (Absence of Vortices below
1
[Ignat,Millot 06])
For any > 0, if
1
log [ log [, then
GP
0
_
TF
(x, y) in L
loc
(R
2
T),
E
GP
= c
GP
_
e
iS
+ o(1), where S(x, y) =

2
1
2
+1
xy,
Up to a subsequence (and a global phase factor , [[ = 1)
GP
TF
(x, y)e
iS
,
in H
1
loc
(T) = no vortices, i.e., for any R
0
<
and suciently
small,
GP
does not vanish inside the region where x
2
+
2
y
2
< R
2
0
.
Theorem (Occurence of Vortices above
1
[Ignat,Millot 06])
For any > 0, if
1
+ log [ log [ and is suciently small, then
GP
has at least one vortex at r
such that dist(r
, T) C.
If in addition
1
+O(log [ log [), then the vortex remains close
to the origin, i.e., [r
[ = o(1).
Critical Velocities [Ignat,Millot 06]
d
=
(1+
2
)
2
([ log [ + (d 1) log [ log [) , d N
Theorem (Number and Distribution of Vortices [Ignat,Millot 06])
For any 0 < 1, if
d
+ log [ log [
d+1
log [ log [, then
For any R
0
<
and suciently small,

GP
has exactly d vortices
of winding number 1 at r
i ,
, i = 1, . . . , d inside x
2
+
2
y
2
< R
2
0
,
Vortices remain close to the origin and close one another, i.e.,
[r
i
[ C
1/2
, [r
i
r
j
[ C
1/2
.
Setting

i
=
r
i
, the conguration (
1
, . . . ,
d
) minimizes the
renormalized energy
W
_
1
, . . . ,
d
_
=
i =j
log
1 +
2
d
i =1
_
x
2
i
+
2
y
2
i
_
.
Distribution of Vortices [Gueron,Shafrir 00]
The distribution of vortices is determined by the minimization of W:
If = 1 and d 6, regular polygons and stars (d 1 side regular
polygon plus the origin) centered at the origin are (local) minimizing
congurations for the renormalized energy W.
If d 11 neither regular polygons nor stars are local minimizers of
W. As d increases the minimizers approach a triangular lattice.
Larger Angular Velocities [Baldo,Jerrard,Orlandi,Soner 08]
If
d
for any d but = O([ log [), the number of vortices is
not uniformly bounded in .
The vortex distribution minimizes a (rescaled) free boundary problem.
Landau Regime [Aftalion et al 06]
When
1
, the occupation of Landau levels become relevant...
Rotating BE Condensates in Anharmonic Traps
[MC,Rindler-Daller,Yngvason 07]
c
GP
[] =
_
B
1
dr
_
_
i

2
r
2
[[
2
4
+
[[
4
2
_
Motivations
There is no upper bound on the angular velocity , i.e., the
condensate is conned for any = one can explore regimes of very
fast rotation.
The unitary disc is the strongest anharmonic trap one can think of
since it can be formally obtained as the limit s of a
homogeneous potential V(r ) = r
s
.
Any homoheneous potential V(r ) = cr
s
, s > 2 can be mapped to the
above model by means of a suitable rescaling of all lenghts
[MC,Rindler-Daller,Yngvason 07].
Extraction of the TF Density
c
GP
[] =
_
B
1
dr
_
_
i

2
r
2
[[
2
4
+
[[
4
2
_
If
2
, the kinetic energy gives a smaller order correction.
In anharmonic traps the second part of c
GP
depends on .
TF Energy Functional
c
TF
[] =
_
B
1
dr
_
2

2
r
2
4
_
,
with ground state energy E
TF
= inf
1
=1
c
TF
[] and (L
1
normalized)
minimizer
TF
(r ) =
1
2
_
TF
+

2
2
r
2
4
_
+
.
Asymptotics of the TF Functional
E
TF
[] =
B
1
dr
2

2
r
2
Slow Rotation (
1
)
E
TF
=
1
2
+O(
2
) and
TF
(r ) =
1
+O(
2
2
).
Rapid Rotation (
1
)
E
TF
= O(
2
) and
TF
(r ) [C
1
+ C
2
r
2
]
+
.
If > 4/(
),
TF
(r ) = 0 for any r R
in

