Dynamical Quasicondensation of Hard-Core Bosons at Finite Momenta

Abstract

Long-range order in quantum many-body systems is usually associated with equilibrium situations. Here, we experimentally investigate the quasicondensation of strongly-interacting bosons at finite momenta in a far-from-equilibrium case. We prepare an inhomogeneous initial state consisting of one-dimensional Mott insulators in the center of otherwise empty one-dimensional chains in an optical lattice with a lattice constant $d$. After suddenly quenching the trapping potential to zero, we observe the onset of coherence in spontaneously forming quasicondensates in the lattice. Remarkably, the emerging phase order differs from the ground-state order and is characterized by peaks at finite momenta $\pm (π/2) (\hbar / d)$ in the momentum distribution function.

See also Viewpoint: Emerging Quantum Order in an Expanding Gas, Physics 8, 99 (2015)