Oscillating superflow in multicomponent Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract

Conservation of angular momentum depends on the existence of rotational symmetry. However, even in systems where this symmetry is broken, flipping between angular momentum eigenstates often requires an activation energy. Here we discuss an example of superfluid flow in an azimuthally asymmetric toroidal potential, which shows sustained oscillations between two different rotation directions. The energy required to change the direction of rotation is taken out of and temporarily restored into the rotational and intra-component interaction energies of the system.