# Coherent control of atomic tunneling

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how coupling a two-level atom to a cavity mode influences its tunneling in a double well, revealing quasiperiodic behavior and collapse-revival phenomena, enabling coherent control of atomic position.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of atom tunneling under cavity coupling, showing how internal states affect external motion and enabling coherent manipulation of atomic localization.

## Key findings

- Tunneling becomes quasiperiodic due to cavity coupling.
- Collapse and revival of tunneling observed under certain conditions.
- Coherent control of atom position via laser access to internal states.

## Abstract

We study the tunneling of a two-level atom in a double well potential while the atom is coupled to a single electromagnetic field mode of a cavity. The coupling between internal and external degrees of freedom, due to the mechanical effect on the atom from photon emission into the cavity mode, can dramatically change the tunneling behavior. We predict that in general the tunneling process becomes quasiperiodic. In a certain regime of parameters a collapse and revival of the tunneling occurs. Accessing the internal degrees of freedom of the atom with a laser allows to coherently manipulate the atom position, and in particular to prepare the atom in one of the two wells. The effects described should be observable with atoms in an optical double well trap.