corner
corner
APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. A » Volume 65 » Issue 2
< Previous Article | Next Article >

Phys. Rev. A 65, 021405(R) (2002) [4 pages]

Transient phase-space localization

Download: PDF (164 kB) Buy this article Export: BibTeX or EndNote (RIS)

C. L. Stokely1, F. B. Dunning1, C. O. Reinhold2, and A. K. Pattanayak1,3
1Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Quantum Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892
2Physics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6373 and Department of Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1200
3Department of Physics and Astronomy, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota 55057

Received 23 July 2001; revised 7 November 2001; published 16 January 2002

We show that dynamics can, in general, be used to enhance the coherence of a Hamiltonian ensemble and we analyze the transient coherence using the coarse-grained entropy. We illustrate this concept using a Rydberg atom subject to an impulsive momentum transfer or “kick.” Classical simulations predict that the wave packet generated by the kick undergoes strong transient phase-space localization, which forms an excellent starting point for its further control and manipulation. Moreover, we show that such localized states can be “trapped” for extended periods using a train of subsequent kicks.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.65.021405
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevA.65.021405
PACS:
32.80.Rm, 42.50.Hz, 03.65.Sq, 05.70.Ln
 
< Previous Article | Next Article >