A simple method to create a vortex in Bose-Einstein condensate of alkali atoms

Abstract

Bose-Einstein condensation in alkali atoms has materialized quite an interesting system, namely a condensate with a spin degree of freedom. In analogy with the A-phase of the superfluid $^3$He, numerous textures with nonvanishing vorticity have been proposed. In the present paper, interesting properties of such spin textures are analyzed. We propose a remarkably simple method to create a vortex state of a BEC in alkali atoms.