Quantum versus classical dynamics in the optical centrifuge

Abstract

The interplay between classical and quantum mechanical evolution in the optical centrifuge (OC) is discussed. The analysis is based on the quantum mechanical formalism starting from either the ground state or a thermal ensemble. Two resonant mechanisms are identified, i.e. the classical autoresonance and the quantum mechanical ladder-climbing, yielding different dynamics and rotational excitation efficiencies. The rotating wave approximation is used to analyze the two resonant regimes in the associated dimensionless two-parameter space and calculate the OC excitation efficiency. The results show good agreement between numerical simulations and theory and are relevant to existing experimental setups.

arXiv commentCorrected a minor Typo In table 1, the right cell of the row matching Δl = 2, Δm = 0 (third row from the top). Simulations were carried out with the correct value, and no other aspects of the manuscript were affected

References in corpus (13)

• Effects of ultrafast molecular rotation on collisional decoherence
• Experimental observation of Anderson localization in laser-kicked molecular rotors
• Quantum and Classical Chirps in an Anharmonic Oscillator
• Rotational spectroscopy with an optical centrifuge
• Kinetic simulations of ladder climbing by electron plasma waves
• From gyroscopic to thermal motion: a crossover in the dynamics of molecular superrotors
• Quantum versus classical phase-locking transition in a driven-chirped oscillator
• Observation of nondispersing classical-like molecular rotation
• Ultrafast magnetization of a dense molecular gas with an optical centrifuge
• Chirped-Frequency Excitation of Gravitationally Bound Ultracold Neutrons
• Capture into resonance and phase space dynamics in optical centrifuge
• Quantum versus classical dynamics in the optical centrifuge
• Ladder Climbing and Autoresonant Acceleration of Plasma Waves

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Selective Orientation of Chiral Molecules by Laser Fields with Twisted Polarization
• Quantum versus classical dynamics in the optical centrifuge
• Rotation of polarization of light propagating through a gas of molecular super-rotors
• Rotational Alignment Decay and Decoherence of Molecular Superrotors
• Laser control of molecular rotation: Expanding the utility of an optical centrifuge
• Controlling the degree of rotational directionality in laser-induced molecular dynamics
• Quantum versus classical effects in the chirped-drive discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation
• Quantum versus classical chirps in a Rydberg atom
• Missing Rung Problem in Vibrational Ladder Climbing
• State- and molecule-selective rotational control in gas mixtures with a shaped optical centrifuge