Directed transport of coupled systems in symmetric periodic potentials

In this paper, we discuss the damped unidirectional motions of a coupled lattice in a periodic potential. Each particle in the lattice is subject to a time-periodic ac force. Our studies reveal that a directed transport process can be observed when the ac forces acting on the coupled lattice have a phase shift (mismatch). This directed motion is a collaboration of the coupling, the substrate potential, and the periodic force, which are all symmetric. The absence of any one of these three factors will not give rise to a directed current. We discuss the complex relations between the directed current and parameters in the system. Results in this paper can be accomplished in experiments. Moreover,our results can be generalized to the studies of directed transport processes in more complicated spatially extended systems.     

Tunneling spectroscopy of a two-dimensionally periodic electron system

The tunneling current between an electron gas with a periodic potential in two dimensions and a plain two-dimensional electron system (2DES) has been studied. The strength of the periodic potential, the subband energy of the plain 2DES, and an applied in-plane magnetic field were varied, mapping the Fourier transform of the periodic wave function. Periodic peaks were observed and explained by translations in the reciprocal lattice. When the potential was strongly modulated to form an array of antidots, commensurability peaks were seen in lateral transport, but, as expected, not in tunneling.     

Evolution of spin-dependent atomic wave packets in a harmonic potential

We have investigated theoretically the evolution of spin-dependent atomic wave packets in a harmonic magnetic trapping potential. For a Bose-condensed gas, which undergoes a Mott insulator transition and a spin-dependent transport, the atomic wavefunction can be described by an entangled single-atom state. Due to the confinement of the harmonic potential, the density distributions exhibit periodic decay and revival, which is different from the case of free expansion after switching off the combined harmonic and optical lattice potential.     

Collective Directional Transport in Symmetric Periodic Potentials by Breaking the Coupling Symmetry

Collective unidirectional motion of an asymmetrically coupled array of oscillators in symmetric periodic potentials is studied. A directed current is observed when the drift coupling is presented, while no external biased force is applied. Negative directed current is found when varying system parameters. An addition of a periodic rocking force may enhance the efficiency of directed transport. Resonant steps of the current are found and interpreted as the mode locking between the array and the ac force. Noise-assisted transport is observed, and an optimal noise intensity can give rise to a most efficient transport. The directed transport thus can be optimized and furthermore controlled by suitably adjusting the parameters of the system.     

Atomic Landau-Zener tunneling in Fourier-synthesized optical lattices

We report on an experimental study of quantum transport of atoms in variable periodic optical potentials. The band structure of both ratchet-type asymmetric and symmetric lattice potentials is explored. The variable atom potential is realized by superimposing a conventional standing wave potential of lambda/2 spatial periodicity with a fourth-order multiphoton potential of lambda/4 periodicity. We find that the Landau-Zener tunneling rate between the first and the second excited Bloch band depends critically on the relative phase between the two spatial lattice harmonics.     

Vibrational mechanics in an optical lattice: controlling transport via potential renormalization

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the phenomenon of vibrational resonance in a periodic potential, using cold atoms in an optical lattice as a model system. A high-frequency (HF) drive, with a frequency much larger than any characteristic frequency of the system, is applied by phase modulating one of the lattice beams. We show that the HF drive leads to the renormalization of the potential. We used transport measurements as a probe of the potential renormalization. The very same experiments also demonstrate that transport can be controlled by the HF drive via potential renormalization.     

Double-temperature ratchet model and current reversal of coupled Brownian motors

On the basis of the transport features and experimental phenomena observed in studies of molecular motors, we propose a double-temperature ratchet model of coupled motors to reveal the dynamical mechanism of cooperative transport of motors with two heads, where the interactions and asynchrony between two motor heads are taken into account. We investigate the collective unidirectional transport of coupled system and find that the direction of motion can be reversed under certain conditions. Reverse motion can be achieved by modulating the coupling strength, coupling free length, and asymmetric coefficient of the periodic potential, which is understood in terms of the effective potential theory. The dependence of the directed current on various parameters is studied systematically. Directed transport of coupled Brownian motors can be manipulated and optimized by adjusting the pulsation period or the phase shift of the pulsation temperature.     

