Ground state phases of a quasi-2D BEC of rigid rotor molecules via Bogoliubov mean-field theory

POSTER

Abstract

We investigate the quadrupolar properties of the ground state and low-energy excitations of a Bose-Einstein condensate of rigid rotor molecules confined harmonically in two dimensions. A gradient field is applied that induces molecular quadrupole moments, and the molecules interact via quadrupole-quadrupole forces. Via a Bogoliubov mean-field analysis, we identify a second-order phase transition between liquid-crystal-like uniaxial and biaxial nematic phases driven by the strength of the quadrupolar interactions and associated with the spontaneous symmetry-breaking of azimuthal symmetry in the plane. We investigate the stability of these phases by way of the dispersion relations of the low-energy excitations.

*Funding through NSF RUI Grant 1516337.

Authors

  • Nathaniel Chapman

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

  • Seth Rittenhouse

    • United States Naval Academy
    • Department of Physics, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD

  • Ryan Wilson

    • Department of Physics, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD

  • Brandon Peden

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA