Physica Scripta
Ion traps: some semiclassical observations
Bogdan Mielnik, A Ramírez
Abstract
The unitary evolution operators generated by periodically varying elastic potentials including the Mathieu case are studied. The evolution operations in the stability areas of the Strutt diagram admit effective (Floquet) Hamiltonians generalizing the orthodox oscillators. The points on the separatrices represent two exceptional types of unitary operations, imitating (in a soft way) the results of the sudden δ-like kicks of the elastic potential, or the distorted free evolution (in accelerated, slowed down or even negative time). In all domains the dynamical phenomena illustrate a non-trivial relation between the micro- and macroscopic motion scales.