Electric quantum walks with individual atoms

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Maximilian Genske
  • Wolfgang Alt
  • Andreas Steffen
  • Werner, Albert H.
  • Reinhard F. Werner
  • Dieter Meschede
  • Andrea Alberti

We report on the experimental realization of electric quantum walks, which mimic the effect of an electric field on a charged particle in a lattice. Starting from a textbook implementation of discrete-time quantum walks, we introduce an extra operation in each step to implement the effect of the field. The recorded dynamics of such a quantum particle exhibits features closely related to Bloch oscillations and interband tunneling. In particular, we explore the regime of strong fields, demonstrating contrasting quantum behaviors: quantum resonances versus dynamical localization depending on whether the accumulated Bloch phase is a rational or irrational fraction of 2π.

Original languageEnglish
Article number190601
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume110
Issue number19
ISSN0031-9007
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 May 2013
Externally publishedYes

ID: 256316487