Modeled vortex dynamics in a Bose-Einstein condensate in a rotating lattice

We study the dynamics of vortices in a Bose-Einstein condensate within a rotating four-site lattice, which can be effectively described by a multimode model. Such a vortex dynamics develops along the low-density paths that separate the sites, and it is ruled by the phase differences between them. Hence, by appropriately selecting the initial conditions for on-site populations and phase differences, one can access distinct types of evolutions. We show that, by choosing equal populations in alternate sites, one can construct two-mode model Hamiltonians, which allows us to model a large variety of associated vortex orbits. In particular, one can select the type of trajectory of the vortex and predict the creation and annihilation of vortex-antivortex pairs near the trap center. Estimates for the periods of closed vortex orbits and for the times that the vortices spend inside the lattice when dealing with open orbits, are obtained in terms of the two-mode models parameters and the rotation frequency only. We believe that the present study establishes a suitable platform to engineer different vortex dynamics.