Stabilizing quantum metastable states in a time-periodic potential

TL;DR

This paper explores how time-periodic potentials can be used to control quantum metastability, enabling stabilization of states through adiabatic frequency and amplitude adjustments in a Floquet framework.

Contribution

It introduces a model demonstrating manipulation of quantum metastability via oscillating barriers, including stabilization techniques using adiabatic parameter changes.

Findings

Oscillating barriers generally accelerate decay of metastable states.

Avoided crossings can occur, allowing state stabilization.

Adiabatic frequency increase can stabilize metastable states.

Abstract

In this talk we present a model to demonstrate how time-periodic potential can be used to manipulate quantum metastability of a system. We study metastability of a particle trapped in a well with a time-periodically oscillating barrier in the Floquet formalism. It is shown that the oscillating barrier causes the system to decay faster in general. However, avoided crossings of metastable states can occur with the less stable states crossing over to the more stable ones. If in the static well there exists a bound state, then it is possible to stabilize a metastable state by adiabatically increasing the oscillating frequency of the barrier so that the unstable state eventually cross-over to the stable bound state. It is also found that increasing the amplitude of the oscillating field may change a direct crossing of states into an avoided one. Hence, one can manipulate the stability of different states in a quantum potential by a combination of adiabatic changes of the frequency and the amplitude of the oscillating barrier.