Rostock 2019 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 17: Ultra-cold plasmas and Rydberg systems (joint session A/Q)

A 17.4: Talk

Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 14:45–15:00, S HS 1 Physik

Localization, scarring, and the effects of disorder on Rydberg atoms and other excited systems — •Matthew Eiles, Alexander Eisfeld, and Jan-Michael Rost — Max Planck Institut fur Physik komplexer Systeme

Due to their intrinsic properties, such as a high density of states and strong coupling to external perturbations, excited states of separable quantum systems provide intriguing opportunities with which to explore the relationship between quantum and classical physics and wave function localization. Rydberg atoms are perhaps the most common example of such excited systems in atomic physics, while other excited systems include quantum dots and optical microcavities. These excited states can be strongly modified in the presence of disordered impurities which break the symmetry of the unperturbed Hamiltonian. Two recent examples of this are the ``trilobite" state of a Rydberg molecule and the ``perturbation-induced scars" recently studied theoretically in 2D potentials [1]. We attempt to understand the commonalities between these systems and provide a framework revealing the classical physics underlying these perturbed quantum excited states. We also explore if this behavior can be connected to Anderson-like localization, drawing on the analogies between the highly excited wave functions in disordered potentials and the properties of electron transport in solids.

[1] P. J. Luukko and J. M. Rost, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 203001 (2017)