Liquid-Gas phase transition in Bose-Einstein Condensates with time evolution

Abstract

We study the effects of a repulsive three-body interaction on a system of trapped ultra-cold atoms in Bose-Einstein condensed state. The stationary solutions of the corresponding $s-$wave non-linear Schrödinger equation suggest a scenario of first-order liquid-gas phase transition in the condensed state up to a critical strength of the effective three-body force. The time evolution of the condensate with feeding process and three-body recombination losses has a new characteristic pattern. Also, the decay time of the dense (liquid) phase is longer than expected due to strong oscillations of the mean-square-radius.

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