Tunneling dynamics of two interacting one-dimensional particles

ORAL

Abstract

Motivated by recent cold atom experiments, the time evolution of two one-dimensional particles with attractive or repulsive short-range interaction is considered. We treat a realistic trapping potential that consists of an approximately harmonic optical trap plus a linear magnetic field gradient. This provides an ``inside region,'' where the particles are trapped, and an ``outside region,'' where the particles are free. When the barrier, which separates the two regions, is high enough, tunneling is suppressed. When the barrier is lowered, the time evolution of the system results in the loss of atoms from the trap. We find that pair tunneling dominates for strongly attractive interactions, while single-particle tunneling dominates for weak interactions.

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Authors

  • Seyed Ebrahim Gharashi

    Washington State University

  • William H. Dowd

    Oregon State University, University of Washington, University of Hong Kong, University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Univ of Washington, Univ of Cambridge, Michigan State University, Universit\'e de Caen, Argonne National Laboratory, Texas A\&M University -Commerce, Texas A\&M University, Department of Physics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844, USA, Universidad de Salamanca, E-37008 Salamanca, Spain, Department of Physics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA, University of Cambridge, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Seoul National University, Chungnam National University, Department of Physics, Oregon State University, TRIUMF, Roosevelt High School, Department of Physics, University of Washington, Oregon State Department of Chemistry, Oregon State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State Department of Physics, University of Idaho, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Washington State University, Harvard University, Idaho Accelerator Center, Idaho Accelerator Center, Idaho State University, 1500 Alvin Ricken drive, Pocatello, ID 83201, USA, CENPA, University of Washington, Physics Division, ANL, NSCL, Michigan State University, Division, ANL, LPC, CAEN, France, Paul Scherrer Institute, US Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA, 20192, USA, University of Calgary Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary Department of Geoscience, None, University of the Fraser Valley, Univ of California, Berkeley, Simon Fraser University, Los Alamos Natl. Lab., University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, U of Washington, Georgia Institute of Technology, Washington State Univ, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Maryland, American University