Quantum breathing mode of trapped bosons and fermions at arbitrary coupling

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum breathing modes of few-particle Coulomb systems in harmonic traps, revealing two independent modes and differences between fermions and bosons that could aid experimental probing of quantum systems.

Contribution

It introduces the existence of two independent quantum breathing modes and provides exact numerical results across all coupling strengths for two particles.

Findings

Identification of two independent breathing modes

Differences in breathing frequencies between fermions and bosons

Smooth connection between quantum and classical limits

Abstract

An analysis of the quantum breathing behavior of few-particle Coulomb systems in one- and two-dimensional harmonic traps is presented. We report the existence of \emph{two independent breathing modes} and present exact numerical results for two particles at any coupling strength which smoothly connect the two known limits of an \emph {ideal} quantum and a strongly coupled \emph {classical} system. Substantial differences in the breathing frequency of two-dimensional fermions and bosons are observed which may be used as a sensitive experimental tool to probe confined interacting quantum systems.