Stability of dark solitons in a bubble Bose-Einstein condensate
Abstract
The stability of nonlinear waves on curved surfaces is a problem of widespread interest across physics. Here, we establish the stability criteria for dark solitons on a spherical Bose-Einstein condensate. We demonstrate a sharp instability threshold in the nonlinear parameter, beyond which solitons decay into vortex dipoles via snake instabilities. Analytically and numerically, we prove this decay is dictated by a single unstable mode for each angular momentum $m \geq 2$, which is a universal mechanism that controls the resulting vortex state. Unlike in the full three-dimensional case, where snake instabilities lead to vortex rings, a dark soliton confined to the surface of a bubble can only decay into vortex pairs.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates
Nonlinear Photonic Systems
Strong Light-Matter Interactions
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review A
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 113
- Issue
- 4
- Publication date
- 16 March 2026
- Language
- EN