Spin-orbit coupled soliton in a random potential

Abstract

We investigate theoretically the dynamics of a spin-orbit coupled soliton formed by a self- interacting Bose-Einstein condensate immersed in a random potential, in the presence of an artificial magnetic field. We find that due to the anomalous spin-dependent velocity, the synthetic Zeeman coupling can play a critical role in the soliton dynamics by causing its localization or delocalization, depending on the coupling strength and on the parameters of the random potential. The observed effects of the Zeeman coupling qualitatively depend on the type of self-interaction in the condensate since the spin state and the self-interaction energy of the condensate are mutually related if the invariance of the latter with respect to the spin rotation is lifted.