Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1610.04716 · Physical Review Letters

Bloch Oscillations in Optical and Zeeman Lattices in the Presence of Spin-Orbit Coupling

Yaroslav V. Kartashov, V. V. Konotop, Dmitry A. Zezyulin, Lluís Torner

Published Nov 18, 2016• 67 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We address Bloch oscillations of a spin-orbit coupled atom in periodic potentials of two types: optical and Zeeman lattices. We show that in optical lattices the spin-orbit coupling allows controlling the direction of atomic motion and may lead to complete suppression of the oscillations at specific values of the coupling strength. In Zeeman lattices the energy bands are found to cross each other at the boundaries of the Brillouin zone, resulting in period doubling of the oscillations. In all cases, the oscillations are accompanied by rotation of the pseudospin, with a dynamics that is determined by the strength of the spin-orbit coupling. The predicted effects are discussed also in terms of a Wannier-Stark ladder, which in optical lattices consist of two mutually shifted equidistant subladders.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.117.215301

Related papers

Dynamic localization in optical and Zeeman lattices in the presence of spin-orbit coupling

Yaroslav V. Kartashov, V. V. Konotop, Dmitry A. Zezyulin +1 more

The dynamic localization of a two-level atom in a periodic potential under the action of spin-orbit coupling and a weak harmonically varying linear force is studied. We consider optical and Zeeman potentials that are either in phase or out of phase in two spinor components, respectively. The expectation value for the position of the atom after one oscillation period of the linear force is recovered in authentic resonances or in pseudoresonances. The frequencies of the linear force corresponding to authentic resonances are determined by the band structure of the periodic potential and are affected by the spin-orbit coupling. The width or dispersion of the wave packet in authentic resonances is usually minimal. The frequencies corresponding to pseudoresonances do not depend on the type of potential and on the strength of the spin-orbit coupling, while the evolution of excitations at the corresponding frequencies is usually accompanied by significant dispersion. Pseudoresonances are determined by the initial phase of the linear force and by the quasimomentum of the wave packet. Due to the spinor nature of the system, the motion of the atom is accompanied by periodic, but not harmonic, spin oscillations. Under the action of spin-orbit coupling the oscillations of the wave packet can be nearly completely suppressed in optical lattices. Dynamic localization in Zeeman lattices is characterized by doubling of the resonant oscillation periods due to band crossing at the boundary of the Brillouin zone. We also show that higher harmonics in the Fourier expansion of the energy band lead to effective dispersion, which can be strong enough to prevent dynamic localization of the Bloch wave packet.

arXiv:1611.05745•Physical Review A•Dec 8, 2016•13 citations

Bloch oscillations of spin-orbit-coupled cold atoms in an optical lattice and spin-current generation

Wei Ji, Keye Zhang, Weiping Zhang +1 more

We study the Bloch oscillation dynamics of a spin-orbit-coupled cold atomic gas trapped inside a one-dimensional optical lattice. The eigenspectra of the system is identified as two interpenetrating Wannier-Stark ladders. Based on that, we carefully analyzed the Bloch oscillation dynamics and found out that intraladder coupling between neighboring rungs of the Wannier-Stark ladder give rise to ordinary Bloch oscillation, while interladder coupling leads to small-amplitude high-frequency oscillation superimposed on it. Specifically, spin-orbit interaction breaks Galilean invariance, which can be reflected by out-of-phase oscillation of the two spin components in the accelerated frame. The possibilities of generating spin current in this system are also explored.

arXiv:1902.00634•Physical Review A•Feb 1, 2019•17 citations

Controlling directed atomic motion and second-order tunneling of a spin-orbit-coupled atom in optical lattices

