2006/08/31 by R. G. Scott, D. A. W. Hutchinson, C. W. Gardiner
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #Strong Light-Matter Interactions #cond-mat.other
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.74.053605
5 figures
arxiv created 2006/10/02 · openalex publication_date 2006/11/06 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We perform fully three-dimensional simulations, using the truncated Wigner method, to investigate the reflection of Bose-Einstein condensates from abrupt potential barriers. We show that the interatomic interactions can disrupt the internal structure of a cigar-shaped cloud with a high atom density at low approach velocities, damping the center-of-mass motion and generating vortices. Furthermore, by incorporating quantum noise we show that scattering halos form at high approach velocities, causing an associated condensate depletion. We compare our results to recent experimental observations.