Dynamical tunneling in macroscopic systems

We investigate macroscopic dynamical quantum tunneling (MDQT) in the driven Duffing oscillator, characteristic for Josephson junction physics and nanomechanics. Under resonant conditions between stable coexisting states of such systems we calculate the tunneling rate. In macroscopic systems coupled to a heat bath, MDQT can be masked by driving-induced activation. We compare both processes, identify conditions under which tunneling can be detected with present day experimental means and suggest a protocol for its observation.     

Enhancement of macroscopic quantum tunneling by Landau-Zener transitions

Motivated by recent realizations of qubits with a readout by macroscopic quantum tunneling in a Josephson junction, we study the problem of barrier penetration in the presence of coupling to a spin-1 / 2 system. It is shown that, when the diabatic potentials for fixed spin intersect in the barrier region, Landau-Zener transitions lead to an enhancement of the tunneling rate. The effect of these spin flips in imaginary time is in qualitative agreement with experimental observations.     

Possibility of observing magnetic macroscopic quantum tunneling using a scanning tunneling microscope

A theory describing the detection of magnetic macroscopic quantum tunneling on the basis of current fluctuations in a scanning tunneling microscope is proposed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1011–1020 (September 1997)     

Metastable state and macroscopic quantum tunneling of binary mixtures

We provide a mixing model to explore the metastable state and the macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) of binary mixtures. For , we first observe the two condensates form the symmetry-breaking state (SBS) and then suddenly transfer to the symmetry-preserving state (SPS) through the MQT. The SBS is shown to be the metastable state in our system. We find the MQT does not spontaneously arise. The inducement mechanism is the damping but not the excitations. The damping mechanism can also control the lifetime and the tunneling decay rate of the SBS. Finally, we further present the origin of these phenomena by examining the energy of the system.     

分子磁体中的量子隧穿及宏观量子效应

文章介绍了分子磁体中的量子隧穿和宏观量子效应理论和实验研究的新进展．分子磁体既有宏观磁体特性也呈现纯量子行为，例如磁化矢量的量子隧穿．文章作者解释了如何通过量子隧穿实现宏观量子相干(即薛定谔猫态的相干叠加)和量子态位相干涉．对隧穿率计算的瞬子方法，特别是有限温度隧穿理论及其在分子磁体量子隧穿中的应用也做了简要的阐述．     

Quantum terahertz electrodynamics and macroscopic quantum tunneling in layered superconductors

We derive a quantum field theory of Josephson plasma waves (JPWs) in layered superconductors, which describes two types of interacting JPW bosonic quanta (one heavy and one lighter). We propose a mechanism of enhancement of macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) in stacks of intrinsic Josephson junctions. Because of the long-range interaction between junctions in layered superconductors, the calculated MQT escape rate Gamma has a nonlinear dependence on the number of junctions in the stack. We show that the crossover temperature between quantum and thermal escape increases when increasing the number of junctions. This allows us to quantitatively describe striking recent experiments in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta stacks.     

Electrically tunable macroscopic quantum tunneling in a graphene-based Josephson junction

Stochastic switching-current distribution in a graphene-based Josephson junction exhibits a crossover from the classical to quantum regime, revealing the macroscopic quantum tunneling of a Josephson phase particle at low temperatures. Microwave spectroscopy measurements indicate a multiphoton absorption process occurring via discrete energy levels in washboard potential well. The crossover temperature for macroscopic quantum tunneling and the quantized level spacing are controlled with the gate voltage, implying its potential application to gate-tunable superconducting quantum bits.     

Evidence of two-dimensional macroscopic quantum tunneling of a current-biased dc SQUID

The escape probability out of the superconducting state of a hysteretic dc SQUID has been measured at different values of the applied magnetic flux. At low temperatures, the escape current and the width of the probability distribution are temperature independent but they depend on flux. Experimental results do not fit the usual one-dimensional macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) law but are perfectly accounted for by the two-dimensional MQT behavior as we propose here. Near zero flux, our data confirms the recent MQT observation in a dc SQUID [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 98301 (2002)]].     

Dynamical symmetries in Kondo tunneling through complex quantum dots

Kondo tunneling reveals hidden SO(n) dynamical symmetries of evenly occupied quantum dots. As is exemplified for an experimentally realizable triple quantum dot in parallel geometry, the possible values n=3,4,5,7 can be easily tuned by gate voltages. Following construction of the corresponding o(n) algebras, scaling equations are derived and Kondo temperatures are calculated. The symmetry group for a magnetic field induced anisotropic Kondo tunneling is SU(2) or SO(4).     

Resonance phenomena in macroscopic quantum tunneling: The small viscosity limit

We present a theoretical study of the resonant quantum behavior for a macroscopic superconducting system interacting with an external microwave at proper frequency. Here we consider a system described by a double well potential, an rf-SQUID, in the extremely underdamped regime. Numerical simulations for resonant phenomena have been performed for this system, whose parameters belong to the range typically used in the experiments. The dependence of the transition probability W on the external drive of the system, φx, can show three resonance peaks, in a small microwave frequency range. One peak is connected with the anticrossing and the other two with the external microwave frequency ν. The relative position and the height of the two lateral peaks depend on the microwave frequency. This behavior is studied here for the first time.     

Dynamical control of matter-wave tunneling in periodic potentials

We report on measurements of dynamical suppression of interwell tunneling of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a strongly driven optical lattice. The strong driving is a sinusoidal shaking of the lattice corresponding to a time-varying linear potential, and the tunneling is measured by letting the BEC freely expand in the lattice. The measured tunneling rate is reduced and, for certain values of the shaking parameter, completely suppressed. Our results are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. Furthermore, we have verified that, in general, the strong shaking does not destroy the phase coherence of the BEC, opening up the possibility of realizing quantum phase transitions by using the shaking strength as the control parameter.