S. Burger et al., Superfluid and dissipative dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a periodic optical potential, PHYS REV L, 86(20), 2001, pp. 4447-4450
We create Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb-87 in a static magnetic trap with
a superimposed blue-detuned 1D optical lattice. By displacing the magnetic
trap center we are able to control the condensate evolution. We observe a
change in the frequency of the center-of-mass oscillation in the harmonic t
rapping potential, in analogy with an increase in effective mass. For fluid
velocities greater than a local speed of sound, we observe the onset of di
ssipative processes up to full removal of the superfluid component. A paral
lel simulation study visualizes the dynamics of the Bose-Einstein condensat
e and accounts for the main features of the observed behavior.