Atom transistor from the point of view of quantum nonequilibrium dynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum nonequilibrium dynamics of an atom transistor, examining deviations from thermalization and interpreting the transistor's threshold as a transition to ergodic behavior.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of quantum fluctuations and the density of states in the atom transistor, establishing quantum-mean-field correspondence and interpreting the off-on threshold as ergodicity onset.

Findings

Identifies deviations from Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis

Establishes quantum vs. mean-field correspondence

Interprets transistor threshold as ergodicity transition

Abstract

We analyze the atom field-effect transistor scheme [J. A. Stickney, D. Z. Anderson and A. A. Zozulya, Phys. Rev. A 75, 013608 (2007)] using the standard tools of nonequlilibrium dynamics. In particular, we study the deviations from the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis, quantum fluctuations, and the density of states, both ab initio and using their mean-field analogues. Having fully established the quantum vs. mean-field correspondence for this system, we attempt, using a mean-field model, to interpret the off-on threshold in our transistor as the onset of ergodicity---a point where the system becomes able to visit the thermal values of the former integrals of motion in principle, albeit not being fully thermalized yet.