Decoherence of wavepackets under inelastic seattering

Frank Großmann

Yoshimasa Murayama

Gershon, Kurizki

M. L. Chiofalo, M. Artoni, Giuseppe Carlo La Rocca

We study the one-dimensional dynamical behaviour of an atomic wavepacket moving across an opaque and spatially oscillating optical barrier. The tunnelling probability shows a dramatic dependence on the frequency of the barrier oscillation. Transmission of the atomic wavepacket is, in fact, dominated by inelastic or elastic effects, depending on whether the oscillation period is comparable to or shorter than the atom–barrier interaction time. In the elastic regime, in particular, we find that full transparency becomes possible at energies where the stationary barrier would otherwise be essentially opaque. We predict that both inelastic and elastic resonant tunnelling regimes could be observed with atomic condensates impinging on a spatially oscillating optical barrier. A few applications will also be discussed.

F. Bunchaft, C.M. Chaves, W. Baltensperger

Maria Luisa Chiofalo, M. Artoni, Giuseppe Carlo La Rocca

Tunnelling of ultra-cold atoms across a periodically displaced optical barrier exhibits characteristic inelastic effects as well as remarkable transparency at energies for which the same barrier, if stationary, would be opaque. Such phenomena could be observed with sodium Bose-Einstein condensate wavepackets and could be exploited for atom-laser sideband generation.