_
1
4
(hole).
Ultrarapid Rotation (
1
)
E
TF
=
2
/4 +O() and
TF
(r ) =

2
2
8
_
r
2
R
2
in
+
.
R
in
= 1 O(
1
1
) =
TF
approaches (1 r ).
Experimental Observations [Engels et al 03]
Condensate Density
Giant Vortex (Hole) for-
mation in a rotating
87
Rb
BE condensate (induced by
a laser beam).
Slow Rotation (
1
)
Theorem (GP Asymptotics [MC,Rindler-Daller,Yngvason 07])
If 0 as 0,
E
GP
=
1
2
+O(
2
),
_
_
_
_
[
GP
[
2
_
_
_
_
L
1
(B
1
)
= O().
1
is the GS density of the GP functional without rotation (with
energy
1
2
) = the rotation has no leading order eect on the
GS asymptotics.
If [ log [, the GP minimizer is unique and strictly positive. In
this case
GP
1
as 0 in H
1
(B
1
) (no vortex).
If [ log [, vortices start to occur in
GP
= rotational symmetry
breaking.
Occurrence and Distribution of Vortices (
1
)
1
2[ log [
The GP minimizer is a unique and a strictly positive radial function.
2
2[ log [ +O(log [ log [)
Uniformly bounded (in ) number of vortices at r
i
, i = 1, . . . , n.
n is xed by the remainder in the angular velocity asymptotics
(coecient of log [ log [).
Vortices are very close to the origin: [r
i
[ [ log [
1/2
and
[r
i
r
j
[ [ log [
1/2
. The vortex core is a ball of radius
.
Vortices arrange in regular polygons centered at the origin to minimize
the interaction energy.
3
C[ log [, C > 2
The number of vortices is no longer uniformly bounded.
Vortices are conned to a subset of B
1
(free boundary problem).
4
2[ log [
1
The number of vortices is /2.
Vortices with winding number 1 are uniformly distributed over B
1
.
Vortex Energy Contribution (
1
)
Theorem (Improved Energy Asymptotics [MC,Yngvason 08])
For any [ log [
1
,
E
GP
= E
TF
+
[ log(
2
)[
2
(1 + o(1)).
Since
1
, E
TF
=
1
2
(1 + o(1)).
Vortices of winding number 1 are uniformly distributed over B
1
, their
number is /2 and their core is .
Each vortex gives a kinetic contribution of order [ log(
2
)[:
2
_

1/2
dr r
1
[ log(
2
)[.
No proof of the existence of isolated vortices but only of a uniform
distribution of vorticity satisfying the above properties.
Rapid Rotation (
1
): Numerical Simulations
[Kasamatsu et al 02]
Condensate Density
Hole
The GP minimizer is exponen-
tially small in a disc centered
at the origin (hole) and vortices
cover the whole trap.
Rapid Rotation (
1
)
Theorem (GP Asymptotics [MC,Yngvason 08])
For any
1
,
E
GP
= E
TF
+
[ log [
2
(1 + o(1)),
_
_
[
GP
[
2
TF
_
_
L
1
(B
1
)
= O
_
_
[ log [
_
.
GP
contains a number /2 of vortices with winding number 1
uniformly distributed over a regular lattice with spacing
.
The vortex core is a ball of radius .
Each vortex gives an kinetic contribution of order [ log [:
2
_

dr r
1
[ log [.
Vortex Energy Contribution (
1
)
GP
TF
(r )e
i
, where the phase
minimizes the kinetic

energy and contains the vortices:
e
i

i
[
i
[
,
arctan
_
y y
i
x x
i
_
.
Kinetic energy
_
_
_
_
_
_
2
2
=
_
_
_
r
_
_
_
2
2
, where we have
used the rotation
log [
i
[,

A
r .
Electrostatic Analogy
Vortex at r
i
Unitary Point Charge + 1 at r
i
(vortex core of size
) (smeared over a ball of size
)
Vector Potential

A
Uniform Charge Density

2
Vortex Kinetic Energy Energy of the Electric Field
An Electrostatic Problem (
1
) [MC,Yngvason 08]
Finding the optimal distribution of vortices is equivalent to minimize
the electrostatic energy of a charge distribution given by positive
point charges and a negative uniform background.
As long as
TF
varies on a scale of order 1, the optimal distribution is
uniform: Vortices on a regular lattice with fundamental cell Q
and
spacing

