Breaking of scale invariance in a strongly dipolar 2D Bose gas
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Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) dipolar atomic gases present unique opportunities for exploring novel quantum phases due to their anisotropic and long-range interactions. However, the behavior of strongly dipolar Bose gases in 2D remains unclear, especially when dipoles are tilted. Here, we demonstrate the creation and characterization of strongly dipolar 2D condensates in a quasi-2D harmonic trap with tunable dipole orientation. By investigating scale invariance properties through breathing collective mode measurements, we observe significant breaking of scale invariance when dipoles are tilted in-plane indicating the dominance of the nonlocal dipole-dipole interactions (DDIs) in this regime. Interestingly, the breaking of the scale invariant dynamics is accompanied by an increase in quantum fluctuations, as shown by comparison with mean-field and beyond mean-field theoretical studies. Our experiments also reveal that at critical tilt angles around 70°, stripe-type density modulations emerge, suggesting the presence of a roton spectrum in 2D, while the system still shows hydrodynamic nature with the phase-locking breathing behavior. This observation elucidates the many-body effect induced by DDIs in 2D, thus marking a crucial step toward realizing 2D supersolids and other exotic quantum phases.