Ultra-cold bosons in one-dimensional single- and double-well potentials : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masterate of Science at Massey University

Jake Steven Gulliksen

Published Jan 1, 2010• 0 citations

Abstract

A variationally optimised basis allows an accurate description of the quantum \nbehaviour of ultra-cold atoms, even in the strongly correlated regime. A rescaling \nscheme corrects discrepancies caused by using a reduced Hilbert space. This \napproach also allows the modelling of experimentally realizable double-well potentials, \nwhich still reveals the maximally-entangled states seen in fixed basis models. \nTime dynamics of these double-well systems show macroscopic tunnelling between \nwells for bosons with a sufficient interaction strength. \nThe many-body problem of interacting bosons in the highly-correlated regime \nis difficult. The number of basis states needed to describe this quantum system \naccurately quickly grows beyond computational reach. Rescaling the interaction \nstrength proves a simple and effective method of calculating exact eigenvalues in a \nreduced Hilbert space. \nBosonic systems in the double-well potential are investigated next. First, how \ndifferent eigen-states depend on the interaction strength is examined. The variationally \noptimised method has advantages over a standard fixed basis method with \nthe ability to model experimentally viable systems and explore more stronglycorrelated \nregimes. Secondly, tunnelling dynamics in the double well are studied, \nspecifically for a system where all particles initially occupy a single well. Oscillations \ncorresponding to collective tunnelling between wells are found in regimes \nwhere there are zero interactions or bosons lie in a maximally-entangled state. \nWhat governs the dynamics outside these two regimes is also considered.

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