Duration: 36 months

Starting date: October, 6

The Bose-Einstein condensate group of the Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers (CNRS/Université Sorbonne Paris Nord) is an expert in the out of equilibrium physics of quantum gases. We offer a PhD position to work on the sodium project, where we produce degenerate quantum gases on top of an
atom chip. The extremely elongated trap geometry offered by the chip design allows to reach the unidimensional regime.

The aim of the PhD project is to demonstrate the presence of solitons in one-dimensional weakly interacting Bose gases at finite temperature or following dynamic excitation. The gas can be described by a wave function, or equivalently by a density and a phase. A soliton corresponds to a local density depletion that propagates within the gas without dispersion. The presence of solitons in the system can be revealed by direct imaging or by the shape of the gas velocity distribution. The objective of this thesis project is to study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of a weakly interacting Bose gas confined in a box trap under strong excitation, and to evidence the presence of solitons in the gas. While the project is mainly experimental, it may also include numerical simulations of these phenomena.

Environment

• University Sorbonne Paris Nord campus is located less than 30 minutes from the center of Paris.
• The team currently comprises a PhD, a postdoc and three researchers.
• The laboratory hosts four other ultra-cold atom experiments and various physics projects including
  fundamental ones and applications. Electronic, mechanical and optical workshops support our
  activities.