Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Dissipative systems often exhibit wavelength-dependent loss rates. One prominent example is Rydberg polaritons formed by electromagnetically induced transparency, which have long been a leading candidate for studying the physics of interacting photons and also hold promise as a platform for quantum information. In this system, dissipation is in the form of quantum diffusion, i.e., proportional to ${k}^{2}$ ($k$ being the wavevector) and vanishing at long wavelengths as $k\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. Here, we show that one-dimensional condensates subject to this type of loss are unstable to long-wavelength density fluctuations in an unusual manner: after a prolonged period in which the condensate appears to relax to a uniform state, local depleted regions quickly form and spread ballistically throughout the system. We connect this behavior to the leading-order equation for the nearly uniform condensate---a dispersive analog to the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation---which develops singularities in finite time. Furthermore, we show that the wavefronts of the depleted regions are described by purely dissipative solitons within a pair of hydrodynamic equations, with no counterpart in lossless condensates. We close by discussing conditions under which such singularities and the resulting solitons can be physically realized.
Source: Physical Review A
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Michigan State University, National Institute of Standards and Technology, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, Division of Materials Research, Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office
Awards: G1523888516, G1965873410, G2127201742, G3138666703, FUNDAMENTAL ALGORITHMIC RESEARCH FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING, G36446433, G4010038600, EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE MAPPING OF QUANTUM COMPUTATIONS ONTO REALISTIC ARCHITECTURES, QUANTUM COMPUTING IN CHEMICAL AND MATERIAL SCIENCES, Non-equilibrium Critical Phenomena in Many-Body Quantum Systems, G5729145195, G7436220671, G8532239345, G8729776176, G8883335567
OpenAlex ID: W3206153820