Solitary Waves in Supersolids (PROMENTD_U26EMP)

Come and join the research group of Dr Davide Proment to find out what type of solitary waves exist in supersolids. Supersolids are a fascinating quantum phase of matter that simultaneously exhibit the crystalline structure of solids and the frictionless flow of superfluids. Recently, dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates (dBECs) have provided an ideal platform for realising and studying supersolidity in ultracold atomic systems.

Breakthrough experiments have demonstrated the emergence of supersolid phases and observed quantised vortices within them, opening exciting questions about nonlinear excitations in such media. This MSc by Research project aims to uncover nonlinear solitary wave solutions in supersolids, described by an extended Gross–Pitaevskii equation that incorporates long-range dipole-dipole interactions and quantum fluctuation effects via the Lee–Huang–Yang correction. You will use both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations to explore solitary excitations in this system.

Collaboration with experimental groups working on dipolar quantum gases may be pursued, depending on interest and project developments.