Xiaobing Luo, Zhao‐Yun Zeng, Yu Guo +5 more

We theoretically explore the tunneling dynamics for the tight-binding model of a single spin-orbit-coupled atom trapped in an optical lattice subjected to lattice shaking and to time-periodic Zeeman field. By means of analytical and numerical methods, we demonstrate that the spin-orbit (SO) coupling adds some results to the tunneling dynamics in both multiphoton resonance and far-off-resonance parameter regimes. When the driving frequency is resonant with the static Zeeman field (multiphoton resonances), we obtain an unexpected dynamical localization (DL) phenomenon where the single SO-coupled atom is restricted to making perfect two-site Rabi oscillation accompanied by spin flipping. By using the unconventional DL phenomenon, we are able to generate a ratchetlike effect which enables directed atomic motion towards different directions and accompanies periodic spin flipping under the action of SO coupling. For the far-off-resonance case, we show that by suppressing the usual intersite tunneling alone, it is possible to realize a type of spin-conserving second-order tunneling between next-nearest-neighboring sites, which is not accessible in the conventional lattice system without SO coupling. We also show that simultaneous controls of the usual intersite tunneling and the SO-coupling-related second-order tunneling are necessary for quasienergies flatness (collapse) and completely frozen dynamics to exist. These results may be relevant to potential applications such as spin-based quantum information processing and design of spintronics devices.

arXiv:2011.01399•Physical Review A•Apr 9, 2021•15 citations

Spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate in a tilted optical lattice

Jonas Larson, J.-P. Martikainen, Anssi Collin +1 more

Bloch oscillations appear for a particle in a weakly tilted periodic potential. The intrinsic spin Hall effect is an outcome of a spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate that both of these phenomena can be realized simultaneously in a gas of weakly interacting ultracold atoms exposed to a tilted optical lattice and to a set of spatially dependent light fields inducing an effective spin-orbit coupling. It is found that both the spin Hall and the Bloch oscillation effects may coexist, showing, however, a strong correlation between the two. These correlations are manifested as a transverse spin current oscillating in-phase with the Bloch oscillations. On top of the oscillations originating from the periodicity of the model, a trembling motion is found which is believed to be atomic Zitterbewegung. It is argued that the damping of these Zitterbewegung oscillations may to a large extent be prevented in the present setup considering a periodic optical lattice potential.

arXiv:1001.2527•Physical Review A•Oct 25, 2010•54 citations

Bloch Oscillations of Atoms in an Optical Potential

Maxime Dahan, E. Peik, Jakob Reichel +2 more

The early quantum theory of electrical conductivity in crystal lattices by Bloch and Zener [1,2] led to the striking prediction that a homogeneous static electric field induces an oscillatory rather than uniform motion of the electrons. These so-called Bloch oscillations have never been observed in natural crystals because the scattering time of the electrons by the lattice defects is much shorter than the Bloch period. In semiconductor superlattices the larger spatial period leads to a much shorter Bloch period (,600 fs) and Bloch oscillations have recently been observed through the emission of THz radiation by the electrons [3]. Here we present Bloch oscillations of atoms in the fundamental energy band of a periodic optical potential. We directly measure the atomic momentum distribution evolving in time under the influence of a constant inertial force for various potential depths. We experimentally observe oscillation periods in the millisecond range as well as positive and negative effective masses. Bloch oscillations are a pure quantum effect which can be explained in a simple one-dimensional model. The periodicity of the lattice (period d) leads to a band structure (Fig. 1) of the energy spectrum of the particle and the corresponding eigenenergies Ensqd and eigenstates jn, ql (Bloch states) are labeled by the discrete band index n and the continuous quasimomentum q; Ensqd and jn, ql are periodic functions of q with period 2pyd and q is conventionally restricted to the first Brillouin zone g2pyd, pydg [4]. Under the influence of a constant external force F, weak enough not to induce interband transitions, a given Bloch state jn, qs0dl evolves (up to a phase factor) into the state jn, qstdl according to qstd ­ qs0d 1 Ftyh . (1) This evolution is periodic with a period tB ­ hyjFjd corresponding to the time required for the quasimomentum to scan a full Brillouin zone. The mean velocity in jn, qstdl

