Ground-state phase transitions in spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensates with spin-orbit coupling

We investigate phase transitions of the ground state (GS) of spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensates under the combined action of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and gradient magnetic field. Introducing appropriate raising and lowering operators, we exactly solve the linear system. Analyzing the obtained energy spectrum, we conclude that simultaneous variation of the magnetic-field gradient and SOC strength leads to the transition of excited states into the GS. As a result, any excited state can transition to the GS, at appropriate values of the system's parameters. The nonlinear system is solved numerically, showing that the GS phase transition, similar to the one in the linear system, still exists under the action of the repulsive nonlinearity. In the case of weak attraction, a mixed state appears near the GS transition point, while the GS transitions into an edge state under the action of strong attractive interaction. © 2024 American Physical Society.