State-labeling Wannier-Stark atomic interferometers

Exceptional points in bichromatic Wannier–Stark systems

The resonance spectrum of a tilted periodic quantum system for a bichromatic periodic potential is investigated. For such a bichromatic Wannier–Stark system, exceptional points, degeneracies of the spectrum, can be localized in parameter space by means of an efficient method for computing resonances. Berry phases and Petermann factors are analysed. Finally, the influence of a nonlinearity of th...

Stark-wannier Ladders and Cubic Exponential Sums

Fractal stabilization of Wannier-Stark resonances

– The quasienergy spectrum of a Bloch electron affected by dc-ac fields is known to have a fractal structure as function of the so-called electric matching ratio, which is the ratio of the ac field frequency and the Bloch frequency. This paper studies a manifestation of the fractal nature of the spectrum in the system “atom in a standing laser wave”, which is a quantum optical realization of a ...

Atomic Landau-Zener tunneling and Wannier-Stark ladders in optical potentials.

We calculate the quantum motion of ultracold atoms in an accelerating optical potential, and show how they may be used to observe Landau-Zener tunneling and Wannier-Stark ladders, two fundamental quantum effects in solid state physics. The optical potential is spatially periodic, yielding an energy spectrum of Bloch bands for the atoms. The acceleration provides an inertial force in the moving ...

Observation of atomic Wannier-Stark ladders in an accelerating optical potential.

We report observation of Wannier-Stark ladders with ultracold sodium atoms in an accelerating one-dimensional standing wave of light. Atoms are trapped in a far-detuned standing wave that is accelerated for a controlled duration. A small oscillatory component is added to the acceleration, and the fraction of trapped atoms is measured as a function of the oscillation frequency. Resonances are ob...