Spin-3 Chromium Bose-Einstein Condensates

Abstract

We analyze the physics of spin-3 Bose-Einstein condensates, and in particular the new physics expected in on-going experiments with condensates of Chromium atoms. We first discuss the ground-state properties, which, depending on still unknown Chromium parameters, and for low magnetic fields can present various types of phases. We also discuss the spinor-dynamics in Chromium spinor condensates, which present significant qualitative differences when compared to other spinor condensates. In particular, dipole-induced spin relaxation may lead for low magnetic fields to transfer of spin into angular momentum similar to the well-known Einstein-de Haas effect. Additionally, a rapid large transference of population between distant magnetic states becomes also possible.