Phase Noise in the Delta Kicked Rotor: From Quantum to Classical

TL;DR

This paper experimentally studies how phase noise affects the dynamics of the atom-optics kicked rotor, revealing resonance transformations, robustness of resonance stability, and the impact on dynamical localization.

Contribution

It demonstrates the effects of sinusoidal phase modulation on quantum and classical resonances, and analyzes the robustness of these resonances against phase noise using experiments and theory.

Findings

Resonances can be transformed via phase modulation.

Resonance stability is surprisingly robust against phase noise.

Phase noise can destroy dynamical localization through decoherence.

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the effects of phase noise on the resonant and non-resonant dynamics of the atom-optics kicked rotor. Employing sinusoidal phase modulation at various frequencies, resonances are found corresponding to periodic phase shifts, resulting in the effective transformation of quantum anti-resonances into resonances and vice-versa. The stability of the resonance is analysed, with the aid of experiments, epsilon-classical theory and numerical simulations, and is found to be surprisingly robust against phase noise. Finally we look into the effects of phase noise on dynamical localization and discuss the destruction of the localization in terms of decoherence.