Observation of vortex lattices in Bose-Einstein condensates.
Quantized vortices play a key role in superfluidity and superconductivity. We have observed the formation of highly ordered vortex lattices in a rotating Bose-condensed gas. These triangular lattices contained over 100 vortices with lifetimes of several seconds. Individual vortices persisted up to 40 seconds. The lattices could be generated over a wide range of rotation frequencies and trap geometries, shedding light on the formation process. Our observation of dislocations, irregular structure, and dynamics indicates that gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates may be a model system for the study of vortex matter.
Abo-Shaeer
J R
JR
Department of Physics, Center for Ultracold Atoms at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, and Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Raman
C
C
Vogels
J M
JM
Ketterle
W
W