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Ultracold bosons in 3D double wells: macroscopic superposition of vortex states and the tunneling of atoms carrying vorticity

Miguel-Angel Garcia-March, Colorado School of Mines

(Session 10c : Saturday from 4:00pm-4:30pm)

Abstract. M.A. Garcia-March and L.D. Carr We study ultracold bosons in three-dimensional double wells when they are allowed either to condense in single-particle ground states or to occupy excited states. This permits the consideration of angular degrees of freedom on the model, since the second level eigenstates can carry angular momentum. We show that the number of relevant parameters is increased, since new processes, like two-particle hopping between different levels or vortex-antivortex pair creation or annihilation, are considered. We clearly demarcate the new range of dynamical regimes obtained in terms of the new parameters. We show the presence, in the interaction-dominated regimes, of macroscopic superposition states of atoms with non-zero angular momentum. This leads to the study of the dynamics of atoms carrying vorticity while tunneling between wells. Among these new tunneling processes, we find vortex hopping and vortex-antivortex pair superposition along with the sloshing of atoms between both wells.