Symmetry Classification of Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates

We propose a method for systematically finding ground states of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates by utilizing symmetry properties of the system. By this method, we can find not only an inert state, whose symmetry is maximal in the manifold under consideration, but also a non-inert state, which has lower symmetry and depends on the parameters in the Hamiltonian. We establish the symmetry-classification method for the spin-1, 2 and 3 cases at zero magnetic field, and find a new phase in the last case. Properties of vortices in the spin-3 system are also discussed.