Stabilizing an attractive Bose-Einstein condensate by driving a surface collective mode - art. no. 033604

Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interatomic interactions undergo collective collapse beyond a critical number. We show theoretically that if the low-lying collective modes of the condensate are excited, the radial b reathing mode further destabilizes the condensate. Remarkably, excitation o f the quadrupolar surface mode causes the condensate to become more stable, imparting quasiangular momentum to it. A significantly larger number of at oms may then occupy the condensate. Efforts are under way for the experimen tal realization of these effects.