Nonadiabatic quantum chaos in atom optics

Coherent dynamics of atomic matter waves in a standing-wave laser field is studied. In the dressed-state picture, wave packets of ballistic two-level atoms propagate simultaneously in two optical potentials. The probability to make a transition from one potential to another one is maximal when centroids of wave packets cross the field nodes and is given by a simple formula with the single exponent, the Landau–Zener parameter κ. If κ ≫ 1, the motion is essentially adiabatic. If κ ≪ 1, it is (almost) resonant and periodic. If κ ≃ 1, atom makes nonadiabatic transitions with a splitting of its wave packet at each node and strong complexification of the wave function as compared to the two other cases. This effect is referred as nonadiabatic quantum chaos. Proliferation of wave packets at κ ≃ 1 is shown to be connected closely with chaotic center-of-mass motion in the semiclassical theory of point-like atoms with positive values of the maximal Lyapunov exponent. The quantum–classical correspondence established is justified by the fact that the Landau–Zener parameter κ specifies the regime of the semiclassical dynamical chaos in the map simulating chaotic center-of-mass motion. Manifestations of nonadiabatic quantum chaos are found in the behavior of the momentum and position probabilities.

► Propagation of point-like and wave-like atoms through a laser standing-wave is investigated theoretically and numerically and compared under the same conditions. ► It is shown that the motion of a point-like atom is chaotic with a positive Lyapunov exponent at the same control parameters at which atomic wave packets split in a complex way at the nodes of the standing wave. ► The quantum–classical correspondence is established and is specified by the quantum Landau–Zener parameter.