Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2007 / iii / Paper 84 / 1 / iv / Solution

For the displayed scaling, assume $\mu >0$ and $n_0>0$. SetSubstituting in the stationary cubic-quintic Gross–Pitaevskii equation and dividing by $\mu \sqrt{n_0}$ givesThe uniform-state relation proves $\alpha +\beta =1$, so the real bulk amplitude is one; its constant quantum phase can be chosen to make $\tilde{\psi }\to 1$ in the zero-winding sector. The unit of distance $\ell$ is the kinetic-to-chemical-potential scale, reducing to the stated healing length convention for purely repulsive two-body coupling.

The positive-$\mu$ assumption is necessary for the printed sign convention. If $\mu <0$, the real length is $\hslash /\sqrt{2m|\mu |}$, and the dimensionless linear term is $-1$, with interaction coefficients divided by $|\mu |$; the displayed equation with linear term $+1$ does not follow. At $\mu =0$ this scaling is undefined. These are limitations of this particular nondimensionalization, not a claim that all cubic-quintic bulk states have positive chemical potential.