Transient supersolid properties in an array of dipolar quantum droplets

Understand

We study theoretically and experimentally the emergence of supersolid properties in a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate.

• The theory reveals a ground state phase diagram with three distinct regimes - a regular Bose-Einstein condensate, incoherent and coherent arrays of quantum droplets.
• In the latter the droplets are connected by a finite superfluid density, which leads - in addition to the periodic density modulation - to a robust phase coherence throughout the whole system.
• We further theoretically demonstrate that we are able to dynamically approach the ground state in our experiment and that its lifetime is only limited by three-body losses.