_
[Q
[ covering B
1
(triangular, square or hexagonal
lattice).
The cell volume is chosen so that the cell is neutral, i.e., [Q
[ = 2/.
The dipole associated with any cell Q
i
vanishes because of the cell

symmetry = the electric eld

E
i
generated by Q
i
decays very fast

(at least r
3
) outside Q
i
= the leading order contribution is

given by the self-energy inside Q
i
(minimized by the triangular

lattice).
Self-energy inside Q
i
:
_
Q
i
\B
i
dr
2
= [ log [ +O(1).
Slow and Rapid Rotation (
1
): Vorticity
Theorem (Uniform Distribution of Vorticity [MC,Yngvason 08])
Let > 0 be suciently small and [ log [
1
. Then there exists a
nite family of disjoint balls
_
B
i
_
supp(
TF
) such that
1
the radius of any ball is at most of order 1/
,
2
the sum of all the radii is at most of order
,
3
GP
C[ log(
2
)[
1
on B
i
, for some C > 0,

and, denoting by r
i ,
the center of each ball B
i
and by d
i ,
the winding
number of [
GP
[
1
GP
on B
i
,
2
d
i ,
(r r
i ,
)
w
TF
(r ) dr .
If one could prove that
GP
has only isolated vortices, then the
Theorem would yield their number and uniform distribution.
1
)
The rotational energy dominates: E
TF
=
2
4
_
1 +O(
1
1
)
_
and
TF
tends to a distribution supported on B
1
.
Theorem (Energy and Density Asymptotics [MC,Yngvason 08])
For any
1

1
2
[ log [
,
E
GP
= E
TF
+
[ log [
2
(1 + o(1)).
The density [
GP
[
2
is exponentially small in almost everywhere, except
for a thin layer of width
1
1
around the boundary B
1
.
If
2
the occupation of Landau levels becomes relevant (Landau
regime). Why the upper bound
1
2
[ log [
?
1
): Emergence of the Giant
Vortex
As long as
1
2
[ log [
there are vortices in the support of
TF
even though it is very thin.
If
1
2
[ log [
one can concentrate the whole vorticity in the center
and lower the energy (giant vortex).
Heuristic Comparison
For
1
the number of cells inside supp(
TF
) is
1
= the
mutual interaction is # of pairs
2
.
Vortices (one inside each cell) neutralize the mutual interaction but
have an energy cost [ log [.
The vortex energy is of the same order of the mutual energy if

2
[ log [
1
= a transition takes place at that threshold.
Numerical Simulations [Kasamatsu et al 02]
Condensate Density
Giant Vortex
The GP minimizer is concen-
trated in a thin annulus near
B
1
(giant vortex) and expo-
nentially small everywhere else
but the essential support of
GP
contains no vortices.
1
): The Giant Vortex
Rigorous Comparison [MC,Rougerie,Yngvason 09]
The upper bound E
GP
E
TF
+
[ log [
2
(1 + o(1)) holds for any
[ log [
2
.
A trial function of the form
giant
(r )
_
TF
(r )e
iN
, with winding
number N
/2 yields
c
GP
[
giant
] = E
TF
+O(
2
) +O(
2
2
[ log [)
but
2
[ log [ in this regime =
giant
lowers the energy.
If >
c
= O(
2
[ log [
1
), vortices are expelled from the essential
support of
GP
.
Inside the hole the GP minimizer is exponentially small in and
contains a very large number of vortices, i.e.,
GP

giant
only
inside its essential support
References
References (Physics)
A. Aftalion, Q. Du, Phys. Rev A 64 (2001), 063603.
W. Bao, in Dynamics in Models of Coarsening, Coagulation,
Condensation and Quantization, World Scientic, 2007.
V. Bretin, S. Stock, Y. Seurin, J. Dalibard, Phys. Rev.
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Y. Castin, R. Dum, Eur. Phys. J. D 7 (1999), 399-412.
F. Dalfovo, S. Giorgini, L.P. Pitaevskii, S. Stringari,
Rev. Mod. Phys. 71 (1999), 463532.
A.L. Fetter, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81 (2009), 647691.
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K.W. Madison, F. Chevy, W. Wohlleben, J. Dalibard,
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S. Stock, B. Battelier, V. Bretin, Z. Hadzibabic, J.
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References
References (Math)
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Birkhauser, 2006.
A. Aftalion, X. Blanc, Vortex Lattices in Rotating Bose Einstein
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S. Baldo, R.L. Jerrard, G. Orlandi, H.M. Soner, in
preparation.
References
References (Math)
M.C., T. Rindler-Daller, J. Yngvason, Rapidly Rotating
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Michele Correggi - Vortices in Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates: A Review of (Recent) Mathematical Results

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Vortices in Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates

A Review of (Recent) Mathematical Results

for any constant C R

is real and positive. If = 1, it is also radial.

+ o(1), where S(x, y) =

such that dist(r

and suciently small,

, where the phase

minimizes the kinetic

) (smeared over a ball of size

Uniform Charge Density

vanishes because of the cell

decays very fast

= the leading order contribution is

(minimized by the triangular

, for some C > 0,

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