Quantum fluctuations in the mazer

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum fluctuations in the mazer, analyzing their effects on tunneling resonances and revealing a new collapse-revival phenomenon driven by atomic motion fluctuations.

Contribution

It provides analytical and numerical insights into how quantum fluctuations affect mazer dynamics, including a novel collapse-revival effect from atomic motion.

Findings

Quantum fluctuations attenuate tunneling resonances.

System evolution is highly sensitive to atom-field detuning.

A new collapse-revival phenomenon from atomic motion fluctuations is demonstrated.

Abstract

Quantum fluctuations in the mazer are considered, arising either from the atomic motion or from the quantized intracavity field. Analytical results, for both the meza and the hyperbolic secant mode profile, predict for example an attenuation of tunneling resonances due to such fluctuations. The case of a Gaussian mode profile is studied numerically using a wave packet propagation approach. The method automatically takes into account fluctuations in the atomic motion and the dynamics is especially considered at or adjacent to a tunnel resonance. We find that the system evolution is greatly sensitive to the atom-field detuning, bringing about a discussion about the concept of adiabaticity in this model. Further, a novel collapse-revival phenomena is demonstrated, originating from the quantum fluctuations in the atomic motion rather from field fluctuations as is normally the case.