2012/10/16 by R. K. Shrestha, Rajendra Shrestha, J. Ni +6 · 1 citation
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation #Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies #cond-mat.quant-gas #quant-ph #stochastic dynamics and bifurcation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.86.043617
published as Phys. Rev. A 86, 043617(2012) · arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1210.5657
openalex publication_date 2012/10/16 · arxiv created 2012/10/20 · arxiv updated 2013/05/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We experimentally investigate the phenomenon of a quantum ratchet created by exposing a Bose-Einstein condensate to short pulses of a potential which is periodic in both space and time. Such a ratchet is manifested by a directed current of particles, even though there is an absence of a net bias force. We confirm a recent theoretical prediction [M. Sadgrove and S. Wimberger, New J. Phys. 11, 083027 (2009)] that the current direction can be controlled by experimental parameters which leave the underlying symmetries of the system unchanged. We demonstrate that this behavior can be understood using a single variable containing many of the experimental parameters and thus the ratchet current is describable using a single universal scaling law.