Cold atom experiments in quantum chaos

Mark G. Raizen

Windell H. Oskay

Sergei V Prants

Rajendra K. Shrestha, Gil S. Summy

Christopher R. Tench, Paul Bryan Wilkinson, F. W. Sheard +1 more

Summary form only given. We consider the semiclassical orbits of cold atoms in an optical lattice with a magnetically-induced harmonic trap. When the laser beams are aligned with a principal axis of the trap, the atoms follow regular classical paths. But when the laser beams are tilted at an angle to the axis, the atoms undergo a controllable transition from regular motion to strong classical chaos. Our work introduces atom traps in a tilted laser field as a new type of quantum chaotic system that is accessible to experiment.

Shohini Ghose, C. R. Paul, R. Stock

We analyze the dynamics of the kicked top in a deeply quantum regime. Signatures of classical chaos in the quantum dynamics that can be identified from a semiclassical treatment persist in a deeply quantum regime. Structures in the classical-phase space can also be identified in the tunneling dynamics of the quantum system. Our results show that quantum chaos is observable in the regime that is accessible to future experiments with trapped ions or cold atoms.