Influence of classical resonances on chaotic tunnelling

Dynamical tunnelling between symmetry-related stable modes is studied in the periodically driven pendulum. We present strong evidence that the tunnelling process is governed by nonlinear resonances that manifest within the regular phase-space islands on which the stable modes are localized. By means of a quantitative numerical study of the corresponding Floquet problem, we identify the trace of such resonances not only in the level splittings between near-degenerate quantum states, where they lead to prominent plateau structures, but also in overlap matrix elements of the Floquet eigenstates, which reveal characteristic sequences of avoided crossings in the Floquet spectrum. The semiclassical theory of resonance-assisted tunnelling yields good overall agreement with the quantum-tunnelling rates, and indicates that partial barriers within the chaos might play a prominent role

Superfluidity versus Anderson localization in a dilute Bose gas

We consider the motion of a quasi one dimensional beam of Bose-Einstein condensed particles in a disordered region of finite extent. Interaction effects lead to the appearance of two distinct regions of stationary flow. One is subsonic and corresponds to superfluid motion. The other one is supersonic, dissipative and shows Anderson localization. We compute analytically the interaction-dependent localization length. We also explain the disappearance of the supersonic stationary flow for large disordered samples.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, final published versio

Observing the emergence of chaos in a many-particle quantum system

Accessing the connection between classical chaos and quantum many-body systems has been a long-standing experimental challenge. Here, we investigate the onset of chaos in periodically driven two-component Bose-Einstein condensates, whose small quantum uncertainties allow for exploring the phase space with high resolution. By analyzing the uncertainties of time-evolved many-body states, we find signatures of elliptic and hyperbolic periodic orbits generated according to the Poincar\'e-Birkhoff theorem, and the formation of a chaotic region at increasing driving strengths. The employed fluctuation analysis allows for probing the phase-space structure by use of only short-time quantum dynamics.Comment: 5+2 pages, 4 figure

Collinear helium under periodic driving: stabilization of the asymmetric stretch orbit

The collinear eZe configuration of helium, with the electrons on opposite sides of the nucleus, is studied in the presence of an external electromagnetic (laser or microwave) field. We show that the classically unstable "asymmetric stretch" orbit, on which doubly excited intrashell states of helium with maximum interelectronic angle are anchored, can be stabilized by means of a resonant driving where the frequency of the electromagnetic field equals the frequency of Kepler-like oscillations along the orbit. A static magnetic field, oriented parallel to the oscillating electric field of the driving, can be used to enforce the stability of the configuration with respect to deviations from collinearity. Quantum Floquet calculations within a collinear model of the driven two-electron atom reveal the existence of nondispersive wave packets localized on the stabilized asymmetric stretch orbit, for double excitations corresponding to principal quantum numbers of the order of N > 10.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

Coherent backscattering of Bose-Einstein condensates in two-dimensional disorder potentials

We study quantum transport of an interacting Bose-Einstein condensate in a two-dimensional disorder potential. In the limit of vanishing atom-atom interaction, a sharp cone in the angle-resolved density of the scattered matter wave is observed, arising from constructive interference between amplitudes propagating along reversed scattering paths. Weak interaction transforms this coherent backscattering peak into a pronounced dip, indicating destructive instead of constructive interference. We reproduce this result, obtained from the numerical integration of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, by a diagrammatic theory of weak localization in presence of a nonlinearity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials: Recommendations for Standardization, Production, and Usage

Experience gained during the Apollo program demonstrated the need for extensive testing of surface systems in relevant environments, including regolith materials similar to those encountered on the lunar surface. As NASA embarks on a return to the Moon, it is clear that the current lunar sample inventory is not only insufficient to support lunar surface technology and system development, but its scientific value is too great to be consumed by destructive studies. Every effort must be made to utilize standard simulant materials, which will allow developers to reduce the cost, development, and operational risks to surface systems. The Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials Workshop held in Huntsville, AL, on January 24 26, 2005, identified the need for widely accepted standard reference lunar simulant materials to perform research and development of technologies required for lunar operations. The workshop also established a need for a common, traceable, and repeatable process regarding the standardization, characterization, and distribution of lunar simulants. This document presents recommendations for the standardization, production and usage of lunar regolith simulant materials

Bound and resonance states of the nonlinear Schroedinger equation in simple model systems

The stationary nonlinear Schroedinger equation, or Gross-Pitaevskii equation, is studied for the cases of a single delta potential and a delta-shell potential. These model systems allow analytical solutions, and thus provide useful insight into the features of stationary bound, scattering and resonance states of the nonlinear Schroedinger equation. For the single delta potential, the influence of the potential strength and the nonlinearity is studied as well as the transition from bound to scattering states. Furthermore, the properties of resonance states for a repulsive delta-shell potential are discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figure

Transport and interaction blockade of cold bosonic atoms in a triple-well potential

We theoretically investigate the transport properties of cold bosonic atoms in a quasi one-dimensional triple-well potential that consists of two large outer wells, which act as microscopic source and drain reservoirs, and a small inner well, which represents a quantum-dot-like scattering region. Bias and gate "voltages" introduce a time-dependent tilt of the triple-well configuration, and are used to shift the energetic level of the inner well with respect to the outer ones. By means of exact diagonalization considering a total number of six atoms in the triple-well potential, we find diamond-like structures for the occurrence of single-atom transport in the parameter space spanned by the bias and gate voltages. We discuss the analogy with Coulomb blockade in electronic quantum dots, and point out how one can infer the interaction energy in the central well from the distance between the diamonds.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Nonlinear transport of Bose-Einstein condensates through mesoscopic waveguides

We study the coherent flow of interacting Bose-condensed atoms in mesoscopic waveguide geometries. Analytical and numerical methods, based on the mean-field description of the condensate, are developed to study both stationary as well as time-dependent propagation processes. We apply these methods to the propagation of a condensate through an atomic quantum dot in a waveguide, discuss the nonlinear transmission spectrum and show that resonant transport is generally suppressed due to an interaction-induced bistability phenomenon. Finally, we establish a link between the nonlinear features of the transmission spectrum and the self-consistent quasi-bound states of the quantum dot.Comment: 23 pages, 16 figure

Engineered quantum tunnelling in extended periodic potentials

Quantum tunnelling from a tilted, but otherwise periodic potential is studied. Our theoretical and experimental results show that, by controlling the system's parameters, we can engineer the escape rate of a Bose-Einstein condensate to an exceptional degree. Possible applications of this atom-optics realization of the open Wannier-Stark system are discussed.Comment: 6 pp, proceedings DICE 11-15 September 2006, Castello di Piombino, Tuscany, Ital