Vortex formation in a slowly rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic-plus-Gaussian laser trap

Motivated by the recent experiment at ENS [V. Bretin, S. Stock, Y. Seurin and, J. Dalibard, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 050403 (2004)], we study a rotating (non-)interacting atomic Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic-plus-Gaussian laser trap potential. By adjusting the amplitude of the Gaussian laser potential, one can make quadratic-plus-quartic potential, purely quartic potential, and quartic-minus-quadratic potential. We show that an interacting Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a harmonic-plus-Gaussian laser trap breaks the rotational symmetry of the Hamiltonian when rotational frequency is greater than one-half of the lowest energy surface mode frequency. We also show that by increasing the amplitude of the Gaussian laser trap, a vortex appears in a slowly rotating Bose-Einstein condensate. Moreover, one can also create a vortex in a slowly rotating non-interacting Bose-Einstein condensate confined in harmonic-plus-Gaussian laser potential.