Pattern Formation in Oblate Quantum Ferrofluids: from Supersolids to Superglasses

ORAL

Abstract

Pattern formation is a ubiquitous phenomenon observed in nonlinear and out-of-equilibrium systems. In equilibrium, pattern formation can occur in classical ferrofluids, which exhibit strong dipolar interactions. Here we study quantum ferrofluids, for which density patterns that form in elongated geometries were recently shown to be manifestations of supersolids. We theoretically investigate the phase diagram of quantum ferrofluids in oblate trap geometries and find a wide range of exotic states of matter. In analogy to the patterns in classical ferrofluids, we find honeycomb and labyrinthine states featuring strong density connections. They can be considered two-dimensional manifestations of quantum liquids that spontaneously develop crystalline or amorphous density patterns. Supersolid droplets with two-dimensional crystal structures represent the beginning of the phase diagram at low densities. We show that the quantum fluctuations, responsible for the stabilization of these exotic phases, lead to modified scaling properties generally applicable to quantum ferrofluids in which beyond-mean field effects are important. This allows to find  the supersolid droplet, honeycomb and superglass labyrinthine states for a wide variety of trap geometries, interaction strengths, and atom numbers. Our study illuminates the origin of the various possible morphologies of quantum ferrofluids, highlights their emergent supersolid and superglass properties and shows that their occurrence is generic of strongly dipolar interacting systems stabilized by beyond mean-field effects.

*M.G. and M.Z. acknowledge funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. T.L. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 949431). This work is supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within FOR2247 under Pf381/16-1 and Bu2247/1, Pf381/20-1, FUGG INST41/1056-1 and the QUANT:ERA collaborative project MAQS.

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Publication: The paper is currently in preparation.

Presenters

  • Jens Hertkorn

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart

Authors

  • Jens Hertkorn

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart

  • Jan-Niklas Schmidt

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, University of Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart
    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart

  • Mingyang Guo

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, University of Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart
    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart

  • Fabian Boettcher

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, University of Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart
    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart

  • Kevin Ng

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, University of Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart
    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart

  • Sean Graham

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, University of Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart
    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart

  • Paul Uerlings

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart

  • Hans Peter Büchler

    • Institute for Theoretical Physics III and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart

  • Tim Langen

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart
    • Universtiy of Stuttgart
    • Stuttgard
    • University of Stuttgart

  • Martin W Zwierlein

    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT
    • MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Research Laboratory of Electronics, and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Tilman Pfau

    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
    • 5. Physikalisches Institut and Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology, Universität Stuttgart
    • University of Stuttgart
    • 5th Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany