Quantum shutter approach to tunneling time scales with wave packets

The quantum shutter approach to tunneling time scales (G. Garc\'{\i }a-Calder\'{o}n and A. Rubio, Phys. Rev. A \textbf{55}, 3361 (1997)), which uses a cutoff plane wave as the initial condition, is extended in such a way that a certain type of wave packet can be used as the initial condition. An analytical expression for the time evolved wave function is derived. The time-domain resonance, the peaked structure of the probability density (as the function of time) at the exit of the barrier, originally found with the cutoff plane wave initial condition, is studied with the wave packet initial conditions. It is found that the time-domain resonance is not very sensitive to the width of the packet when the transmission process is in the tunneling regime.Comment: 6 page

Quantum matter wave dynamics with moving mirrors

When a stationary reflecting wall acting as a perfect mirror for an atomic beam with well defined incident velocity is suddenly removed, the density profile develops during the time evolution an oscillatory pattern known as diffraction in time. The interference fringes are suppressed or their visibility is diminished by several effects such as averaging over a distribution of incident velocities, apodization of the aperture function, atom-atom interactions, imperfect reflection or environmental noise. However, when the mirror moves with finite velocity along the direction of propagation of the beam, the visibility of the fringes is enhanced. For mirror velocities below beam velocity, as used for slowing down the beam, the matter wave splits into three regions separated by space-time points with classical analogues. For mirror velocities above beam velocity a visibility enhancement occurs without a classical counterpart. When the velocity of the beam approaches that of the mirror the density oscillations rise by a factor 1.8 over the stationary value.Comment: 5.2 pages, 6 figure

Enhanced observability of quantum post-exponential decay using distant detectors

We study the elusive transition from exponential to post-exponential (algebraic) decay of the probability density of a quantum particle emitted by an exponentially decaying source, in one dimension. The main finding is that the probability density at the transition time, and thus its observability, increases with the distance of the detector from the source, up to a critical distance beyond which exponential decay is no longer observed. Solvable models provide explicit expressions for the dependence of the transition on resonance and observational parameters, facilitating the choice of optimal conditions

Dynamics of a Tonks-Girardeau gas released from a hard-wall trap

We study the expansion dynamics of a Tonks-Girardeau gas released from a hard wall trap. Using the Fermi-Bose map, the density profile is found analytically and shown to differ from that one of a classical gas in the microcanonical ensemble even at macroscopic level, for any observation time larger than a critical time. The relevant time scale arises as a consequence of fermionization.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Time dependence of evanescent quantum waves

The time dependence of quantum evanescent waves generated by a point source with an infinite or a limited frequency band is analyzed. The evanescent wave is characterized by a forerunner (transient) related to the precise way the source is switched on. It is followed by an asymptotic, monochromatic wave which at long times reveals the oscillation frequency of the source. For a source with a sharp onset the forerunner is exponentially larger than the monochromatic solution and a transition from the transient regime to the asymtotic regime occurs only at asymptotically large times. In this case, the traversal time for tunneling plays already a role only in the transient regime. To enhance the monochromatic solution compared to the forerunner we investigate (a) frequency band limited sources and (b) the short time Fourier analysis (the spectrogram) corresponding to a detector which is frequency band limited. Neither of these two methods leads to a precise determination of the traversal time. However, if they are limited to determine the traversal time only with a precision of the traversal time itself both methods are successful: In this case the transient behavior of the evanescent waves is at a time of the order of the traversal time followed by a monochromatic wave which reveals the frequency of the source.Comment: 16 text pages and 9 postscript figure

Doubly resonant ultrachirped pulses

Ultrachirped pulses for which the frequency chirp is of the order of the transition frequency of a two-level atom are examined. When the chirp is large enough, the resonance may be crossed twice, for positive and negative quadrature frequencies. In this scenario the analytic signal and quadrature decompositions of the field into amplitude and phase factors turn out to be quite different. The corresponding interaction pictures are strictly equivalent, but only as long as approximations are not applied. The domain of validity of the formal rotating wave approximation is dramatically enhanced using the analytic signal representation

Exact propagators for atom-laser interactions

A class of exact propagators describing the interaction of an $N$-level atom with a set of on-resonance $\delta$-lasers is obtained by means of the Laplace transform method. State-selective mirrors are described in the limit of strong lasers. The ladder, V and $\Lambda$ configurations for a three-level atom are discussed. For the two level case, the transient effects arising as result of the interaction between both a semi-infinite beam and a wavepacket with the on-resonance laser are examined.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Dynamical description of the buildup process in resonant tunneling: Evidence of exponential and non-exponential contributions

The buildup process of the probability density inside the quantum well of a double-barrier resonant structure is studied by considering the analytic solution of the time dependent Schr\"{o}dinger equation with the initial condition of a cutoff plane wave. For one level systems at resonance condition we show that the buildup of the probability density obeys a simple charging up law, $| \Psi (\tau) / \phi | =1-e^{-\tau /\tau_0},$ where $\phi$ is the stationary wave function and the transient time constant $\tau_0$ is exactly two lifetimes. We illustrate that the above formula holds both for symmetrical and asymmetrical potential profiles with typical parameters, and even for incidence at different resonance energies. Theoretical evidence of a crossover to non-exponential buildup is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Matter wave pulses characteristics

We study the properties of quantum single-particle wave pulses created by sharp-edged or apodized shutters with single or periodic openings. In particular, we examine the visibility of diffraction fringes depending on evolution time and temperature; the purity of the state depending on the opening-time window; the accuracy of a simplified description which uses ``source'' boundary conditions instead of solving an initial value problem; and the effects of apodization on the energy width.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure

Matter-wave diffraction in time with a linear potential

Diffraction in time of matter waves incident on a shutter which is removed at time $t=0$ is studied in the presence of a linear potential. The solution is also discussed in phase space in terms of the Wigner function. An alternative configuration relevant to current experiments where particles are released from a hard wall trap is also analyzed for single-particle states and for a Tonks-Girardeau gas.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure