Atomic wave packet dynamics in finite time-dependent optical lattices

Abstract

Atomic wave packets in optical lattices which are both spatially finite and time-dependent exhibit many striking similarities with light pulses in photonic crystals. We analytically characterize the transmission properties of such a potential geometry for an ideal gas in terms of a position-dependent band structure. In particular, we find that at specific energies, wave packets at the center of the finite lattice may be enclosed by pairs of band gaps. These act as mirrors between which the atomic wave packet is reflected, thereby effectively yielding a matter wave cavity. We show that long trapping times may be obtained in such a resonator and investigate the collapse and revival dynamics of the atomic wave packet by numerical evaluation of the Schrödinger equation.

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Cited by in corpus (6)

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• Realization of a distributed Bragg reflector for propagating guided matter waves
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• Dynamics of free time-dependent effective mass
• Band gap structures for matter waves
• Optical lattice quantum simulator of dynamics beyond Born-Oppenheimer