Probing the edge between integrability and quantum chaos in interacting few-atom systems

Autor: Thomás Fogarty, Miguel Ángel García-March, Lea F. Santos, Nathan L. Harshman
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Quantum, Vol 5, p 486 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2521-327X
DOI: 10.22331/q-2021-06-29-486
Popis: Interacting quantum systems in the chaotic domain are at the core of various ongoing studies of many-body physics, ranging from the scrambling of quantum information to the onset of thermalization. We propose a minimum model for chaos that can be experimentally realized with cold atoms trapped in one-dimensional multi-well potentials. We explore the emergence of chaos as the number of particles is increased, starting with as few as two, and as the number of wells is increased, ranging from a double well to a multi-well Kronig-Penney-like system. In this way, we illuminate the narrow boundary between integrability and chaos in a highly tunable few-body system. We show that the competition between the particle interactions and the periodic structure of the confining potential reveals subtle indications of quantum chaos for 3 particles, while for 4 particles stronger signatures are seen. The analysis is performed for bosonic particles and could also be extended to distinguishable fermions.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals