Cold-atom Realization of the Quantum Kapitza Pendulum

The Kapitza pendulum is perhaps the most famous example of dynamic stabilization in a classical single-particle system. When the pivot of a rigid pendulum is modulated in a certain range of amplitude and frequency, a new stable equilibrium appears in the upward-pointing configuration. Extensions of Kapitza stabilization to the quantum many-body regime remain completely unexplored. We report on progress towards realization of a quantum Kapitza pendulum using lithium atoms in a modulated optical lattice, and discuss prospects for mapping the dynamical phase diagram. Tunable quantum Kapitza pendula could enable a variety of exciting research directions, including investigation of the role of strong interactions, possible applications of controllable stabilization, and advances in our understanding of unconventional dynamical behavior in many-body quantum systems.