Semidiscrete quantum droplets and vortices

Abstract: We consider a binary bosonic condensate with weak mean-field (MF) residual repulsion, loaded in an array of nearly one-dimensional traps coupled by transverse hopping. With the MF force balanced by the effectively one-dimensional attraction, induced in each trap by the Lee-Hung-Yang correction (produced by quantum fluctuations around the MF state), stable onsite-centered and intersite-centered semi-discrete quantum droplets (QDs) emerge in the array, as fundamental ones and self-trapped vortices, with winding numbers, at least, up to 5, in both tightly-bound and quasi-continuum forms. The application of a relatively strong trapping potential leads to squeezing transitions, which increase the number of sites in fundamental QDs, and eventually replace vortex modes by fundamental or dipole ones. The results provide the first realization of stable semi-discrete vortex QDs, including ones with multiple vorticity.