Quantum chaotic scattering in atomic physics: Ericson fluctuations in photoionization

We report the first experimental investigation of quantum chaotic scattering in an atomic system: in strong crossed magnetic and electric fields in an energy regime beyond the ionization threshold, where the classical dynamics is an example of chaotic scattering. We find Ericson fluctuations in the spectra for photo excitation into this regime. This result constitutes the first observation of Ericson fluctuations in atomic and molecular physics. Furthermore, we confirm the prediction that chaotic scattering in the underlying classical dynamics implies Ericson fluctuations.     

Breakdown of universality in quantum chaotic transport: the two-phase dynamical fluid model

We investigate the transport properties of open quantum chaotic systems in the semiclassical limit. We show how the transmission spectrum, the conductance fluctuations, and their correlations are influenced by the underlying chaotic classical dynamics, and result from the separation of the quantum phase space into a stochastic and a deterministic phase. Consequently, sample-to-sample conductance fluctuations lose their universality, while the persistence of a finite stochastic phase protects the universality of conductance fluctuations under variation of a quantum parameter.     

Shot noise in ballistic quantum dots with a mixed classical phase space

We investigate shot noise for quantum dots whose classical phase space consists of both regular and chaotic regions. The noise is systematically suppressed below the universal value of fully chaotic systems, by an amount which varies with the positions of the leads. We analyze the dynamical origin of this effect by a novel way to incorporate diffractive impurity scattering. The dependence of the shot noise on the scattering rate shows that the suppression arises due to the deterministic nature of transport through regular regions and along short chaotic trajectories. Shot noise can be used to probe phase-space structures of quantum dots with generic classical dynamics.     

Characteristics of level-spacing statistics in chaotic graphene billiards

A fundamental result in nonrelativistic quantum nonlinear dynamics is that the spectral statistics of quantum systems that possess no geometric symmetry, but whose classical dynamics are chaotic, are described by those of the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE) or the Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE), in the presence or absence of time-reversal symmetry, respectively. For massless spin-half particles such as neutrinos in relativistic quantum mechanics in a chaotic billiard, the seminal work of Berry and Mondragon established the GUE nature of the level-spacing statistics, due to the combination of the chirality of Dirac particles and the confinement, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry. A question is whether the GOE or the GUE statistics can be observed in experimentally accessible, relativistic quantum systems. We demonstrate, using graphene confinements in which the quasiparticle motions are governed by the Dirac equation in the low-energy regime, that the level-spacing statistics are persistently those of GOE random matrices. We present extensive numerical evidence obtained from the tight-binding approach and a physical explanation for the GOE statistics. We also find that the presence of a weak magnetic field switches the statistics to those of GUE. For a strong magnetic field, Landau levels become influential, causing the level-spacing distribution to deviate markedly from the random-matrix predictions. Issues addressed also include the effects of a number of realistic factors on level-spacing statistics such as next nearest-neighbor interactions, different lattice orientations, enhanced hopping energy for atoms on the boundary, and staggered potential due to graphene-substrate interactions.     

Random wave functions with boundary and normalization constraints

We present an improved version of Berry's ansatz able to incorporate exactly the existence of boundaries and the correct normalization of the eigenfunction into an ensemble of random waves. We then reformulate the Random Wave conjecture showing that in its new version it is a statement about the universal nature of eigenfunction fluctuations in systems with chaotic classical dynamics. The emergence of the universal results requires the use of both semiclassical methods and a new expansion for a very old problem in quantum statistical physics.     

Power-law distributions in random multiplicative processes with non-Gaussian colored multipliers

One class of universal mechanisms that generate power-law probability distributions is that of random multiplicative processes. In this paper, we consider a multiplicative Langevin equation driven by non-Gaussian colored multipliers. We analytically derive a formula that relates the power-law exponent to the statistics of the multipliers and numerically confirm its validity using multiplicative noise generated by chaotic dynamical systems and by a two-valued Markov process. We also investigate the relationship between our treatment and the large deviation analysis of time series, and demonstrate the appearance of log-periodic fluctuations superimposed on the power-law distribution due to the non-Gaussian nature of the multipliers.     

