Quantum swapping of immiscible Bose-Einstein condensates as an alternative to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Abstract

We consider a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate in a quasi-one-dimensional harmonic trap, where the immiscible components are pressed against each other by an external magnetic force. The zero-temperature nonstationary Gross-Pitaevskii equations are solved numerically; analytical models are developed for the key steps in the process. We demonstrate that if the magnetic force is strong enough, then the condensates may swap their places in the trap due to dynamic quantum interpenetration of the nonlinear matter waves. The swapping is accompanied by development of a modulational instability leading to quasiturbulent excitations. Unlike the multidimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a similar geometry of two-component quantum fluid systems, quantum interpenetration has no classical analog. In a two-dimensional geometry a crossover between the Rayleigh-Taylor instability and the dynamic quantum interpenetration is investigated. © 2012 American Physical Society.