Barbier, Maximilien (2017) Dynamics of matter wave packets in the presence of time-dependent absorption. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.
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Text (PhD thesis)
Barbier.Maximilien_phd.pdf - Submitted Version Download (2MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Atom-laser interaction is at the heart of the vibrant field of quantum optics. The dynamical properties of a moving atom submitted to a laser radiation are strongly
influenced by the position- and time-dependence of the latter. The full physical state of the atom must include information about the centre-of-mass motion and the internal structure of the atom. It is challenging to obtain a complete description of the full state of the atom. However, there exists an alternative approach to the dynamics of an atom in the presence of a laser, which is based on the concept of matter-wave absorption.
In this thesis, we theoretically study the nonrelativistic one-dimensional motion of an electrically neutral quantum particle in the presence of a thin time-dependent absorber, representing the laser radiation. Our aim is to better understand the precise connection between time-dependent matter-wave absorption and the interaction between an atom and a localised time-dependent laser.
Our analysis is based on two different approaches to the problem. The first one describes the moving atom by a two-level system, and represents the laser radiation
by an off-diagonal δ-potential. The second model treats the atom as a structureless particle, and describes the laser by a time-dependent absorbing barrier. While the
former model can be derived from first principles, the treatment of the absorbing barrier in the latter model lacks a rigorous quantum mechanical justification. The
main outcome of our work is to provide a solid physical ground for the absorber model, by explicitly connecting it to the δ-potential model. We have thus extended
the range of theoretical tools useful for investigating the effects of time-dependent laser radiation on quantum matter.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | nonrelativistic time-dependent quantum mechanics, absorbing barriers in quantum mechanics, atom-laser interaction |
| Subjects: | F300 Physics G100 Mathematics |
| Department: | Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering University Services > Graduate School > Doctor of Philosophy |
| Depositing User: | Ellen Cole |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Nov 2017 14:25 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Jul 2021 22:53 |
| URI: | http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/32543 |
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