A1 Journal article (refereed)
Observation of an Alice ring in a Bose–Einstein condensate (2023)

Blinova, A., Zamora-Zamora, R., Ollikainen, T., Kivioja, M., Möttönen, M., & Hall, D. S. (2023). Observation of an Alice ring in a Bose–Einstein condensate. Nature Communications, 14, Article 5100. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40710-2

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Blinova, Alina; Zamora-Zamora, Roberto; Ollikainen, Tuomas; Kivioja, Markus; Möttönen, Mikko; Hall, David S.

Journal or series: Nature Communications

eISSN: 2041-1723

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 29/08/2023

Volume: 14

Article number: 5100

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40710-2

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/88941

Abstract

Monopoles and vortices are fundamental topological excitations that appear in physical systems spanning enormous scales of size and energy, from the vastness of the early universe to tiny laboratory droplets of nematic liquid crystals and ultracold gases. Although the topologies of vortices and monopoles are distinct from one another, under certain circumstances a monopole can spontaneously and continuously deform into a vortex ring with the curious property that monopoles passing through it are converted into anti-monopoles. However, the observation of such Alice rings has remained a major challenge, due to the scarcity of experimentally accessible monopoles in continuous fields. Here, we present experimental evidence of an Alice ring resulting from the decay of a topological monopole defect in a dilute gaseous 87Rb Bose–Einstein condensate. Our results, in agreement with detailed first-principles simulations, provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore the unique features of a composite excitation that combines the topological features of both a monopole and a vortex ring.

Keywords: Bose-Einstein condensation; magnetic properties; low temperature physics

Free keywords: Bose–Einstein condensates; quantum fluids and solids; ultracold gases

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2023

Preliminary JUFO rating: 3