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arXiv:1708.00494 · Physical Review A

Effects of classical stochastic webs on the quantum dynamics of cold atomic gases in a moving optical lattice

N. Welch, M. T. Greenaway, T. M. Fromhold

Published Nov 17, 2017• 2 citations
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Abstract

We introduce and investigate a system that uses temporal resonance-induced phase-space pathways to create strong coupling between an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate and a traveling optical lattice potential. We show that these pathways thread both the classical and quantum phase space of the atom cloud, even when the optical lattice potential is arbitrarily weak. The topology of the pathways, which form weblike patterns, can by controlled by changing the amplitude and period of the optical lattice. In turn, this control can be used to increase and limit the BEC's center-of-mass kinetic energy to prespecified values. Surprisingly, the strength of the atom-lattice interaction and resulting BEC heating of the center-of-mass motion is enhanced by the repulsive interatomic interactions.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.96.053623

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We introduce and investigate a system that uses temporal resonance-induced phase-space pathways to create strong coupling between an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate and a traveling optical lattice potential. We show that these pathways thread both the classical and quantum phase space of the atom cloud, even when the optical lattice potential is arbitrarily weak. The topology of the pathways, which form weblike patterns, can by controlled by changing the amplitude and period of the optical lattice. In turn, this control can be used to increase and limit the BEC's center-of-mass kinetic energy to prespecified values. Surprisingly, the strength of the atom-lattice interaction and resulting BEC heating of the center-of-mass motion is enhanced by the repulsive interatomic interactions.
We report on the experimental observation of classical Brownian motion in momentum space by a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of rubidium atoms prepared in a hexagonal optical lattice. Upon suddenly increasing the effective atomic mass, the BEC as a whole behaves as a classical rigid body with its center of mass receiving random momentum kicks by a Langevin force arising from atom loss and interactions with the surrounding thermal cloud. Physically, this amounts to selective heating of the BEC center-of-mass degree of freedom by a sudden quench, while with regard to the relative coordinates, the BEC is stabilized by repulsive atomic interactions, and its internal dynamics is suppressed by forced evaporative cooling induced by atom loss. A phenomenological theory is developed that well explains the experimental data quantitatively.
We show theoretically that the dynamics of cold atoms in the lowest-energy band of a stationary optical lattice can be transformed and controlled by a second, weaker, periodic potential moving at a constant speed along the axis of the stationary lattice. The atom trajectories exhibit complex behavior, which depends sensitively on the amplitude and speed of the propagating lattice. When the speed and amplitude of the moving potential are low, the atoms are dragged through the static lattice and perform drifting orbits with frequencies an order of magnitude higher than that corresponding to the moving potential. Increasing either the speed or amplitude of the moving lattice induces Bloch-like oscillations within the energy band of the static lattice, which exhibit complex resonances at critical values of the system parameters. In some cases, a very small change in these parameters can reverse the atom's direction of motion. In order to understand these dynamics we present an analytical model, which describes the key features of the atom transport and also accurately predicts the positions of the resonant features in the atom's phase space. The abrupt controllable transitions between dynamical regimes, as well as the associated set of resonances, provide a mechanism for transporting atoms between precise locations in a lattice, as required for using cold atoms to simulate condensed matter or as a stepping stone to quantum information processing. The system also provides a direct quantum simulator of acoustic waves propagating through semiconductor nanostructures in sound analogs of the optical laser (saser).
Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in cold gases can be turned on and off by an external potential, such as that presented by an optical lattice. We present a model of this phenomenon which we are able to analyze rigorously. The system is a hard core lattice gas at half of the maximum density and the optical lattice is modeled by a periodic potential of strength $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. For small $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ and temperature, BEC is proved to occur, while at large $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ or temperature there is no BEC. At large $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ the low-temperature states are in a Mott insulator phase with a characteristic gap that is absent in the BEC phase. The interparticle interaction is essential for this transition, which occurs even in the ground state. Surprisingly, the condensation is always into the p=0\mathbf{p}=\mathbf{0}p=0 mode in this model, although the density itself has the periodicity of the imposed potential.
Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in cold gases can be turned on and off by an external potential, such as that presented by an optical lattice.We present a model of this phenomenon which we are able to analyze rigorously.The system is a hard core lattice gas at half-filling and the optical lattice is modeled by a periodic potential of strength λ.For small λ and temperature, BEC is proved to occur, while at large λ or temperature there is no BEC.At large λ the low-temperature states are in a Mott insulator phase with a characteristic gap that is absent in the BEC phase.The interparticle interaction is essential for this transition, which occurs even in the ground state.Surprisingly, the condensation is always into the p = 0 mode in this model, although the density itself has the periodicity of the imposed potential.
We show how ultracold (sub-µK temperature) atoms in a one-dimensional periodic optical potential with a harmonic trap can provide a new quantum chaotic system that is accessible to experiment. Provided that the harmonic potential varies slowly over a lattice period, the optical lattice has well defined energy bands. The energy-wavevector dispersion curves define an effective Hamiltonian that can be used to calculate classical orbits for atoms confined to a single band. We show that tilting the harmonic trap relative to the optical lattice induces a controllable transition from stable regular motion to classical chaos. The onset of chaos strongly delocalizes the atom orbits and should be manifest in both the classical and quantum properties of the trapped atoms. We also consider how the transition to chaos might affect the collective time-dependent dynamics of interacting atoms in Bose-Einstein condensates.
Chaotic space-time evolution is investigated for the particle number density of a Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive interatomic interaction loaded into a traveling optical lattice. Melnikov chaos is studied and the weakly chaotic regime is presented analytically. Transitions from transient to stationary chaos in the space-time evolution are illustrated numerically. The results show that, on increasing the strength of the optical potential, the transient chaos falls onto several different attractors. Meanwhile, these attractors undergo a series of period-doubling bifurcations when the optical potential intensity is increased continuously, and eventually stationary chaos arises for a critical depth of the optical lattice. The obstructions to chaos caused by the damping and the motion of lattice are also demonstrated.