Elastic Modulus in One-Dimensional Quantum Droplets

Abstract

Quantum droplets (QDs) are self-bound states of ultradilute quantum fluids stabilized by the interplay between the Lee Huang-Yang (LHY) quantum-fluctuation correction and the mean-field interaction, providing a useful platform for exploring macroscopic quantum phenomena. Recent studies on three-dimensional QDs have introduced the concept of bulk modulus and revealed its connection with the breathing-mode frequency, thereby linking the elastic response of QDs to their collective dynamics. Motivated by this progress, we investigate the elastic modulus of one-dimensional QDs. Based on a super Gaussian variational ansatz, we systematically derive the elastic modulus B and analyze its dependence on the interaction strength and particle number. The analytical predictions are further validated by numerical simulations based on imaginary time evolution and the spatial scaling method. We also establish a quantitative relation between the elastic modulus and the eigenfrequency of the breathing mode. In addition, by incorporating corrections to the droplet width beyond the Thomas Fermi approximation, we obtain the dependence of the ratio η = B/2 on the control parameters g and N. Unlike the three-dimensional case, where the corresponding ratio follows a simple power-law scaling, the one-dimensional system is affected by the soliton-to-droplet crossover, leading to a more intricate dependence of η on g and N. Our results show that, in the high-particle-number regime, the elastic modulus asymptotically approaches a limiting value determined mainly by the interaction strength, whereas in the low-particle-number regime it depends on both the particle number and the interaction strength.