Work

Signatures of rigidity and second sound in dipolar supersolids

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We propose a dynamical protocol to probe the rigidity and phase coherence of dipolar supersolids by merging initially separated fragments in quasi-one-dimensional (1D) double-well potentials. Simulations based on the extended Gross-Pitaevskii equation reveal distinct dynamical signatures across phases. Supersolids exhibit damped crystal oscillations following barrier removal, with the damping rate reflecting superfluid connectivity. A phase-imprinted jump additionally triggers metastable dark solitons, which excites second sound, as revealed by an out-of-phase drift between the droplet lattice and the superfluid background. Our results show a realizable path to dynamically detect the second sound and rigidity of supersolids, as well as to realize and probe soliton formation.

Source: Physical Review A

DOI: 10.1103/1fhc-mbbf

Authors: G. A. Bougas, T. Bland, H. R. Sadeghpour, S. I. Mistakidis

Institutions: Missouri University of Science and Technology, Lund University, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian

Language: English

Topic: Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Army Research Office

Awards: G1222496926, G436407130, G5501461112