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Physical Review A

Localization in splitting of matter waves

M. Jääskeläinen, Stig Stenholm

Published Sep 19, 2003• 19 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper we present an analysis of how matter waves, guided as propagating modes in potential structures, are split under adiabatic conditions. The description is formulated in terms of localized states obtained through a unitary transformation acting on the mode functions. The mathematical framework results in coupled propagation equations that are decoupled in the asymptotic regions as well before as after the split. The resulting states have the advantage of describing propagation in situations, for instance matter-wave interferometers, where local perturbations make the transverse modes of the guiding potential unsuitable as a basis. The different regimes of validity of adiabatic propagation schemes based on localized versus delocalized basis states are also outlined. Nontrivial dynamics for superposition states propagating through split potential structures is investigated through numerical simulations. For superposition states the influence of longitudinal wave-packet extension on the localization is investigated and shown to be accurately described in quantitative terms using the adiabatic formulations presented here.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.68.033607

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In this paper we present an analysis of how matter waves, guided as propagating modes in potential structures, are split under adiabatic conditions. The description is formulated in terms of localized states obtained through a unitary transformation acting on the mode functions. The mathematical framework results in coupled propagation equations that are decoupled in the asymptotic regions as well before as after the split. The resulting states have the advantage of describing propagation in situations, for instance matter-wave interferometers, where local perturbations make the transverse modes of the guiding potential unsuitable as a basis. The different regimes of validity of adiabatic propagation schemes based on localized versus delocalized basis states are also outlined. Nontrivial dynamics for superposition states propagating through split potential structures is investigated through numerical simulations. For superposition states the influence of longitudinal wave-packet extension on the localization is investigated and shown to be accurately described in quantitative terms using the adiabatic formulations presented here.
Recent efforts in the field of ultracold atoms have goneinto creating wave guides of sub-micron sizes. In this thesis,the quantum dynamics of matter waves in such confiningpotential structures with minima extended in space isinvestigated. A general framework based upon the separation ofthe wave function for the quantum particle using a discrete setof mode functions is introduced to reduce the dimensionality ofthe problem. Conditions for propagation in the form ofindependent modes, i.e. adiabatic propagation, are determinedfor the case of matter waves with spatially varying width andfound to be connected to the diffraction of matter wavesthrough a dimensionless parameter, the Fresnel parameter. Further, the analysis is extended to include situationswhere a transition to completely non-adiabatic dynamics takesplace. Here it is found that focusing of matter waves due toenergy redistribution at the end of adiabatic guiding isdetermined by the Fresnel parameter found earlier. In theadiabatic regime, the essential dynamics in the directiontransverse to the minimal valley of the guiding potentialstructure occurs at a time-scale much shorter than that ofchanges in the propagating direction. As a result of this,reection of matter waves is likely to occur unless the changesare made over very long distances. The formalism of adiabatic propagation is also applied thesituation of splitting of matter waves in potential structures.It is found that the adiabaticity criteria are identical tothose for a single guide of spatially varying width. Aformulation of adiabatic splitting in terms of states localizedclose to either of the two minima is developed. The inuence oflongitudinal localization on the splitting of coherentsuperposition states is examined and found to be described by asimple analytical expression.
We study experimentally and theoretically a beam splitter setup for guided atomic matter waves. The matter wave is a guided atom laser that can be tuned from quasimonomode to a regime where many transverse modes are populated, and propagates in a horizontal dipole beam until it crosses another horizontal beam at 45°. We show that depending on the parameters of this X configuration, the atoms can all end up in one of the two beams (the system behaves as a perfect guide switch), or be split between the four available channels (the system behaves as a beam splitter). The splitting regime results from a chaotic scattering dynamics. The existence of these different regimes turns out to be robust against small variations of the parameters of the system. From numerical studies, we also propose a scheme that provides a robust and controlled beam splitter in two channels only.
In this paper, a method for state measurement in atomic waveguides is presented. Matter waves exiting a terminated waveguide are allowed to expand ballistically. Measurement is performed by spatially resolved detection of laser-induced fluorescence. We describe in detail the motion of wave packets both in the guiding potential and in the region of free expansion. It is shown that different modes can be distinguished in a straightforward manner and that the same is true for coherent superpositions after introduction of a controlled phase shift. The sensitivity of the transition from adiabatic guiding to free expansion is investigated in detail. It is found that adiabatic readjustment, which will distort the original state, can be considerable but may be avoided by proper choice of potential parameters. The method proposed here is shown to be feasible for experiments in atom optics through utilizing numerical estimates.
The relationship between the diverging of classical trajectories in chaotic many-body systems, the spreading of quantum wave packets, and the validity and use of classical molecular dynamics is explored. This analysis, which is based on the semiclassical description of wave function propagation in terms of a weighted integration over a traveling fixed width coherent state basis, suggests that the exponential divergence of nearby classical trajectories in chaotic many-body systems should result in the rapid delocalization of an initially localized quantum wave packet describing the state of the system. Thus the justification for the use of classical molecular dynamics procedures for these supposedly classical systems cannot be based on the picture of the system wave function remaining localized as its center follows a nearly classical trajectory. The quantum evolution of the system density, on the other hand, requires two propagators, and each of these propagators is represented as an integration over trajectories in the semiclassical picture. The interference between the contributions from these two integrations over classical trajectories focuses the analysis on the most important points in this trajectory pair space, which are shown to occur when both trajectories in the pair are the same. Given reasonable assumptions for the initial density for a system that is expected to be well described by classical molecular dynamics, and given an appropriate choice for the width of the coherent state basis which is employed in the semiclassical description, it is shown that the semiclassical expressions for time dependent observables and correlation functions reduce the purely classical expressions, despite the fact that an initially localized wave packet would rapidly delocalize for the same system.
We provide a theoretical framework to describe the interaction of a propagating guided matter wave with a localized potential in terms of quantum scattering in a confined environment. We analyze how this scattering correlates the longitudinal and transverse degrees of freedom, and work out analytically the output state under the Born approximation using a Gaussian localized potential. In this limit, it is possible to engineer the potential and achieve coherent control of the output channels. The robustness of this approximation is studied by comparing the stationary scattering theory to numerical simulations involving incident wave packets. It remains valid in a domain of weak localized potential that is achievable experimentally. We deduce a possible method to determine the longitudinal coherence length of a guided atom laser. Then, we detail the non-perturbative regime of the interaction of the guided matter wave with the localized potential using a coupled channel approach. This approach is worked out explicitly with a square potential. It yields new non-perturbative effects such as the occurrence of confinement-induced resonances. The perspectives opened up by this work for experiments are discussed.
The propagation of solitons in dipolar BEC in a trap potential with a barrier potential is investigated. The regimes of soliton transmission, reflection and splitting as a function of the ratio between the local and dipolar nonlocal interactions are analyzed analytically and numerically. Coherent splitting and fusion of the soliton by the defect is observed. The conditions for fusion of splitted solitons are found. In addition the delocalization transition governed by the strength of the nonlocal dipolar interaction is presented. Predicted phenomena can be useful for the design of a matter wave splitter and interferometers using matter wave solitons.