Quantum Dynamical Behavior of the Morse Oscillator: the Wigner Function Approach

We explore the quantum dynamical behavior of the Morse oscillator in the phase space using the Wigner function. For an initial wave packet excited with Gaussian probability distribution, we calculate the associated Wigner function and compute its time evolution. By calculating the marginal probabilities, we study the formation of quantum carpets both in the position space and in the momentum space. In addition, in view of these probabilities, we present the time evolution of the position and momentum expectation values. The structure of quantum carpets and the time-evolved expectation values mimic the emergence of quantum revivals and fractional revivals.     

Quantum carpets: efficiently probing fractional revivals in position-dependent mass systems

Position-dependent-mass systems are of great importance in many physical situations,such as the transport of charge carriers in semiconductors with non-uniform composition and in the theory of many-body interactions in condensed matter.Here we investigate,numerically and analytically,the phenomenon of fractional revivals in such systems,which is a generic characteristic manifested by the wave-packet evolution in bounded Hamiltonian systems.Identifying the fractional revivals using specific probe...     

Dynamic quantum revivals in phase space

We explain quantum revivals and fractional revivals in phase space of the Fermi?CUlam accelerator. We derive analytic expressions of the Wigner distribution function for the driven system describing quantum interferences in position and momentum space. We assume that the fractional revival times are nonrecurrent under certain conditions and display randomness in the occurrence of the phenomenon at these times.     

矩形弹子球中的量子波包分析(英文)

利用波包分析量子力学体系的动力学行为在研究经典和量子的对应关系方面越来越成为一个非常重要的方法.利用高斯波包分析方法,我们计算了矩形弹子球体系的自关联函数,自关联函数的峰和经典周期轨道的周期符合的很好,这表明经典周期轨道的周期可以通过含时的量子波包方法产生.我们还讨论了矩形弹子球的波包回归和波包的部分回归,计算结果表明在每一个回归时间,波包出现精确的回归.对于动量为零的波包,初始位置在弹子球内部的特殊对称点处,出现一些时间比较短的附加的回归.     

Phase control of rotational wave packets and quantum information

Lasers can create rotational wave packets in gas-phase molecules which periodically revive as field-free, aligned distributions. We control the wave packet evolution with relatively weak laser pulses at fractional revivals which modify the phase between wave packet components. We demonstrate two phase control effects in oxygen: coherently switching revivals off and on, and doubling the revival frequency. When viewed as a quantum logic system, these effects correspond to a Hadamard and a T operation.     

Quantum Dynamical Recurrences in Position-Dependent Mass Systems

Journal of Russian Laser Research - Wave-packet dynamics in bounded systems manifests quantum recurrences at different time scales, namely, classical periodicity, quantum revivals, and fractional...     

Dynamics of a quantum oscillator strongly and off-resonantly coupled with a two-level system

Beyond the rotating-wave approximation, the dynamics of a quantum oscillator interacting strongly and off-resonantly with a two-level system exhibit beatings, whose period equals the revival time of the two-level system. On a longer time scale, the quantum oscillator shows collapses, revivals and fractional revivals, which are encountered in oscillator observables like the mean number of oscillator quanta and in the two-level inversion population. Also the scattered oscillator field shows doublets with symmetrically displaced peaks.     

Measuring the fractional orbital angular momentum of a vortex light beam by cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometers

We design an interferometric method for measuring the fractional orbital angular momentum of a vortex light beam by cascading Mach–Zehnder interferometers. The validity of this method is verified by simulation and theoretical analysis. We demonstrate the method experimentally for two stages of cascaded Mach–Zehnder interferometers, which can measure the fractional topological charge up to two. The experimental results agree with the theoretical results well. Since fractional orbital angular momentum may have a potential application in the field of quantum information, one can utilize the method to detect them easily and precisely.     

Quantum carpets woven by cold atoms in a laser field

Propagation of wave packets of cold two-level atoms in a standing-wave laser field can be interpreted in the dressed-state basis as motion in two optical potentials. The three distinct regimes of the wavepacket motion are specified by the ratio of the squared atom–laser detuning to the normalized Doppler shift. We calculate the momentum and position probability densities, which form patterns with minima and maxima of probability both in the momentum and the position spaces known as quantum carpets. At small and large detunings, the atomic motion is substantially adiabatic, and the quantum carpets have a simple form. At intermediate detunings, the wave packet moves nonadiabatically, splitting at each node of the standing wave, which causes a proliferation or branching of atomic trajectories with a single atom. Nonadiabatic transitions produce beautiful quantum carpets with a rich structure.     

Information Entropy to Probe Revivals in Dynamical Systems

It is shown that sum of information entropies in position and momentum space, quantifies the temporal information in wave packet dynamics of a dynamical system. Quantum fractional revivals are investigated on these bases in periodically driven Fermi-Ulam accelerator. It is observed that the entropic measure provides deeper insight of the wave packet dynamics for the long time evolution as compared with conventional autocorrelation function. It is shown that these revival times are not symmetric in driven situations and may lead to a random behavior.     

Bragg scattering as a probe of atomic wave functions and quantum phase transitions in optical lattices

We have observed Bragg scattering of photons from quantum degenerate ^{87}Rb atoms in a three-dimensional optical lattice. Bragg scattered light directly probes the microscopic crystal structure and atomic wave function whose position and momentum width is Heisenberg limited. The spatial coherence of the wave function leads to revivals in the Bragg scattered light due to the atomic Talbot effect. The decay of revivals across the superfluid to Mott insulator transition indicates the loss of superfluid coherence.     

