Simulating cyclotron-Bloch dynamics of a charged particle in a 2D lattice by means of cold atoms in driven quasi 1D optical lattices

TL;DR

This paper proposes using cold atoms in driven quasi 1D optical lattices to simulate and understand the complex quantum dynamics of a charged particle in a 2D lattice under magnetic and electric fields, bridging cyclotron and Bloch oscillations.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified 1D model that replicates key features of 2D cyclotron-Bloch dynamics, facilitating experimental study of these phenomena.

Findings

The 1D model captures essential dynamics of 2D quantum particles.

Cold atom setups can simulate complex magnetic and electric field effects.

The approach enables experimental exploration of quantum oscillations.

Abstract

Quantum dynamics of a charged particle in a 2D lattice subject to magnetic and electric fields is a rather complicated interplay between cyclotron oscillations (the case of vanishing electric field) and Bloch oscillations (zero magnetic field), details of which has not yet been completely understood. In the present work we suggest to study this problem by using cold atoms in optical lattices. We introduce a 1D model which can be easily realized in laboratory experiments with quasi 1D optical lattices and show that this model captures many features of the cyclotron-Bloch dynamics of the quantum particle in 2D square lattices.