Bose-Einstein condensates in accelerated double-periodic optical lattices: Coupling and Crossing of resonances

We study the properties of coupled linear and nonlinear resonances. The fundamental phenomena and the level crossing scenarios are introduced for a nonlinear two-level system with one decaying state, describing the dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate in a mean-field approximation (Gross-Pitaevskii or nonlinear Schroedinger equation). An important application of the discussed concepts is the dynamics of a condensate in tilted optical lattices. In particular the properties of resonance eigenstates in double-periodic lattices are discussed, in the linear case as well as within mean-field theory. The decay is strongly altered, if an additional period-doubled lattice is introduced. Our analytic study is supported by numerical computations of nonlinear resonance states, and future applications of our findings for experiments with ultracold atoms are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 17 figure

Engineering many-body quantum dynamics by disorder

Going beyond the currently investigated regimes in experiments on quantum transport of ultracold atoms in disordered potentials, we predict a crossover between regular and quantum-chaotic dynamics when varying the strength of disorder. Our spectral approach is based on the Bose-Hubbard model describing interacting atoms in deep random potentials. The predicted crossover from localized to diffusive dynamics depends on the simultaneous presence of interactions and disorder, and can be verified in the laboratory by monitoring the evolution of typical experimental initial states.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (improved version), to be published in PR

Nonlinear resonant tunneling of Bose-Einstein condensates in tilted optical lattices

We study the tunneling decay of a Bose-Einstein condensate out of tilted optical lattices within the mean-field approximation. We introduce a novel method to calculate also excited resonance eigenstates of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, based on a grid relaxation procedure with complex absorbing potentials. This algorithm works efficiently in a wide range of parameters where established methods fail. It allows us to study the effects of the nonlinearity in detail in the regime of resonant tunneling, where the decay rate is enhanced by resonant coupling to excited unstable states.Comment: Revised and enlarged version, including 1 additional figur

Resonantly enhanced tunneling of Bose-Einstein condensates in periodic potentials

We report on measurements of resonantly enhanced tunneling of Bose-Einstein condensates loaded into an optical lattice. By controlling the initial conditions of our system we were able to observe resonant tunneling in the ground and the first two excited states of the lattice wells. We also investigated the effect of the intrinsic nonlinearity of the condensate on the tunneling resonances.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Letter

Allometric trajectories of body and head morphology in three sympatric Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) morphs

A study of body and head development in three sympatric reproductively isolated Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)) morphs from a subarctic lake (Skogsfjordvatn, northern Norway) revealed allometric trajectories that resulted in morphological differences. The three morphs were ecologically assigned to a littoral omnivore, a profundal benthivore and a profundal piscivore, and this was confirmed by genetic analyses (microsatellites). Principal component analysis was used to identify the variables responsible for most of the morphological variation of the body and head shape. The littoral omnivore and the profundal piscivore morph had convergent allometric trajectories for the most important head shape variables, developing bigger mouths and relatively smaller eyes with increasing head size. The two profundal morphs shared common trajectories for the variables explaining most of the body and head shape variation, namely head size relative to body size, placement of the dorsal and pelvic fins, eye size and mouth size. In contrast, the littoral omnivore and the profundal benthivore morphs were not on common allometric trajectories for any of the examined variables. The findings suggest that different selective pressures could have been working on traits related to their trophic niche such as habitat and diet utilization of the three morphs, with the two profundal morphs experiencing almost identical environmental conditions

Detecting topological phase transitions in a double kicked quantum rotor

We present a concrete theoretical proposal for detecting topological phase transitions in double kicked atom-optics kicked rotors with internal spin-1/2 degree of freedom. The implementation utilizes a kicked Bose-Einstein condensate evolving in one-dimensional momentum space. To reduce the influence of atom loss and phase decoherence, we aim to keep experimental durations short while maintaining a resonant experimental protocol. Experimental limitations induced by phase noise, quasimomentum distributions, symmetries, and the ac-Stark shift are considered. Our results thus suggest a feasible and optimized procedure for observing topological phase transitions in quantum kicked rotors

Resonance solutions of the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation in an open double-well potential

The resonance states and the decay dynamics of the nonlinear Schr\"odinger (or Gross-Pitaevskii) equation are studied for a simple, however flexible model system, the double delta-shell potential. This model allows analytical solutions and provides insight into the influence of the nonlinearity on the decay dynamics. The bifurcation scenario of the resonance states is discussed, as well as their dynamical stability properties. A discrete approximation using a biorthogonal basis is suggested which allows an accurate description even for only two basis states in terms of a nonlinear, nonhermitian matrix problem.Comment: 21 pages, 14 figure

Nonlinear dynamics of two coupled nano-electromechanical resonators

As a model of coupled nano-electromechanical resonantors we study two nonlinear driven oscillators with an arbitrary coupling strength between them. Analytical expressions are derived for the oscillation amplitudes as a function of the driving frequency and for the energy transfer rate between the two oscillators. The nonlinear restoring forces induce the expected nonlinear resonance structures in the amplitude-frequency characteristics with asymmetric resonance peaks. The corresponding multistable behavior is shown to be an efficient tool to control the energy transfer arising from the sensitive response to small changes in the driving frequency. Our results imply that the nonlinear response can be exploited to design precise sensors for mass or force detection experiments based on nano-electromechanical resonators.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figure

Quantum to classical walk transitions tuned by spontaneous emissions

We have realized a quantum walk in momentum space with a rubidium spinor Bose-Einstein condensate by applying a periodic kicking potential as a walk operator and a resonant microwave pulse as a coin toss operator. The generated quantum walks appear to be stable for up to ten steps and then quickly transit to classical walks due to spontaneous emissions induced by laser beams of the walk operator. We investigate these quantum to classical walk transitions by introducing well-controlled spontaneous emissions with an external light source during quantum walks. Our findings demonstrate a scheme to control the robustness of the quantum walks and can also be applied to other cold atom experiments involving spontaneous emissions