European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC)•Jan 1, 1996•25 citations

Chiral Bloch–Zener oscillations of spin–orbit coupled cold atoms in an optical superlattice

Z. B. Li, Lu Zhou, Yan Li

Abstract We study the Bloch oscillation (BO) dynamics of spin–orbit coupled cold atoms in a one-dimensional Su–Schrieffer–Heeger optical lattice. The Hamiltonian of our system can be mapped into a tilted SSH ladder pierced by an effective magnetic flux. Based on the calculation of Wannier–Stark states, we investigate dynamical properties of BOs with the chiral character of spin-momentum locking. Importantly, the chiral Bloch–Zener oscillations can be induced by adjusting system parameters. The corresponding Landau–Zener (LZ) tunneling probability is analytically derived by the LZ model and we found a good agreement with the numerical simulation.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jan 5, 2021•3 citations
We address Bloch oscillations of a spin-orbit coupled atom in periodic potentials of two types: optical and Zeeman lattices. We show that in optical lattices the spin-orbit coupling allows controlling the direction of atomic motion and may lead to complete suppression of the oscillations at specific values of the coupling strength. In Zeeman lattices the energy bands are found to cross each other at the boundaries of the Brillouin zone, resulting in period doubling of the oscillations. In all cases, the oscillations are accompanied by rotation of the pseudospin, with a dynamics that is determined by the strength of the spin-orbit coupling. The predicted effects are discussed also in terms of a Wannier-Stark ladder, which in optical lattices consist of two mutually shifted equidistant subladders.
The dynamic localization of a two-level atom in a periodic potential under the action of spin-orbit coupling and a weak harmonically varying linear force is studied. We consider optical and Zeeman potentials that are either in phase or out of phase in two spinor components, respectively. The expectation value for the position of the atom after one oscillation period of the linear force is recovered in authentic resonances or in pseudoresonances. The frequencies of the linear force corresponding to authentic resonances are determined by the band structure of the periodic potential and are affected by the spin-orbit coupling. The width or dispersion of the wave packet in authentic resonances is usually minimal. The frequencies corresponding to pseudoresonances do not depend on the type of potential and on the strength of the spin-orbit coupling, while the evolution of excitations at the corresponding frequencies is usually accompanied by significant dispersion. Pseudoresonances are determined by the initial phase of the linear force and by the quasimomentum of the wave packet. Due to the spinor nature of the system, the motion of the atom is accompanied by periodic, but not harmonic, spin oscillations. Under the action of spin-orbit coupling the oscillations of the wave packet can be nearly completely suppressed in optical lattices. Dynamic localization in Zeeman lattices is characterized by doubling of the resonant oscillation periods due to band crossing at the boundary of the Brillouin zone. We also show that higher harmonics in the Fourier expansion of the energy band lead to effective dispersion, which can be strong enough to prevent dynamic localization of the Bloch wave packet.
We study the Bloch oscillation dynamics of a spin-orbit-coupled cold atomic gas trapped inside a one-dimensional optical lattice. The eigenspectra of the system is identified as two interpenetrating Wannier-Stark ladders. Based on that, we carefully analyzed the Bloch oscillation dynamics and found out that intraladder coupling between neighboring rungs of the Wannier-Stark ladder give rise to ordinary Bloch oscillation, while interladder coupling leads to small-amplitude high-frequency oscillation superimposed on it. Specifically, spin-orbit interaction breaks Galilean invariance, which can be reflected by out-of-phase oscillation of the two spin components in the accelerated frame. The possibilities of generating spin current in this system are also explored.
We theoretically explore the tunneling dynamics for the tight-binding model of a single spin-orbit-coupled atom trapped in an optical lattice subjected to lattice shaking and to time-periodic Zeeman field. By means of analytical and numerical methods, we demonstrate that the spin-orbit (SO) coupling adds some results to the tunneling dynamics in both multiphoton resonance and far-off-resonance parameter regimes. When the driving frequency is resonant with the static Zeeman field (multiphoton resonances), we obtain an unexpected dynamical localization (DL) phenomenon where the single SO-coupled atom is restricted to making perfect two-site Rabi oscillation accompanied by spin flipping. By using the unconventional DL phenomenon, we are able to generate a ratchetlike effect which enables directed atomic motion towards different directions and accompanies periodic spin flipping under the action of SO coupling. For the far-off-resonance case, we show that by suppressing the usual intersite tunneling alone, it is possible to realize a type of spin-conserving second-order tunneling between next-nearest-neighboring sites, which is not accessible in the conventional lattice system without SO coupling. We also show that simultaneous controls of the usual intersite tunneling and the SO-coupling-related second-order tunneling are necessary for quasienergies flatness (collapse) and completely frozen dynamics to exist. These results may be relevant to potential applications such as spin-based quantum information processing and design of spintronics devices.
Bloch oscillations appear for a particle in a weakly tilted periodic potential. The intrinsic spin Hall effect is an outcome of a spin-orbit coupling. We demonstrate that both of these phenomena can be realized simultaneously in a gas of weakly interacting ultracold atoms exposed to a tilted optical lattice and to a set of spatially dependent light fields inducing an effective spin-orbit coupling. It is found that both the spin Hall and the Bloch oscillation effects may coexist, showing, however, a strong correlation between the two. These correlations are manifested as a transverse spin current oscillating in-phase with the Bloch oscillations. On top of the oscillations originating from the periodicity of the model, a trembling motion is found which is believed to be atomic Zitterbewegung. It is argued that the damping of these Zitterbewegung oscillations may to a large extent be prevented in the present setup considering a periodic optical lattice potential.
The early quantum theory of electrical conductivity in crystal lattices by Bloch and Zener [1,2] led to the striking prediction that a homogeneous static electric field induces an oscillatory rather than uniform motion of the electrons. These so-called Bloch oscillations have never been observed in natural crystals because the scattering time of the electrons by the lattice defects is much shorter than the Bloch period. In semiconductor superlattices the larger spatial period leads to a much shorter Bloch period (,600 fs) and Bloch oscillations have recently been observed through the emission of THz radiation by the electrons [3]. Here we present Bloch oscillations of atoms in the fundamental energy band of a periodic optical potential. We directly measure the atomic momentum distribution evolving in time under the influence of a constant inertial force for various potential depths. We experimentally observe oscillation periods in the millisecond range as well as positive and negative effective masses. Bloch oscillations are a pure quantum effect which can be explained in a simple one-dimensional model. The periodicity of the lattice (period d) leads to a band structure (Fig. 1) of the energy spectrum of the particle and the corresponding eigenenergies Ensqd and eigenstates jn, ql (Bloch states) are labeled by the discrete band index n and the continuous quasimomentum q; Ensqd and jn, ql are periodic functions of q with period 2pyd and q is conventionally restricted to the first Brillouin zone g2pyd, pydg [4]. Under the influence of a constant external force F, weak enough not to induce interband transitions, a given Bloch state jn, qs0dl evolves (up to a phase factor) into the state jn, qstdl according to qstd ­ qs0d 1 Ftyh . (1) This evolution is periodic with a period tB ­ hyjFjd corresponding to the time required for the quasimomentum to scan a full Brillouin zone. The mean velocity in jn, qstdl
Abstract We study the Bloch oscillation (BO) dynamics of spin–orbit coupled cold atoms in a one-dimensional Su–Schrieffer–Heeger optical lattice. The Hamiltonian of our system can be mapped into a tilted SSH ladder pierced by an effective magnetic flux. Based on the calculation of Wannier–Stark states, we investigate dynamical properties of BOs with the chiral character of spin-momentum locking. Importantly, the chiral Bloch–Zener oscillations can be induced by adjusting system parameters. The corresponding Landau–Zener (LZ) tunneling probability is analytically derived by the LZ model and we found a good agreement with the numerical simulation.