Ordered space-time structures: Quantum carpets from Gaussian sum theory

The term "quantum carpet" can be observed in many closed quantum systems, where the evolution of a wave function exhibits a carpet-like pattern. Quantum carpet mechanisms are also akin to the classical interference patterns of light. Although the origins of quantum carpets have previously been studied by various researchers, many interesting details are still worth exploring. In this study, we present a unified framework for simultaneously analyzing three different features of quantum carpets: full revival,fractional revival, and diagonal canal. For the fractional revival feature, a complete formula is presented to explain its formation through Gaussian sum theory, in which all essential features, including phases and amplitudes, are captured analytically. We also reveal important relationships between the interference terms of diagonal canals and their geometric interpretations such that a better understanding of the development of diagonal canals can be supported.     

Fisher information,nonclassicality and quantum revivals

Wave packet revivals and fractional revivals are studied by means of a measure of nonclassicality based on the Fisher information. In particular, we show that the spreading and the regeneration of initially Gaussian wave packets in a quantum bouncer and in the infinite square-well correspond, respectively, to high and low nonclassicality values. This result is in accordance with the physical expectations that at a quantum revival wave packets almost recover their initial shape and the classical motion revives temporarily afterward.     

Quantum logic approach to wave packet control

We study control of wave packets with a finite accuracy, approaching it as quantum information processing. For a given control resolution, we define the analogs of several quantum bits within the shape of a single wave packet. These bits are based on wave packet symmetries. Analogs of one- and two-bit gates can be implemented using only free wave packet evolution and coordinate-dependent ac Stark shifts applied at the moments of fractional revivals. As in quantum computation, the gates form a logarithmically small set of basis operations which can be used to approximate any unitary transformation desired for quantum control of the wave packet dynamics. Numerical examples show the application of this approach to control vibrational wave packet revivals.     

Quantum carpets of a slightly relativistic particle

We analyze the structures emerging in the spacetime representation of the probability density woven by a slightly relativistic particle caught in a one‐dimensional box. In particular, we evaluate the relativistic effects on the revival time and the specific changes produced in the intermode traces, which quantum carpets consist of. Moreover, we present a detailed mathematical analysis of such quantum carpets pursuing the approach of a kernel. Here we represent the probability distribution as a superposition of interfering Airy function‐type structures along straight world lines. We also show that this phenomenon can be enhanced by many orders of magnitude in semiconductors with narrow band‐gap (e.g. as in InSb) and small effective mass of the electron, whereby due to the strong nonparabolicity of the semiconductor conduction band, the electron energy vs momentum dispersion relation behaves in a pseudo‐relativistic way.     

Cover Picture: Fortschritte der Physik 8 / 2009

The cover page of 2009 shows high‐resolution interference “quantum carpet” patterns for the momentum wave function of an interacting Bose‐Einstein condensate (BEC). As time progresses (from back to front), the many‐body mean field interaction of the BEC first leads to a broadening of the wave function, but then also to a time‐varying interference structure by inducing site‐dependent nonlinear phase shifts when the BEC is confined in a spatially periodic potential. Imaging the wave function in momentum space for different times leads to a pattern that one reminds of a carefully woven carpet and is hence termed “quantum carpet”. Quantum carpets beautifully demonstrate the surprisingly high matter wave coherence of particle‐particle interactions in the zero‐temperature limit.     

一般幂指数中心势作用下的波包回归和部分回归

利用WKB近似和自关联函数方法,我们研究了一般幂指数中心势V(r)=γrk (-20)作用下波包的回归和部分回归.对于排斥势(γ>0, k>0), 势是一长程势,量子化能级结构中只有一个量子数,波包的回归结构和一维幂指数势的情况类似.这一结果表明能级结构相同的体系具有相同的波包回归结构.对于吸引势,能级结构中有两个量子数, 当 k取不同的值时,波包的回归结构不同.对于库仑吸引势,波包回归和部分回归出现;但是对于其它的k值, 经过一段时间后,波包出现坍塌.本文的研究对于探讨里德堡原子和分子中电子运动的经典极限提供了一个新的方法.     

一般幂指数中心势作用下的波包回归和部分回归

利用WKB近似和自关联函数方法,我们研究了一般幂指数中心势V(r)=rk (-20)作用下波包的回归和部分回归。对于排斥势(>0, k>0), 势是一长程势,量子化能级结构中只有一个量子数,波包的回归结构和一维幂指数势的情况类似。这一结果表明能级结构相同的体系具有相同的波包回归结构。 对于吸引势,能级结构中有两个量子数, 当 k取不同的值时,波包的回归结构不同。对于库仑吸引势,波包回归和部分回归出现; 但是对于其它的k值, 经过一段时间后,波包出现坍塌。本文的研究对于探讨里德堡原子和分子中电子运动的经典极限提供了一个新的方法。     

Extracting continuum electron dynamics from high harmonic emission from molecules

We show that high harmonic generation is the most sensitive probe of rotational wave packet revivals, revealing very high-order rotational revivals for the first time using any probe. By fitting high-quality experimental data to an exact theory of high harmonic generation from aligned molecules, we can extract the underlying electronic dipole elements for high harmonic emission and uncover that the electron gains angular momentum from the photon field.