Quantum transport and classical dynamics in open billiards

We report numerical results of an investigation of quantum transport for a weakly opened integrable circle and chaotic stadium billiards with a pair of conducting leads. While the statistics of spacings of resonance energies commonly follow the Wigner (GOE)-like distribution, the electric conductance as a function of the Fermi wavenumber shows characteristic noisy fluctuations associated with a typical set of classical orbits unique for both billiards. The wavenumber autocorrelation for the conductance is stronger in the stadium than the circle billiard, which we show is related to the length spectrum of classical short orbits. We propose an explanation of these contrasts in terms of the effect of phase decoherence due to the underlying chaotic dynamics.     

Robust dynamical effects in traffic and chaotic maps on trees

In the dynamic processes on networks collective effects emerge due to the couplings between nodes, where the network structure may play an important role. Interaction along many network links in the nonlinear dynamics may lead to a kind of chaotic collective behavior. Here we study two types of well-defined diffusive dynamics on scale-free trees: traffic of packets as navigated random walks, and chaotic standard maps coupled along the network links. We show that in both cases robust collective dynamic effects appear, which can be measured statistically and related to non-ergodicity of the dynamics on the network. Specifically, we find universal features in the fluctuations of time series and appropriately defined return-time statistics.      

Level Dynamics and Universality of Spectral Fluctuations

The spectral fluctuations of quantum (or wave) systems with a chaotic classical (or ray) limit are mostly universal and faithful to random-matrix theory. Taking up ideas of Pechukas and Yukawa we show that equilibrium statistical mechanics for the fictitious gas of particles associated with the parametric motion of levels yields spectral fluctuations of the random-matrix type. Previously known clues to that goal are an appropriate equilibrium ensemble and a certain ergodicity of level dynamics. We here complete the reasoning by establishing a power law for the dependence of the mean parametric separation of avoided level crossings. Due to that law universal spectral fluctuations emerge as average behavior of a family of quantum dynamics drawn from a control parameter interval which becomes vanishingly small in the classical limit; the family thus corresponds to a single classical system. We also argue that classically integrable dynamics cannot produce universal spectral fluctuations since their level dynamics resembles a nearly ideal Pechukas–Yukawa gas.     

Stable quantum computation of unstable classical chaos

We show on the example of the Arnold cat map that classical chaotic systems can be simulated with exponential efficiency on a quantum computer. Although classical computer errors grow exponentially with time, the quantum algorithm with moderate imperfections is able to simulate accurately the unstable chaotic classical nonlinear dynamics for long times. The algorithm can be easily implemented on systems of a few qubits.     

Quantum chaotic scattering with a mixed phase space: the three-disk billiard in a magnetic field

We study the classical and semiclassical scattering behavior of electrons in an open three-disk billard in the presence of a homogeneous magnetic field, which is confined to the inner part of the scattering region. As the magnetic field is increased the phase space of the invariant set of the classical scattering trajectories changes from hyperbolic (fully chaotic) to a mixed situation, where KAM tori are present. The "stickiness" of the stable trajectories leads to a much slower decay of the survival probability of trajectories as compared to the hyperbolic case. We show that this effect influences strongly the quantum fluctuations of the scattering amplitude and cross sections.     

Spectral fluctuations and 1/f noise in the order-chaos transition regime

Level fluctuations in a quantum system have been used to characterize quantum chaos using random matrix models. Recently time series methods were used to relate the level fluctuations to the classical dynamics in the regular and chaotic limit. In this, we show that the spectrum of the system undergoing order to chaos transition displays a characteristic f(-gamma) noise and gamma is correlated with the classical chaos in the system. We demonstrate this using a smooth potential and a time-dependent system modeled by Gaussian and circular ensembles, respectively, of random matrix theory. We show the effect of short periodic orbits on these fluctuation measures.     

Electron waiting times in mesoscopic conductors

Electron transport in mesoscopic conductors has traditionally involved investigations of the mean current and the fluctuations of the current. A complementary view on charge transport is provided by the distribution of waiting times between charge carriers, but a proper theoretical framework for coherent electronic systems has so far been lacking. Here we develop a quantum theory of electron waiting times in mesoscopic conductors expressed by a compact determinant formula. We illustrate our methodology by calculating the waiting time distribution for a quantum point contact and find a crossover from Wigner-Dyson statistics at full transmission to Poisson statistics close to pinch-off. Even when the low-frequency transport is noiseless, the electrons are not equally spaced in time due to their inherent wave nature. We discuss the implications for renewal theory in mesoscopic systems and point out several analogies with level spacing statistics and random matrix theory.     

