Wave packet approach to periodically driven scattering

TL;DR

This paper introduces a wave packet method for analyzing scattering in periodically driven quantum systems, enabling the calculation of tunneling probabilities across all frequencies and field strengths.

Contribution

It develops a novel approach by mapping time-dependent Hamiltonians to time-independent ones and applying correlation functions, extending tunneling analysis to driven systems.

Findings

Identified an antiresonance in zero photon transition at high field strengths.

Validated the method on a resonant tunneling double barrier with a sinusoidal laser.

Demonstrated the approach's applicability across various driving conditions.

Abstract

For autonomous systems it is well known how to extract tunneling probabilities from wavepacket calculations. Here we present a corresponding approach for periodically time-dependent Hamiltonians, valid at all frequencies, field strengths, and transition orders. After mapping the periodically driven system onto a time-independent one with an additional degree of freedom, use is made of the correlation function formulation of scattering [J. Chem. Phys. {\bf 98}, 3884 (1993)]. The formalism is then applied to study the transmission properties of a resonant tunneling double barrier structure under the influence of a sinusoidal laser field, revealing an unexpected antiresonance in the zero photon transition for large field strengths.