Dynamic Kosterlitz-Thouless theory for two-dimensional ultracold atomic gases

Abstract

In this paper we develop a theory for the first and second sounds in a two-dimensional atomic gas across the superfluid transition based on the dynamic Koterlitz-Thouless theory. We employ a set of modified two-fluid hydrodynamic equations which incorporate the dynamics of the quantized vortices, rather than the conventional ones for a three-dimensional superfluid. As far as the sound dispersion equation is concerned, the modification is essentially equivalent to replacing the static superfluid density with a frequency-dependent one, renormalized by the frequency-dependent “dielectric constant” of the vortices. This theory has two direct consequences. First, because the renormalized superfluid density at finite frequencies does not display discontinuity across the superfluid transition, in contrast to the static superfluid density, the sound velocities vary smoothly across the transition. Second, the theory includes dissipation due to free vortices and thus naturally describes the sound-to-diffusion crossover for the second sound in the normal phase. With only one fitting parameter, our theory gives a perfect agreement with the experimental measurements of sound velocities across the transition, as well as the quality factor in the vicinity of the transition. The predictions from this theory can be further verified by future experiments.