Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 63: Quantengase (Wechselwirkungseffekte II / Spinorgase)

Q 63.5: Talk

Friday, March 14, 2008, 15:00–15:15, 3G/H

Non-Abelian dynamics of ultracold atoms: From Schrödinger to Dirac. — •Michael Merkl, Frank Zimmer, and Patrik Öhberg — Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom

In an atomic system a non-trivial gauge potential is induced with respect to the external motion of the atoms if two conditions are met. First, the considered atomic system should, during its time evolution, remain in space dependent eigenstates, so called dark-states. Secondly, if there are two degenerated dark-states, the resulting vector potential can be of a non-Abelian nature. These conditions can be fulfilled if one considers ultra-cold atoms with a tripod-type coupling scheme in the regime of electromagnetically induced transparency [1]. In the present talk we consider this tripod system in more detail. Hereby we distinguish the two limits of weak and strong non-Abelian dynamics. In the latter the dynamics of the atoms is described by an effective Dirac equation [2]. For both cases we consider the motion of the atoms with and without external trapping potentials and show that the corresponding wave-packet dynamics is highly non-trivial.

[1] J. Ruseckas, G. Juzeliǔnas, P. Öhberg and M. Fleischhauer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 010404 (2005)

[2] G. Juzeliǔnas, J. Ruseckas, M. Lindberg, L. Santos and P. Öhberg, preprint