Self-Pinning Transition of a Tonks-Girardeau Gas in a Bose-Einstein Condensate

We show that a Tonks-Girardeau (TG) gas that is immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate can undergo a transition to a crystal-like Mott state with regular spacing between the atoms without any externally imposed lattice potential. We characterize this phase transition as a function of the interspecies interaction and temperature of the TG gas, and show how it can be measured via accessible observables in cold atom experiments. We also develop an effective model that accurately describes the system in the pinned insulator state and which allows us to derive the critical temperature of the transition.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that a Tonks-Girardeau gas in a Bose-Einstein condensate can transition to a crystal-like Mott state without an externally imposed lattice potential. The phase transition depends on the interspecies interaction and temperature of the TG gas and can be measured through accessible observables in cold atom experiments. An effective model was also developed to accurately describe the system in the pinned insulator state and derive the critical temperature of the transition.