Ratchet motion and current reversal of coupled Brownian motors in pulsating symmetric potentials

In this study, we investigate the collective directed transport of coupled Brownian particles in spatially symmetric periodic potentials under time-periodic pulsating modulations. We find that the coupling between two particles can induce symmetry breaking and consequently collective directed motion. Moreover, the direction of motion can be reversed under certain conditions. The dependence of directed current on various parameters is systematically studied. reverse motion can be achieved by modulating the coupling free length and the phase shift of the pulsating potential. The dynamical mechanism of these transport properties is understood in terms of the effective-potential theory and the space-time transformation invariance. The directed transport of coupled Brownian motors can be manipulated and optimized by adjusting the coupling strength, pulsating frequency, or noise intensity.     

Phase control of directed diffusion in a symmetric optical lattice

We demonstrate the phenomenon of directed diffusion in a symmetric periodic potential. This has been realized with cold atoms in a one-dimensional dissipative optical lattice. The stochastic process of optical pumping leads to a diffusive dynamics of the atoms through the periodic structure, while a zero-mean force which breaks the temporal symmetry of the system is applied by phase modulating one of the lattice beams. The atoms are set into directed motion as a result of the breaking of the temporal symmetry of the system.     

Dispersion management for atomic matter waves

We demonstrate the control of the dispersion of matter wave packets utilizing periodic potentials. This is analogous to the technique of dispersion management known in photon optics. Matter wave packets are realized by Bose-Einstein condensates of 87Rb in an optical dipole potential acting as a one-dimensional waveguide. A weak optical lattice is used to control the dispersion relation of the matter waves during the propagation of the wave packets. The dynamics are observed in position space and interpreted using the concept of effective mass. By switching from positive to negative effective mass, the dynamics can be reversed. The breakdown of the approximation of constant, as well as experimental signatures of an infinite effective mass are studied.     

Quantum hyperdiffusion in one-dimensional tight-binding lattices

Transient quantum hyperdiffusion, namely, faster-than-ballistic wave packet spreading for a certain time scale, is found to be a typical feature in tight-binding lattices if a sublattice with on-site potential is embedded in a uniform lattice without on-site potential. The strength of the sublattice on-site potential, which can be periodic, disordered, or quasiperiodic, must be below certain threshold values for quantum hyperdiffusion to occur. This is explained by an energy band mismatch between the sublattice and the rest uniform lattice and by the structure of the underlying eigenstates. Cases with a quasiperiodic sublattice can yield remarkable hyperdiffusion exponents that are beyond three. A phenomenological explanation of hyperdiffusion exponents is also discussed.     

具有振幅调制的光学格子中光束的演化研究

利用变分原理和数值模拟的方法研究了光束在光传输方向的横截面上存在着具有振幅调制的光学格子时的演化,得到了光束宽度、振幅、光束的波阵面曲率随传播距离的演化形式.通过将光束的传输类比于粒子的运动,发现光束参量的条件存在三个区域,在不同的区域光束将在光格子的调制下有不同的传输形式,光格子振幅调制系数在各个区域起到了重要作用.光学格子中周期格子的作用有类似非线性的很好的特性,周期格子的引入提供了更好地控制格子孤子形成和传输的参考条件.     

Supersymmetric ratchets

The overdamped Brownian motion in a periodic potential under far from equilibrium conditions is considered. A large class of systems with an intrinsic asymmetry, called supersymmetric ratchets, is identified for which the occurrence of directed transport can be ruled out without any fine-tuning of parameters.     

