Coherent Matter Wave Transport in Speckle Potentials

TL;DR

This paper investigates how matter waves scatter coherently in disordered speckle potentials, calculating key transport parameters and exploring the transition to Anderson localization in 2D and 3D systems.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical framework for understanding coherent matter wave transport in speckle potentials, including interference effects and localization crossover.

Findings

Calculated scattering mean free path and diffusion constants.

Derived expressions for weak localization corrections.

Identified parameters for experimental observation of localization.

Abstract

This article studies multiple scattering of matter waves by a disordered optical potential in two and in three dimensions. We calculate fundamental transport quantities such as the scattering mean free path $\ell_s$, the Boltzmann transport mean free path $\elltrb$, and the Boltzmann diffusion constant $D_B$, using a diagrammatic Green functions approach. Coherent multiple scattering induces interference corrections known as weak localization which entail a reduced diffusion constant. We derive the corresponding expressions for matter wave transport in an correlated speckle potential and provide the relevant parameter values for a possible experimental study of this coherent transport regime, including the critical crossover to the regime of strong or Anderson localization.