Emergence and destruction of macroscopic wave functions

The concept of the macroscopic wave function is a key for understanding macroscopic quantum phenomena. The existence of this object reflects a certain order, as it is present in a Bose-Einstein condensate when a single-particle orbital is occupied by a macroscopic number of bosons. We extend these ideas to situations in which a condensate is acted on by an explicitly time-dependent force. While one might assume that such a force would necessarily degrade any pre-existing order, we demonstrate that macroscopic wave functions can persist even under strong forcing. Our definition of the time-dependent order parameter is based on a comparison of the evolution of N-particle states on the one hand, and of states with particles on the other. Our simulations predict the possibility of an almost instantaneous dynamical destruction of a macroscopic wave function under currently accessible experimental conditions.