Directed transport in driven optical lattices by phase generation

TL;DR

This paper explores how phase control of driven optical lattices can induce directed atomic transport, manipulate wavepackets, and generate synthetic gauge potentials, advancing quantum control techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a phase-based method to control tunneling and wavepacket dynamics in optical lattices, enabling new quantum manipulation strategies.

Findings

Phase-induced tunneling renormalization enables directed motion.

Synthetic gauge potentials can split and recombine wavepackets.

Controlled wavepacket dynamics facilitate quantum computing applications.

Abstract

We examine the dynamics of ultracold atoms held in optical lattice potentials. By controlling the switching of a periodic driving potential we show how a phase-induced renormalization of the intersite tunneling can be used to produce directed motion and control wavepacket spreading. We further show how this generation of a synthetic gauge potential can be used to split and recombine wavepackets, providing an attractive route to implementing quantum computing tasks.