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arXiv:1811.09596 · Results in Physics

Recovery time of matter Airy beams using the path integral quantum trajectory model

Allison L. Harris, Torrey Saxton, Zachary Temple

Published Apr 4, 2019• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Following their discovery in the late 1970s, optical Airy beams have found numerous applications in technologies such as microscopy and optical trapping, many of which are based on the wave packets’ unique features such as zero or minimal diffraction, self-acceleration, and self-healing. Recent advancements have shown that Airy beams can also be produced using matter waves with many of the same unique characteristics of their optical counterparts. We present here a study of the recovery time of damaged matter Airy wave packets in free space and a nonlinear Kerr-type medium. We show that in free space the recovery time increases approximately linearly with mass and is independent of other kinematical parameters such as momentum, velocity, and spatial width. In the Kerr-type medium, recovery time is decreased compared to free space and does not scale linearly with mass. In order to study matter Airy beams, we introduce the Path Integral Quantum Trajectory model as a new computational tool for the study of non-relativistic, quantum mechanical wave packets and demonstrate its effectiveness in dealing with heavy particle dynamics.

DOI
10.1016/j.rinp.2019.102253

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Following their discovery in the late 1970s, optical Airy beams have found numerous applications in technologies such as microscopy and optical trapping, many of which are based on the wave packets’ unique features such as zero or minimal diffraction, self-acceleration, and self-healing. Recent advancements have shown that Airy beams can also be produced using matter waves with many of the same unique characteristics of their optical counterparts. We present here a study of the recovery time of damaged matter Airy wave packets in free space and a nonlinear Kerr-type medium. We show that in free space the recovery time increases approximately linearly with mass and is independent of other kinematical parameters such as momentum, velocity, and spatial width. In the Kerr-type medium, recovery time is decreased compared to free space and does not scale linearly with mass. In order to study matter Airy beams, we introduce the Path Integral Quantum Trajectory model as a new computational tool for the study of non-relativistic, quantum mechanical wave packets and demonstrate its effectiveness in dealing with heavy particle dynamics.
Following their discovery in the late 1970s, optical Airy beams have found numerous applications in technologies such as microscopy and optical trapping, many of which are based on the wave packets’ unique features such as zero or minimal diffraction, self-acceleration, and self-healing. Recent advancements have shown that Airy beams can also be produced using matter waves with many of the same unique characteristics of their optical counterparts. We present here a study of the recovery time of damaged matter Airy wave packets in free space and a nonlinear Kerr-type medium. We show that in free space the recovery time increases approximately linearly with mass and is independent of other kinematical parameters such as momentum, velocity, and spatial width. In the Kerr-type medium, recovery time is decreased compared to free space and does not scale linearly with mass. In order to study matter Airy beams, we introduce the Path Integral Quantum Trajectory (PIQTr) model as a new computational tool for the study of non-relativistic, quantum mechanical wave packets and demonstrate its effectiveness in dealing with heavy particle dynamics.
Airy beams have been studied in an optical context since their discovery in the late 1970s and have found numerous applications in technologies such as microscopy and optical trapping. Many of these applications are based on the wave packets’ unique features such as zero or minimal diffraction, self-acceleration, and self-healing. Recently, Airy beams have been produced using electrons and these matter waves exhibit many of the same unique characteristics of their optical counterparts. We use our Path Integral Quantum Trajectory (PIQTr) model to present a study of the reflection and transmission of matter Airy wave packets. Like the more familiar Gaussian wave packets, Airy beams have a Gaussian momentum distribution. However, despite this similarity, Airy beams show unique features for transmission and reflection.
In 1979, Berry and Balazs [M V Berry and N L Balazs 1979 Am. J. Phys. 47 264] obtained a strict solution of the Schrödinger equation with Airy function used as the initial condition, and described the wave function represented by such solution as the Airy wave-packets. They discovered that infinite Airy wave-packet has unique properties such as non-spreading and free acceleration, proving that it is the only nontrivial non-spreading solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in one dimension. However, the observing of the finite Airy beam seems to be more meaningful since wave-packets in reality is inevitably band limited. A certain form of finite Airy beam was investigated by Siviloglou et al. in 2007 [Siviloglou G A, Broky J, Dogariu A, Christodoulides D N 2007 Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 213901; Siviloglou G A, Christodoulides D N 2007 Opt. Lett. 32 979]. They noted that the Airy wave packet still exhibits its most exotic feature, i.e., its trend toward free acceleration. While in the present paper we discuss the properties of Airy beam in a few steps further and propose several conclusions. On the one hand, a theoretic explanation is given to solve the matter of the centre of mass of infinite Airy beam. On the other hand, deeper research is conducted on the unique properties of finite Airy beam. Another form of finite Airy beam is discussed by reduction to absurdity, and its field distribution is put forward by numerical simulation. We find that the trajectory of the centroid holds its position, which means that the beam cannot accelerate freely as a whole. Ultimately, we have the conclusion that finite Airy beam can neither freely accelerate nor be non-diffractive.
Abstract We demonstrate the non-spreading behavior of Airy wave packets utilizing the Feynman path integral formulation of a linear potential, the Airy functions’ zeros correspondence to heavy-meson mass spectroscopy, and their implications to the eigenstates of ultra-cold neutrons in Earth’s gravitational field. We derive the linear kernel, and utilize the Feynman path integral time evolution to show that Airy function wave packets are non-dispersive in free space. We then model the confining contribution to 1S - 2S heavy meson mass gaps as a 1+1D absolute linear potential and look at the correspondence of the Airy function zeros. In doing so, we predicted the confining contribution to the mass gap of heavy mesons with a good accuracy when compared to calculations performed in the light front. Furthermore, we used these Airy function solutions to model the quantum states of a neutron under Earth’s gravity. We show that the measured heights of a neutron can be modeled by the zeros of the Airy function, and compare to experimental data and predictions utilizing the WKB approximation.
We present the theoretical models and review the most recent results of a class of experiments in the field of surface gravity waves. These experiments serve as demonstration of an analogy to a broad variety of phenomena in optics and quantum mechanics. In particular, experiments involving Airy water-wave packets were carried out. The Airy wave packets have attracted tremendous attention in optics and quantum mechanics owing to their unique properties, spanning from an ability to propagate along parabolic trajectories without spreading, and to accumulating a phase that scales with the cubic power of time. Non-dispersive Cosine-Gauss wave packets and self-similar Hermite-Gauss wave packets, also well known in the field of optics and quantum mechanics, were recently studied using surface gravity waves as well. These wave packets demonstrated self-healing properties in water wave pulses as well, preserving their width despite being dispersive. Finally, this new approach also allows to observe diffractive focusing from a temporal slit with finite width.