Quantum mechanics

Bose–Einstein condensate

Boundary (topology)

Materials science

Embedded system

Range (aeronautics)

Soliton

Computer science

Physics

Nonlinear system

Database

Mathematics

Atom (system on chip)

Condensed matter physics

Mathematical analysis

Quantum

Composite material

Measure (data warehouse)

Physical Review Letters

Attractive Bose-Einstein condensates can host two types of macroscopic self-bound states of different nature: bright solitons and quantum liquid droplets. Here, we investigate the connection between them with a Bose-Bose mixture confined in an optical waveguide. We develop a simple theoretical model to show that, depending on atom number and interaction strength, solitons and droplets can be smoothly connected or remain distinct states coexisting only in a bi-stable region. We experimentally measure their spin composition, extract their density for a broad range of parameters and map out the boundary of the region separating solitons from droplets.

Bright Soliton to Quantum Droplet Transition in a Mixture of Bose-Einstein Condensates