Strongly interacting systems of dipolar bosons in three dimensions confined by harmonic traps are analyzed using the exact path integral ground-state Monte Carlo method. By adding a repulsive two-body potential, we find a narrow window of interaction parameters leading to stable ground-state configurations of droplets in a crystalline arrangement. We find that this effect is entirely due to the interaction present in the Hamiltonian without resorting to additional stabilizing mechanisms or specific three-body forces. We analyze the number of droplets formed in terms of the Hamiltonian parameters, relate them to the corresponding $s$-wave scattering length, and discuss a simple scaling model for the density profiles. Our results are in qualitative agreement with recent experiments showing a quantum Rosensweig instability in trapped Dy atoms.

• Received 21 July 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.205301