Thermodynamics of Small Fermi Systems: Quantum Statistical Fluctuations

We investigate the probability distribution of the quantum fluctuations of thermodynamic functions of finite, ballistic, phase-coherent Fermi gases. Depending on the chaotic or integrable nature of the underlying classical dynamics, on the thermodynamic function considered, and on temperature, we find that the probability distributions are dominated either (i) by the local fluctuations of the single-particle spectrum on the scale of the mean level spacing, or (ii) by the long-range modulations of that spectrum produced by the short periodic orbits. In case (i) the probability distributions are computed using the appropriate local universality class, uncorrelated levels for integrable systems, and random matrix theory for chaotic ones. In case (ii) all the moments of the distributions can be explicitly computed in terms of periodic orbit theory and are system-dependent, nonuniversal, functions. The dependence on temperature and on number of particles of the fluctuations is explicitly computed in all cases, and the different relevant energy scales are displayed.     

Phase space representation of quantum dynamics

We discuss a phase space representation of quantum dynamics of systems with many degrees of freedom. This representation is based on a perturbative expansion in quantum fluctuations around one of the classical limits. We explicitly analyze expansions around three such limits: (i) corpuscular or Newtonian limit in the coordinate-momentum representation, (ii) wave or Gross-Pitaevskii limit for interacting bosons in the coherent state representation, and (iii) Bloch limit for the spin systems. We discuss both the semiclassical (truncated Wigner) approximation and further quantum corrections appearing in the form of either stochastic quantum jumps along the classical trajectories or the nonlinear response to such jumps. We also discuss how quantum jumps naturally emerge in the analysis of non-equal time correlation functions. This representation of quantum dynamics is closely related to the phase space methods based on the Wigner-Weyl quantization and to the Keldysh technique. We show how such concepts as the Wigner function, Weyl symbol, Moyal product, Bopp operators, and others automatically emerge from the Feynmann's path integral representation of the evolution in the Heisenberg representation. We illustrate the applicability of this expansion with various examples mostly in the context of cold atom systems including sine-Gordon model, one- and two-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model, Dicke model and others.     

Integrability lost: Chaotic dynamics of classical strings on a confining holographic background

It is known that classical string dynamics on pure AdS₅×S⁵${\mathit{AdS}}_5\times S^5$ is integrable and plays an important role in solvability. This is a deep and central issue in holography. Here we investigate similar classical integrability for a more realistic confining background and provide a negative answer. The dynamics of a class of simple string configurations on AdS soliton background can be mapped to the dynamics of a set of non-linearly coupled oscillators. In a suitable limit of small fluctuations we discuss a quasi-periodic analytic solution of the system. Numerics indicates chaotic behavior as the fluctuations are not small. Integrability implies the existence of a regular foliation of the phase space by invariant manifolds. Our numerics shows how this nice foliation structure is eventually lost due to chaotic motion. We also verify a positive Lyapunov index for chaotic orbits. Our dynamics is roughly similar to other known non-integrable coupled oscillator systems like Hénon–Heiles equations.     

Heterogeneous dynamics of coarsening systems

We show by means of experiments, theory, and simulations that the slow dynamics of coarsening systems displays dynamic heterogeneity similar to that observed in glass-forming systems. We measure dynamic heterogeneity via novel multipoint functions which quantify the emergence of dynamic, as opposed to static, correlations of fluctuations. Experiments are performed on a coarsening foam using time-resolved correlation, a recently introduced light scattering method. Theoretically we study the Ising model, and present exact results in one dimension, and numerical results in two dimensions. For all systems the same dynamic scaling of fluctuations with domain size is observed.     

Dynamics of macroscopic fluctuations of electrochemically treated water according to the Rayleigh scattering data

A possibility of deriving quantitative information about the states of aqueous systems and their dynamics based on the analysis of the dynamics of fluctuations in Rayleigh light scattering of natural water, as well as catholyte and anolyte, formed as a result of its electrochemical treatment, is demonstrated. Data on the parameters of Rayleigh scattering variations in water catholyte and anolyte immediately after electrolysis and after time intervals of 24 and 48 h are obtained. Calculations are performed in terms of flicker-noise spectroscopy. Quantitative characteristics are presented, which show significant differences in the dynamics of development of macroscopic fluctuations in catholyte and anolyte of the water under study.