Topological order is often quantified in terms of Chern numbers, each of which classifies a topological singularity. Here, inspired by concepts from high-energy physics, we use quantum simulation based on the spin degrees of freedom of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates to …

Second Chern number of a quantum-simulated non-Abelian Yang monopole Read more »

We study the dynamics of a supersonically expanding, ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate both experimentally and theoretically. The expansion redshifts long-wavelength excitations, as in an expanding universe. After expansion, energy in the radial mode leads to the production of bulk topological excitations—solitons …

A Rapidly Expanding Bose-Einstein Condensate: An Expanding Universe in the Lab Read more »

Pictured is the ErNa team: from left to right: Hector Sosa Martinez (Postdoc), Ian B. Spielman (collaborator), Gretchen K. Campbell (PI),  Avinash Kumar (pre-h. D), Madison Anderson (graduate student), Monica Gutierrez Galan (graduate student), and Swarnav Banik (graduate student).

Ultracold bosons in optical lattices are one of the few systems where bosonic matter is known to exhibit strong correlations. Here we push the frontier of our understanding of interacting bosons in optical lattices by adding synthetic spin-orbit coupling, and …

Quantum phases of two-component bosons with spin-orbit coupling in optical lattices Read more »