Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2007 / iii / Paper 84 / 4 / i / Solution

Here equilibrium means a time-independent number density and current, with a common temporal quantum phase. Write $\psi (\mathbf{x},t)=e^{-i\mu t/\hslash }\Psi (\mathbf{x})$ with real $\mu$, since an imaginary temporal frequency would change the density. The stationary pumped Gross–Pitaevskii equation isThe chemical potential is the common phase-rotation frequency times $\hslash$; this open system has no conserved particle-number constraint fixing it as in the conservative problem. Local gain and loss need not cancel separately in an inhomogeneous equilibrium, because a stationary condensate number current can transport particles between gain and loss regions.