Strong-coupling polarons in dilute gas Bose-Einstein condensates

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Jun 2;96(21):210401. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.210401. Epub 2006 Jun 1.

Abstract

A neutral impurity atom immersed in a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) can have a bound ground state in which the impurity is self-localized. In this polaronlike state, the impurity distorts the density of the surrounding BEC, thereby creating the self-trapping potential minimum. We describe the self-localization in a strong-coupling approach.