Numerical Study of Vortex Decay and Quantum Turbulence in Finite-Temperature Bose-Einstein Condensates.

• Grant number: 25/12991-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 11, 2026
• End date: January 10, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Principal Investigator: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
• Grantee: Leandro Alvares Machado
• Supervisor: Nikolaos P Proukakis
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Newcastle University, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/20641-5 - Decaying of macroscopic quantum objects in far from equilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates, BP.DR

Abstract

This project explores the out-of-equilibrium dynamics and decay of quantized vortices in Bose Einstein condensates (BECs), with particular focus on the role of thermal fluctuations. Although multicharged vortices are unstable even at zero temperature, the presence of a thermal cloud introduces dissipative and stochastic effects that significantly impact their evolution. Our goal is to understand how these vortices relax toward statistical equilibrium, potentially leading to quantum turbulence. We will investigate potential dynamical stabilization protocols for multiply-quantized vortices even at finite-temperature. To address this, we will use advanced numerical methods that explicitly account for excited states and condensate-thermal cloud interactions. Furthermore, the project aims to characterize distinct relaxation pathways-from re-coherence and repopulation of the condensate to full thermalization.