Classical-field methods for atom-molecule systems

Abstract

We extend classical-field methods to provide a description of atom-molecule systems. We use a model of Bose-Einstein condensation of atoms close to a Feshbach resonance, in which the tunable scattering length of the atoms is described using a system of coupled atom and molecule fields. We formulate the basic theoretical methods for a coupled atom-molecule system, including the determination of the phenomenological parameters in our system, the Thomas-Fermi description of Bose-Einstein condensate, the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations, and the Bogoliubov excitation spectrum for a homogenous condensed system. We apply this formalism to the special case of Bragg scattering from a uniform condensate and find that for moderate and large scattering lengths, there is a dramatic difference in the shift of the peak of the Bragg spectra, compared to that based on a structureless atom model. The result is compatible with the experimental results of Papp for Bragg scattering from a nonuniform condensate. © 2013 American Physical Society.