Quantom Optics seminar by Oliver Sandberg

Abstract:
Time-averaged trapping potentials have played an important role in the development of the field of ultracold atoms. Despite their widespread application, a complete understanding of when a system can be considered time-averaged, and how a system transitions from being localised in an oscillating trap to being delocalised in the time-averaged potential is still to be achieved. We use Floquet theory to perform such an analysis of oscillating trapping potentials, providing a quantitative measure of the degree of time-averaging, as well as investigating different contributors to the time-averaged transition. By studying simple representative systems we demonstrate a number of features of the localised to delocalised transition, and highlight the important features that are relevant to the experimental implementation of time-averaged potentials.