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Physical Review A

Quantum localization in the high-frequency limit

Emil Persson, S. Yoshida, Xiao‐Min Tong, Carlos O Reinhold, Joachim Burgdörfer

Published Oct 10, 2002• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The quantum localization of the periodically kicked Rydberg atom in the limit of high frequencies $\ensuremath{\nu}$ is studied. We show that the quantum suppression of fast chaotic ionization as predicted by classical dynamics persists as $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\nu}}\ensuremath{\infty}.$ Properties of localization in the regime of strong coupling to the continuum due to one-photon transitions are discussed. For the unidirectionally kicked atom, the high-frequency limit of localization is determined by the zero-frequency Stark Hamiltonian. The persistence of quantum localization due to interference of classical trajectories can be understood in terms of smearing out of the instabilities at finite $\ensuremath{\Elzxh}.$ Unstable trajectories whose action differs from each other and from Stark orbits in less than $\ensuremath{\Elzxh}$ contribute to quantum localization rather than to chaotic ionization.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.66.043407

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Physical Review A•Apr 28, 2004•20 citations
The quantum localization of the periodically kicked Rydberg atom in the limit of high frequencies \ensuremathν\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremathν is studied. We show that the quantum suppression of fast chaotic ionization as predicted by classical dynamics persists as \ensuremathν\ensuremath→\ensuremath∞.\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\nu}}\ensuremath{\infty}.\ensuremathν\ensuremath→​\ensuremath∞. Properties of localization in the regime of strong coupling to the continuum due to one-photon transitions are discussed. For the unidirectionally kicked atom, the high-frequency limit of localization is determined by the zero-frequency Stark Hamiltonian. The persistence of quantum localization due to interference of classical trajectories can be understood in terms of smearing out of the instabilities at finite \ensuremath\Elzxh.\ensuremath{\Elzxh}.\ensuremath\Elzxh. Unstable trajectories whose action differs from each other and from Stark orbits in less than \ensuremath\Elzxh\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath\Elzxh contribute to quantum localization rather than to chaotic ionization.
We study the three-dimensional (3D) unidirectionally kicked Rydberg atom. For parabolic initial states elongated in the direction of the kicks we show that the ionization of the quantum system is suppressed as compared to the classical counterpart and that the quantum wave function is localized along all degrees of freedom, whereas the classical system is globally diffusive. We discuss the connection to the previously studied one-dimensional (1D) model of the kicked Rydberg atom and verify that the 1D model is a good approximation to the 3D quantum case in the limiting case of the most elongated initial states. We further study the quantum phase-space distribution (Husimi distribution) of the eigenstates of the period-one time-evolution (Floquet) operator and show that the eigenstates are localized in phase space. For the most elongated parabolic initial state, we are able to identify the unstable periodic orbits around which Floquet states localize. We discuss the possibility of observing quantum localization in high Rydberg states in n>100.n>100.n>100.
We study the three-dimensional (3D) unidirectionally kicked Rydberg atom. For parabolic initial states elongated in the direction of the kicks we show that the ionization of the quantum system is suppressed as compared to the classical counterpart and that the quantum wave function is localized along all degrees of freedom, whereas the classical system is globally diffusive. We discuss the connection to the previously studied one-dimensional (1D) model of the kicked Rydberg atom and verify that the 1D model is a good approximation to the 3D quantum case in the limiting case of the most elongated initial states. We further study the quantum phase-space distribution (Husimi distribution) of the eigenstates of the period-one time-evolution (Floquet) operator and show that the eigenstates are localized in phase space. For the most elongated parabolic initial state, we are able to identify the unstable periodic orbits around which Floquet states localize. We discuss the possibility of observing quantum localization in high Rydberg states in ng100.ng100.ng100.
We investigate the long-time limit of quantum localization of the kicked Rydberg atom. The kicked Rydberg atom is shown to possess in addition to the quantum localization time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{L}$ a second crossover time tD{t}_{D}tD​ where quantum dynamics diverges from classical dynamics towards increased instability. The quantum localization is shown to vanish as either the strength of the kicks at fixed principal quantum number or the quantum number at fixed kick strength increases. The survival probability as a function of frequency in the transient localization regime ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{L}<t<{t}_{D}$ is characterized by highly irregular, fractal-like fluctuations.
Microwave ionization of Rydberg atoms is well described as the onset of classical chaos when the microwave frequency omega is less than the Kepler frequency 1/n(3). However, when omega>1/n(3), i.e., at high scaled frequency Omega=omegan(3)>1, classical ionization is predicted to be suppressed by quantum interference, an analogue to Anderson localization in a solid. Using 17.55 GHz microwave fields we have observed the ionization of Sr Rydberg atoms in the regime 1</=Omega</=5 . Our measurements demonstrate the quantum suppression of classical diffusive ionization and show the ionization field to be n independent in this regime.
New experimental results are presented for short-pulse microwave ionization of highly excited hydrogen atoms. A comparison of these results with quantum numerical computations and analytical predictions provides for the first time experimentally grounded evidence of the localization phenomenon that leads to the suppression of the quantum version of the chaotic diffusion in action space occurring in the classical limit. The onset of chaotic motion in externally driven classical systems is a key problem in nonlinear dynamics that is now well understood in its essential aspects. In many physically interesting cases, as the perturbation strength increases beyond some critical value, the system starts absorbing energy in a diffusive way. The question whether “diffusive” excitation processes can take place also in externally driven quantum systems is then a very interesting one for the physics of atoms and molecules in external electromagnetic fields. This is a deep question involving the nature and the validity of the quasiclassical approximation when the underlying classical dynamics is chaotic. The question of “quantum diffusion” was first addressed in a simple model system, the kicked rotator. It was chosen because the features of classical chaos in it were relatively clean and well understood. Besides that, the numerical simulation of its quantum dynamics could be easily accomplished. The major indication of this model was that quantum mechanics suppresses the classical chaotic diffusion in action via a destructive interference effect similar to that responsible for the Anderson localization well known in condensed matter physics.
The periodically kicked Rydberg atom displays quantum localization, features of which depend on the orientation and strength of the unidirectional kicks. They include scarring of the wave function, localization by cantori, and exponential localization in the regime of strong perturbation resembling dynamical localization. Using the semiclassical Herman-Kluk propagator we investigate the degree to which semiclassical dynamics can mimic quantum localization. While the semiclassical approximation has difficulties to reproduce the scarred wave functions, the exponential tail which is a typical signature of the dynamical localization is well represented in the case of strong classical diffusion. Also the localization by broken tori is observed in the semiclassical recurrence probability for short times but the deviation from the corresponding quantum dynamics becomes more pronounced for the long-time evolution.