Quantum dynamics of impurities in a one-dimensional Bose gas

• Published in: Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 85; no. 2
• Main Authors: Catani, J., Lamporesi, G., Naik, D., Gring, M., Inguscio, M., Minardi, F., Kantian, A., Giamarchi, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 17-02-2012
• Subjects: Amplitudes; Dipoles; Dynamics; Frequency shift; Impurities; Mathematical models; Oscillations; Strength
• ISSN: 1050-2947; 1094-1622; 1094-1622
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.85.023623

Using a species-selective dipole potential, we create initially localized impurities and investigate their interactions with a majority species of bosonic atoms in a one-dimensional configuration during expansion. We find an interaction-dependent amplitude reduction of the oscillation of the impurities' size with no measurable frequency shift, and study it as a function of the interaction strength. We discuss possible theoretical interpretations of the data. We compare, in particular, with a polaronic mass shift model derived following Feynman variational approach.