AC-Control of Single Particle Tunneling

E. Kierig

Published Jan 1, 2009• 0 citations

Abstract

The aim to control the internal and external degrees of freedom of quantum systems is of great interest for many fields of physics and chemistry. One opportunity to realize such a coherent control is provided by strong, time depended, external fields. In this work the experimental realization of a model-system is presented. The coherent control of the tunneling dynamics of single atoms by means of a time-periodic, external field is demonstrated. Depending on the parameters of the driving force the tunneling rate can be varied up to a total suppression of the tunneling process in the extreme. This type of dynamical localization is known as "coherent destruction of tunneling". The experimental setup allows a direct access to the tunneling dynamics of single atoms in a double well structure and enables great freedom concerning the parameters. Not only the double well potential, the driving frequency and the driving amplitude can be varied, but also the temporal and spatial symmetry of the driving. A coherent beam of slow, metastable argon atoms serves as source of particles, which can be detected spatially resolved enabling the direct observation of the tunneling dynamics in momentum space.

DOI: 10.11588/heidok.00009951

Related papers

Single-Particle Tunneling in Strongly Driven Double-Well Potentials

E. Kierig, U. Schnorrberger, A. Schietinger +2 more

We report on the first direct observation of coherent control of single-particle tunneling in a strongly driven double-well potential. In our setup atoms propagate in a periodic arrangement of double wells allowing the full control of the driving parameters such as frequency, amplitude, and even the space-time symmetry. Our experimental findings are in quantitative agreement with the predictions of the corresponding Floquet theory and are also compared to the predictions of a simple two mode model. Our experiments reveal directly the critical dependence of coherent destruction of tunneling on the generalized parity symmetry.

arXiv:0803.1406Physical Review LettersMay 14, 2008259 citations

Coherent control of quantum tunneling in an open double-well system

Kewen Xiao, Wenhua Hai, Juan Liu

We investigate how to apply a high-frequency driving field to the quantum control of a single particle in an open double-well system. The linear stability analysis points out that the stability depends on the external-field parameters and the loss (or gain) coefficients of the system, and the instability leads to a transition of the Floquet quasienergy from real to complex values and results in decaying probabilities for the particle to be in the double well. By combining analytical solutions in the high-frequency approximation with numerical calculations based on an accurate model, we exhibit quantum-dynamical behavior of the particle such as Floquet oscillation, coherent destruction of tunneling, quasi-NOON-state population, partial one-particle tunneling, and the decay of the probabilities of occupation, which are due to the competition and balance between the quantum coherence and the loss (or gain) effect. The results suggest an experimental method for testing quantum motion in an open system by adjusting the driving field.

Physical Review AJan 12, 201223 citations

Coherent control of atomic tunnelling

John Martin, Daniel Braun

We study the tunnelling of a two-level atom in a double well potential while the atom is coupled to a single electromagnetic field mode of a cavity. The coupling between internal and external degrees of freedom, due to the mechanical effect on the atom from photon emission into the cavity mode, can dramatically change the tunnelling behaviour. We predict that in general the tunnelling process becomes quasiperiodic. In a certain regime of parameters a collapse and revival of the tunnelling occurs. Accessing the internal degrees of freedom of the atom with a laser allows us to coherently manipulate the atom position, and in particular to prepare the atom in one of the two wells.

arXiv:0704.0763Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical PhysicsMay 20, 20086 citations

Coherent control of quantum tunneling in different driving-frequency regions

Gengbiao Lu, Wenhua Hai, Honghua Zhong +1 more

We investigate the coherent control of quantum tunneling for a single particle held in a driven double-well potential. For a moderate-frequency region, we demonstrate that the irregular quantum tunneling is associated with classically chaotic dynamics. A set of lower resonance-like frequencies is found, for which the coherent destruction of tunneling in the sense of the time average is illustrated numerically. For a high-frequency region, it is shown that the particle is located at the bottom of each well alternately for a long time and the time located in one well can be modulated by adjusting the driving field. The results could be useful for the experiments of controlling single-particle tunneling [see, e.g., E. Kierig, U. Schnorrberger, A. Schietinger, J. Tomkovic, and M. K. Oberthaler, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 190405 (2008).].

Physical Review AJun 28, 201013 citations

Controlling Tunneling Oscillation and Quantum Localization in an Asymmetric Double-Well Potential: A Bohmian Perspective

Bhrigu Chakraborty, Ruchi Jha, Susmita Kar +1 more

The roles of spatial symmetry and strength of external time-dependent perturbation on the dynamics of a quantum particle, initially localized in one of the wells of an asymmetric double-well potential are studied using the recently developed techniques incorporating quantum theory of motion and time-dependent Fourier grid Hamiltonian methods. The model used here includes a mimic of the related experimental situations which is considered as a perturbation to the static double-well potential. Analysis of localized and delocalized phase space structures and corresponding time-profile of tunneling probability reveal the recipe toward controlling the tunneling oscillations by modulating the parameters of applied perturbation. A study on a stochastic pulsating potential also reveals the root to the quantum localization, even in moderate field strength.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry AJul 14, 20221 citation

Quantum tunneling and coherent wavepacket dynamics in an optical lattice

D. L. Haycock

This dissertation reports on the experimental study of coherent wavepacket dynamics of cesium atoms in the double-well potentials of a one-dimensional, far-off-resonance optical lattice. An optical lattice is the periodic potential produced by the light shift interaction of an atom with the light field of interfering laser beams. With the proper choice of laser parameters and external magnetic fields, an array of double-well potentials is created. Using the techniques of laser cooling, atoms are trapped in the lattice and are prepared in a pure state through a combination of enhanced laser cooling in a near-resonance lattice and state selection in an accelerated far-off-resonance lattice. The atoms are prepared on one side of the double-well potential, and the atomic wavepackets will then oscillate between the left and right localized states of the double-well potential. Entanglement between the internal and external degrees of freedom makes it possible to follow the center-of-mass motion of the atoms by measuring the ground state magnetic populations via Stern-Gerlach analysis. The coherent dynamics of these wavepackets was studied under various combinations of lattice parameters such as lattice depth, applied transverse and longitudinal magnetic fields. There is excellent agreement between the experimentally measured oscillation frequencies and those predicted from a numerical analysis of the bandstructure of the lattice. For certain lattice parameters the total energy of the atom is below the potential barrier and the coherent motion corresponds to tunneling through a classically forbidden barrier. At specific times during the oscillation the atomic wavepacket corresponds to a coherent superposition of the mesoscopically distinct left and right localized states.

Jan 1, 20001 citation