Quantum Droplets in a Heteronuclear Bose Mixture observed

K/Rb Lab

We report on the formation of heteronuclear quantum droplets in an attractive bosonic mixture of 41K and 87Rb. We observe long-lived self-bound states, both in free space and in an optical waveguide. In the latter case, the dynamics under the effect of a species-dependent force confirms their bound nature. By tuning the interactions from the weakly to the strongly attractive regime, we study the transition from expanding to localized states, in both geometries. We compare the experimental results with numerical simulations and we find a good agreement in the full range of explored interactions.

C. D'Errico et al.
Observation of Quantum Droplets in a Heteronuclear Bosonic Mixture
Phys. Rev. Research 1, 033155 (2019)