Dipole condensates in synthetic rank-2 electric fields

Abstract

Dipole condensates, formed from particle-hole pairs, represent a unique class of charge-neutral quantum fluids that evade conventional vector gauge fields, making their electrodynamic responses difficult to probe in natural materials. Here, we propose a tunable platform using strongly interacting two-component ultracold atoms to realize dipole condensates and probe their coupling to rank-2 electric fields. By applying spin-dependent forces and treating spin as a synthetic dimension, we engineer a synthetic rank-2 electric field that induces measurable electrodynamic responses. We identify the atomic analog of perfect Coulomb drag: increasing intercomponent interactions leads to equal and opposite displacements of the centers of mass of the two spin components. Furthermore, a rank-2 electric field imprints a phase twist in the dipole condensate and generates a supercurrent of dipoles that obeys the dipolar Josephson relation -- a smoking gun for dipole condensation. Our results establish a powerful platform for exploring dipolar superfluidity under tensor gauge fields.