Work

Chaotic scattering in ultracold atom-ion collisions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: we report on signatures of classical chaos in ultracold collisions between a trapped ion and a free atom. Using numerical simulations, we show that the scattering dynamics can be highly sensitive to initial conditions for various mass ratios and trapping frequencies, indicating the onset of chaos. We quantify this chaotic dynamics by calculating its fractal dimension. We show that for a trapped 88 Sr + ion and a free 87 Rb atom chaotic dynamic appears under experimentally relevant conditions, and find its characteristic energy scale. The observation of classical chaos in atom-trapped-ion collisions suggests that signatures of quantum chaos might appear, for example, through a Wigner–Dyson distribution of collisional resonances.

Source: New Journal of Physics

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aea2bc

Authors: Meirav Pinkas, Jonathan Wengrowicz, Nitzan Akerman, Roee Ozeri

Institution: Weizmann Institute of Science

Language: English

Topic: Quantum chaos and dynamical systems

Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,610

Funder: Israel Science Foundation