From vortices to solitonic vortices in trapped atomic Bose-Einstein condensates

Motivated by recent experiments we study theoretically the dynamics of vortices in the crossover from two to one-dimension in atomic condensates in elongated traps. We explore the transition from the dynamics of a vortex to that of a dark soliton as the one-dimensional limit is approached, mapping this transition out as a function of the key system parameters. Moreover, we probe this transition dynamically through the hysteresis under time-dependent deformation of the trap at the dimensionality crossover. When the solitonic regime is probed during the hysteresis, significant angular momentum is lost from the system but, remarkably, the vortex can re-emerge.