2007/01/31 by Lucas Lamata, L. Lamata, J. Leon +4 · 4 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #cond-mat.mes-hall #hep-ph #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.98.253005
published as Phys.Rev.Lett.98:253005,2007 · 4 pages and 1 figure, minor corrections, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters
arxiv created 2007/05/20 · openalex publication_date 2007/06/22 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present a method of simulating the Dirac equation in 3+1 dimensions for a free spin-1/2 particle in a single trapped ion. The Dirac bispinor is represented by four ionic internal states, and position and momentum of the Dirac particle are associated with the respective ionic variables. We show also how to simulate the simplified 1+1 case, requiring the manipulation of only two internal levels and one motional degree of freedom. Moreover, we study relevant quantum-relativistic effects, like the Zitterbewegung and Klein's paradox, the transition from massless to massive fermions, and the relativistic and nonrelativistic limits, via the tuning of controllable experimental parameters.