2006/11/30 by Claude M. Dion, C. M. Dion, Peder Sjölund +9
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies #physics.atom-ph #stochastic dynamics and bifurcation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1140/epjst/e2008-00688-8
published as Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 159, 11 (2008) · 7 pages, 4 figures. Presented at the conference "Theoretical and Experimental Foundations of Recent Quantum Technologies" (Durban, South Africa)
arxiv created 2006/11/30 · openalex publication_date 2008/05/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We study a Brownian motor, based on cold atoms in optical lattices, where atomic motion can be induced in a controlled manner in an arbitrary direction, by rectification of isotropic random fluctuations. In contrast with ratchet mechanisms, our Brownian motor operates in a potential that is spatially and temporally symmetric, in apparent contradiction to the Curie principle. Simulations, based on the Fokker-Planck equation, allow us to gain knowledge on the qualitative behaviour of our Brownian motor. Studies of Brownian motors, and in particular ones with unique control properties, are of fundamental interest because of the role they play in protein motors and their potential applications in nanotechnology. In particular, our system opens the way to the study of quantum Brownian motors.