Multiple self-organized phases and spatial solitons in cold atoms mediated by optical feedback

Baio, Giuseppe and Robb, Gordon R. M. and Yao, Alison M. and Oppo, Gian-Luca and Ackemann, Thorsten (2021) Multiple self-organized phases and spatial solitons in cold atoms mediated by optical feedback. Physical Review Letters, 126 (20). 203201. ISSN 1079-7114 (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.203201)

[thumbnail of Baio-etal-PRL-2021-Multiple-self-organized-phases-and-spatial-solitons-in-cold-atoms]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Baio_etal_PRL_2021_Multiple_self_organized_phases_and_spatial_solitons_in_cold_atoms.pdf
Accepted Author Manuscript
Download (2MB)| Preview

Abstract

We study the transverse self-structuring of cold atomic clouds with effective atomic interactions mediated by a coherent driving beam retroreflected by means of a single mirror. The resulting self-structuring due to optomechanical forces is much richer than that of an effective-Kerr medium, displaying hexagonal, stripe and honeycomb phases depending on the interaction strength parametrized by the linear susceptibility. Phase domains are described by Ginzburg-Landau amplitude equations with real coefficients. In the stripe phase the system recovers inversion symmetry. Moreover, the subcritical character of the honeycomb phase allows for light-density feedback solitons functioning as self-sustained dark atomic traps with motion controlled by phase gradients in the driving beam.

ORCID iDs

Baio, Giuseppe, Robb, Gordon R. M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3004-5926, Yao, Alison M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6260-5852, Oppo, Gian-Luca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5376-4309 and Ackemann, Thorsten ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2727-7395;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)