Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: We experimentally study anomalous diffusion of ultracold atoms in a one dimensional polarization optical lattice. The atomic spatial distribution is recorded at different times and its dynamics and shape are analyzed. We find that the width of the cloud exhibits a power-law time dependence with an exponent that depends on the lattice depth. Moreover, the distribution exhibits fractional self-similarity with the same characteristic exponent. The self-similar shape of the distribution is found to be well fitted by a Lévy distribution, but with a characteristic exponent that differs from the temporal one. Numerical simulations suggest that this is due to long trapping times in the lattice and correlations between the atom's velocity and flight duration.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: Yoav Sagi, Miri Brook, Ido Almog, Nir Davidson
Institution: Weizmann Institute of Science
Language: English
Subfield: Modeling and Simulation
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Israel Science Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W2047402213