Dynamics of bright solitary matter-waves

This thesis describes the formation of a 85Rb Bose-Einstein condensate and the subsequent creation of a bright solitary matter-wave in a quasi-one-dimensional optical waveguide, with experiments investigating the dynamics of a solitary wave in comparison with a repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate. In the final chapters of this thesis, progress towards the interaction of a solitary wave with a narrow barrier and an attractive atom-surface potential is presented. Beyond the above, a review of recent soliton and solitary wave theory is presented from the perspective of an experimentalist, culminating in the numerical analysis of a variety of key areas, namely, quantum reflection, solitary wave size and solitary wave profile. The modelling and experimental results relating to the merging of ultracold gases of 85Rb and 87Rb, in order to create isotopic mixtures, is also described within this thesis. Such a scheme could be used as an initial step in the process of forming molecules or undertaking sympathetic cooling. Finally, the creation of a complex LabVIEW based experimental control system is also described within.