Quantum scattering of particles in a periodic potential differs from scattering of free particles because of the non-trivial relation between energy and momentum, and because the potential can extract or provide momentum in the form of integer multiples of the lattice momentum vectors. In this paper, we study solutions for the single-particle dynamics in periodic potentials in one and more dimensions, and we identify the possible final states for various collision processes. This analysis leads to an interpretation of recently performed experiments on four-wave mixing and collisions of Bose–Einstein condensates and to predictions for further collision experiments.
Quantum scattering of particles in a periodic potential differs from scattering of free particles because of the non-trivial relation between energy and momentum, and because the potential can extract or provide momentum in the form of integer multiples of the lattice momentum vectors. In this paper, we study solutions for the single-particle dynamics in periodic potentials in one and more dimensions, and we identify the possible final states for various collision processes. This analysis leads to an interpretation of recently performed experiments on four-wave mixing and collisions of Bose–Einstein condensates and to predictions for further collision experiments.
Bose-Einstein condensates of dilute gases provide a rich and versatile platform to study both single-particle and many-body quantum phenomena. This thesis describes several experiments using a Bose-Einstein condensate of Rb-87 as a model system to study novel matter-wave effects that traditionally arise in vastly different systems, yet are difficult to access. We study the scattering of a particle from a repulsive potential barrier in the non-asymptotic regime, for which the collision dynamics are on-going. Using a Bose-Einstein condensate interacting with a sharp repulsive potential, two distinct transient scattering effects are observed: one due to the momentary deceleration of particles atop the barrier, and one due to the abrupt discontinuity in phase written on the wavepacket in position-space, akin to quantum reflection. Both effects lead to a redistribution of momenta, resulting in a rich interference pattern that may be used to reconstruct the single-particle wavefunction. In a second experiment, we study the response of a particle in a periodic potential to an applied force. By abruptly applying an external force to a Bose-Einstein condensate in a one-dimensional optical lattice, we show that the initial response of a particle in a periodic potential is in fact characterized by the bare mass, and only over timescales long compared to that of interband dynamics is the usual effective mass an appropriate description. This breakdown of the effective mass description on fast timescales is difficult to observe in traditional solid state systems due to their large bandgaps and fast timescale of interband dynamics. Both these experiments make use of the condensate's long coherence length, and the ability to shape and modulate the external potential on timescales fast compared to the particle dynamics, allowing for observation of novel matter-wave effects.
We show that the dispersion properties imposed by an external periodic potential ensure both energy and quasimomentum conservation such that correlated pairs of atoms can be generated by four wave mixing from a Bose-Einstein condensate moving in an optical lattice potential. In our numerical solution of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, a condensate with initial quasimomentum k0 is transferred almost completely (>95 into a pair of correlated atomic components with quasimomenta k1 and k2, if the system is seeded with a smaller number of atoms with the appropriate quasimomentum k1.
A recent experiment [Deng et al., Nature (London) 398, 218 (1999)] demonstrated four-wave mixing of matter wave packets created from a Bose-Einstein condensate. The experiment utilized light pulses to create two high-momentum wave packets via Bragg diffraction from a stationary Bose-Einstein condensate. The high-momentum components and the initial low-momentum condensate interact to form a new momentum component due to the nonlinear self-interaction of the bosonic atoms. We develop a three-dimensional quantum- mechanical description, based on the slowly-varying-envelope approximation, for four-wave mixing in Bose-Einstein condensates using the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We apply this formulation to describe the experimental observations and to make predictions. We examine the role of phase-modulation, momentum, and energy conservation (i.e., phase matching), and particle number conservation in four-wave mixing of matter waves, and develop simple models for understanding our numerical results.
A recent experiment demonstrated four-wave mixing of wavepackets in a sodium Bose–Einstein condensate (Deng et al 1999 Nature 398 218). This was followed by a theoretical and numerical treatment of the experiment (Trippenbach et al 2000 Phys. Rev. A 62 02368). In the experiment, a short period of free expansion of the condensate, after release from the magnetic trap, was followed by a set of two Bragg pulses which created moving wavepackets. These wavepackets, due to nonlinear interaction and under phase-matching conditions, created a new momentum component in a four-wave mixing process. We propose simple mathematical models for this process. Next we suggest that, instead of exactly matching the frequencies as in the abovementioned experiments, we introduce a small mismatch in the energies, and therefore the frequencies Δω. We show that such a small mismatch can compensate for the initial phases that are built on the condensate during free expansion. A physical explanation is offered. This compensation can improve the efficiency of four-wave mixing; in some cases even increasing it by a factor of 2. We also deal with the situation where two strong wavepackets are accompanied by a weak input beam applied as a seed both with and without a mismatch. Here the influence of the mismatch is less obviously beneficial. We also comment on recent work by Ketterle's group (Vogels et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 020401).
Abstract We describe possibilities of spontaneous, degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) processes in spin–orbit coupled Bose–Einstein condensates. Phase matching conditions (i.e., energy and momentum conservation laws) in such systems allow one to identify four different configurations characterized by involvement of distinct spinor states in which such a process can take place. We derived these conditions from first principles and then illustrated dynamics with direct numerical simulations. We found, among others, the unique configuration, where both probe waves have smaller group velocity than pump wave and proved numerically that it can be observed experimentally under proper choice of the parameters. We also reported the case when two different FWM processes can occur simultaneously. The described resonant interactions of matter waves is expected to play an important role in the experiments of BEC with artificial gauge fields. Beams created by FWM processes are an important source of correlated particles and can be used in the experiments testing quantum properties of atomic ensembles.
We study the collision dynamics of two Bose-Einstein condensates with their dynamical wave functions modeled by a set of coupled, time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equations. Beginning with an effective one-dimensional system, we identify regimes characterized by the relationship between inter- and intra-atomic interactions and the initial configuration of the system, akin to the equilibrium phase diagram of two interacting Bose condensates. We consider a dynamical setup in which two wave packets are initially at rest with a small separation about the center of an asymmetric harmonic trap. Upon release, we observe a rapid approach to dynamical equilibrium in the limits of very large and very small inter-particle repulsion, characterized by periodic transmission or reflection of the condensates as distinguishable units, whereas the intermediate, critical regime is characterized by extended transient dynamics, density fracturing, and dynamical mixing. We therefore have reason to believe that non-trivial behavior may exist during the collisions of Bose-Einstein condensates as a result of their non-linear interactions, and these effects may be observable in a suitable laboratory environment.