Investigation on a temporal asymmetric oscillating temperature ratchet

We study the directed motion of Brownian particles in a periodic potential due to a periodically oscillating temperature of the thermal environment. The steady average velocity of Brownian particles is evaluated by using the Langevin simulation. The features of current are discussed in detail. The results obtained here show that the periodically oscillating temperature produces a directed transport of the particles in a ratchet system and that through changing some parameters of this system, the magnitude and direction of transport can be controlled. Moreover, it is found that the temporal symmetric temperature oscillation may not be the best choice and the mode of temperature oscillation can be optimized.     

Wave propagation in two-dimensional periodic lattices

Plane wave propagation in infinite two-dimensional periodic lattices is investigated using Floquet-Bloch principles. Frequency bandgaps and spatial filtering phenomena are examined in four representative planar lattice topologies: hexagonal honeycomb, Kagomé lattice, triangular honeycomb, and the square honeycomb. These topologies exhibit dramatic differences in their long-wavelength deformation properties. Long-wavelength asymptotes to the dispersion curves based on homogenization theory are in good agreement with the numerical results for each of the four lattices. The slenderness ratio of the constituent beams of the lattice (or relative density) has a significant influence on the band structure. The techniques developed in this work can be used to design lattices with a desired band structure. The observed spatial filtering effects due to anisotropy at high frequencies (short wavelengths) of wave propagation are consistent with the lattice symmetries.     

Dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates in a one-dimensional optical lattice with double-well potential

We study dynamical behaviors of the weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensate in the one-dimensional optical lattice with an overall double-well potential by solving the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. It is observed that the double-well potential dominates the dynamics of such a system even if the lattice depth is several times larger than the height of the double-well potential. This result suggests that the condensate flows without resistance in the periodic lattice just like the case of a single particle moving in periodic potentials. Nevertheless, the effective mass of atoms is increased, which can be experimentally verified since it is connected to the Josephson oscillation frequency. Moreover, the periodic lattice enhances the nonlinearity of the double-well condensate, making the condensate more “self-trapped” in the π-mode self-trapping regime.     

Quantum control and entanglement using periodic driving fields

We propose a scheme for producing directed motion in a lattice system by applying a periodic driving potential. By controlling the dynamics by means of the effect known as coherent destruction of tunneling, we demonstrate a novel ratchetlike effect that enables particles to be coherently manipulated and steered without requiring local control. Entanglement between particles can also be controllably generated, which points to the attractive possibility of using this technique for quantum information processing.     

Turing instability for a two-dimensional Logistic coupled map lattice

In this Letter, stability analysis is applied to a two-dimensional Logistic coupled map lattice with the periodic boundary conditions. The conditions of Turing instability are obtained, and various patterns can be exhibited by numerical simulations in the Turing instability region. For example, space-time periodic structures, periodic or quasiperiodic traveling wave solutions, stationary wave solutions, spiral waves, and spatiotemporal chaos, etc. have been observed. In particular, the different pattern structures have also been observed for same parameters and different initial values. That is, pattern structures also depend on the initial values. The similar patterns have also been seen in relevant references. However, the present Letter owes to pattern formation via diffusion-driven instabilities because the system is stable in the absence of diffusion.     

Optically induced lensing effect on a Bose-Einstein condensate expanding in a moving lattice

We report the experimental observation of a lensing effect on a Bose-Einstein condensate expanding in a moving 1D optical lattice. The effect of the periodic potential can be described by an effective mass dependent on the condensate quasimomentum. By changing the velocity of the atoms in the frame of the optical lattice, we induce a focusing of the condensate along the lattice direction. The experimental results are compared with the numerical predictions of an effective 1D theoretical model. In addition, a precise band spectroscopy of the system is carried out by looking at the real-space propagation of the atomic wave packet in the optical lattice.     

Nonspreading wave packets in three dimensions formed by an ultracold bose gas in an optical lattice

We predict that an ultracold Bose gas in an optical lattice can give rise to a new form of condensation, namely, nonspreading 3D wave packets that reflect the symmetry of the Laplacian with a negative effective mass along the lattice direction and are allowed to exist in the absence of any trapping potential even in the limit of noninteracting atoms. This result also has strong implications for optical propagation in periodic structures.