Spin-Orbit Coupled Quantum Gases

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Abstract

In this review we will discuss the experimental and theoretical progresses in studying spin-orbit coupled degenerate atomic gases during the last two years. We shall first review a series of pioneering experiments in generating synthetic gauge potentials and spin-orbit coupling in atomic gases by engineering atom-light interaction. Realization of spin-orbit coupled quantum gases opens a new avenue in cold atom physics, and also brings out a lot of new physical problems. In particular, the interplay between spin-orbit coupling and inter-atomic interaction leads to many intriguing phenomena. Here, by reviewing recent theoretical studies of both interacting bosons and fermions with isotropic Rashba spin-orbit coupling, the key message delivered here is that spin-orbit coupling can enhance the interaction effects, and make the interaction effects much more dramatic even in the weakly interacting regime.

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Topological Insulators

, (2011)

Topological insulators are electronic materials that have a bulk band gap like an ordinary insulator, but have protected conducting states on their edge or surface. The 2D topological insulator is a quantum spin Hall insulator, which is a close cousin of the integer quantum Hall state. A 3D topological insulator supports novel spin polarized 2D Dirac fermions on its surface. In this Colloquium article we will review the theoretical foundation for these electronic states and describe recent experiments in which their signatures have been observed. We will describe transport experiments on HgCdTe quantum wells that demonstrate the existence of the edge states predicted for the quantum spin Hall insulator. We will then discuss experiments on Bi_{1-x}Sb_x, Bi_2 Se_3, Bi_2 Te_3 and Sb_2 Te_3 that establish these materials as 3D topological insulators and directly probe the topology of their surface states. We will then describe exotic states that can occur at the surface of a 3D topological insulator due to an induced energy gap. A magnetic gap leads to a novel quantum Hall state that gives rise to a topological magnetoelectric effect. A superconducting energy gap leads to a state that supports Majorana fermions, and may provide a new venue for realizing proposals for topological quantum computation. We will close by discussing prospects for observing these exotic states, a well as other potential device applications of topological insulators.

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Spinor Bose Condensates in Optical Traps

Tin-Lun Ho (1998)

In an optical trap, the ground state of spin-1 Bosons such as \(^{23}\)Na, \(^{39}\)K, and \(^{87}\)Rb can be either a ferromagnetic or a "polar" state, depending on the scattering lengths in different angular momentum channel. The collective modes of these states have very different spin character and spatial distributions. While ordinary vortices are stable in the polar state, only those with unit circulation are stable in the ferromagnetic state. The ferromagnetic state also has coreless (or Skyrmion) vortices like those of superfluid \(^{3}\)He-A. Current estimates of scattering lengths suggest that the ground states of \(^{23}\)Na and \(^{87}\)Rb condensate are a polar state and a ferromagnetic state respectively.