Figure 1

Defect creation. (a) Double light-roadblock setup. (b) Energy level diagram. (c) Density plots of $|1⟩$ atoms from 2D simulations of defect creation using a $60\mu \mathrm{m}$ wire mask; initially, the BEC has $4.0\times {10}^6$ atoms. Light pulse intensities and durations are as in the experiment.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

Experimentally observed resonant transmission images of BECs (transmitted laser intensity normalized to incident) after they are illuminated with coupling and probe pulse(s). In (a) [(b)], one [two] probe pulse[s] is [are] hitting the cloud, there are initially 4.0 $[3.6]\times {10}^6$ condensed atoms, and the imaged slice is 30 $[23]\mu \mathrm{m}$ thick. Times cited refer to evolution time in the trap, $\Delta t_{\mathrm{t}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{p}}$, after defect creation; $\Delta t_{\exp }=19.9\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}$. The arrows indicate initial defect planes.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

Simulation for $\Delta t_{\exp }=14\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}$ ($\Delta t_{\mathrm{t}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{p}}$ on plots) with parameters as in Fig. 1c. To compare with experiment, we plot the transmission, $e^{-D_y(x,z)}$, where $D_y(x,z)$ is the optical density along $y$ over the central $22\mu \mathrm{m}$ slab of the BEC.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 4

Simulation of soliton VR dynamics during expansion after $\Delta t_{\mathrm{t}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{p}}=3.0\mathrm{m}\mathrm{s}$. Times cited are $\Delta t_{\exp }$. Only solitons propagating in the $-z$ direction (downward) from the $+z$ (top) defect are shaded (blue through red, in order of creation), to assist in tracking the movement of each from frame to frame. Dots (crosses) indicate vortex cores for $z>0$ only with positive (negative) circulation with respect to the plane of the page. The vortex colors correspond to parent soliton colors, although the green cores are generated by the mirror image of the correspondingly shaded soliton. Density ranges from 0 to $\{7.5,4.5,4.1,3.6,1.3,0.92,0.42\}\times {10}^{13}{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{-3}$ for each of the times presented, respectively. Simulation parameters are the same as in Fig. 1c.Reuse & Permissions