Bose-Einstein condensates with localized spin-orbit coupling: Soliton complexes and spinor dynamics

Abstract

Spin-orbit (SO) coupling can be introduced in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as a gauge potential acting only in a localized spatial domain. The effect of such a SO "defect" can be understood by transforming the system to the integrable vector model. The properties of the SO BEC change drastically if the SO defect is accompanied by the Zeeman splitting. In such a nonintegrable system, the SO defect qualitatively changes the character of soliton interactions and allows for formation of stable nearly scalar soliton complexes with almost all atoms concentrated in only one dark state. These solitons exist only if the number of particles exceeds a threshold value. We also report on the possibility of transmission and reflection of a soliton upon its scattering on the SO defect. Scattering strongly affects the pseudospin polarization and can induce pseudospin precession. The scattering can also result in almost complete atomic transfer between the dark states.