Connecting Scrambling and Work Statistics for Short-Range Interactions in the Harmonic Oscillator.

We investigate the relationship between information scrambling and work statistics after a quench for the paradigmatic example of short-range interacting particles in a one-dimensional harmonic trap, considering up to five particles numerically. In particular, we find that scrambling requires finite interactions, in the presence of which the long-time average of the squared commutator for the individual canonical operators is directly proportional to the variance of the work probability distribution. In addition to the numerical results, we outline the mathematical structure of the N-body system which leads to this outcome.

Quench Dynamics and Orthogonality Catastrophe of Bose Polarons.

We monitor the correlated quench induced dynamical dressing of a spinor impurity repulsively interacting with a Bose-Einstein condensate. Inspecting the temporal evolution of the structure factor, three distinct dynamical regions arise upon increasing the interspecies interaction. These regions are found to be related to the segregated nature of the impurity and to the Ohmic character of the bath.

Dynamics and energy spectra of aperiodic discrete-time quantum walks.

We investigate the role of different aperiodic sequences in the dynamics of single quantum particles in discrete space and time. For this we consider three aperiodic sequences, namely, the Fibonacci, Thue-Morse, and Rudin-Shapiro sequences, as examples of tilings the diffraction spectra of which have pure point, singular continuous, and absolutely continuous support, respectively. Our interest is to understand how the order, intrinsically introduced by the deterministic rule used to generate the aperiodic sequences, is reflected in the dynamical properties of the quantum system.

Negative-Mass Hydrodynamics in a Spin-Orbit-Coupled Bose-Einstein Condensate.

A negative effective mass can be realized in quantum systems by engineering the dispersion relation. A powerful method is provided by spin-orbit coupling, which is currently at the center of intense research efforts. Here we measure an expanding spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate whose dispersion features a region of negative effective mass.

Spatial adiabatic passage: a review of recent progress.

Adiabatic techniques are known to allow for engineering quantum states with high fidelity. This requirement is currently of large interest, as applications in quantum information require the preparation and manipulation of quantum states with minimal errors. Here we review recent progress on developing techniques for the preparation of spatial states through adiabatic passage, particularly focusing on three state systems.

Detecting atoms trapped in an optical lattice using a tapered optical nanofiber.

Optical detection of structures with dimensions smaller than an optical wavelength requires devices that work on scales beyond the diffraction limit. Here we present the possibility of using a tapered optical nanofiber as a detector to resolve individual atoms trapped in an optical lattice in the Mott insulator phase. We show that the small size of the fiber combined with an enhanced photon collection rate can allow for the attainment of large and reliable measurement signals.

Quantum percolation and transition point of a directed discrete-time quantum walk.

Quantum percolation describes the problem of a quantum particle moving through a disordered system. While certain similarities to classical percolation exist, the quantum case has additional complexity due to the possibility of Anderson localisation. Here, we consider a directed discrete-time quantum walk as a model to study quantum percolation of a two-state particle on a two-dimensional lattice.

Shaping the evanescent field of optical nanofibers for cold atom trapping.

We investigate trapping geometries for cold, neutral atoms that can be created in the evanescent field of a tapered optical fibre by combining the fundamental mode with one of the next lowest possible modes, namely the HE(21) mode. Counter propagating red-detuned HE(21) modes are combined with a blue-detuned HE(11) fundamental mode to form a potential in the shape of four intertwined spirals. By changing the polarization from circular to linear in each of the two counter-propagating HE(21) modes simultaneously the 4-helix configuration can be transformed into a lattice configuration.

Mimicking the probability distribution of a two-dimensional Grover walk with a single-qubit coin.

The nonlocalized case of the spatial density probability of the two-dimensional Grover walk can be obtained using only a two-dimensional coin space and a quantum walk in alternate directions. This significantly reduces the resources necessary for its feasible experimental realization. We present a formal proof of this correspondence and analyze the behavior of the coin-position entanglement as well as the x-y spatial entanglement in our scheme with respect to the Grover one.

Distribution of residence times in bistable noisy systems with time-delayed feedback.

We analyze theoretically and experimentally the residence time distribution of bistable systems in the presence of noise and time-delayed feedback. We explain various nonexponential features of the residence time distribution using a two-state model and obtain a quantitative agreement with an experiment based on a Schmitt trigger. The limitations of the two-state model are also analyzed theoretically and experimentally using a semiconductor laser with optoelectronic feedback.

Experimental investigation of a bistable system in the presence of noise and delay.

We experimentally analyze the behavior of a non-Markovian bistable system with noise, using a vertical cavity surface emitting laser with time-delayed optoelectronic feedback. The effects of the delayed feedback are observed in the probability distribution of the residence times of the two orthogonal polarization states, and in the polarization-resolved power spectrum. They agree well with recent theoretical predictions based on a two-state model with transition rates depending on an earlier state of the system.