Excited-state preparation of trapped ultracold atoms via swept potentials
Excited-state preparation of trapped ultracold atoms via swept potentials
We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of noninteracting atoms confined within a one-dimensional harmonic trap triggered by dragging an external long-range potential through the system. The symmetry-breaking nature of this moving potential couples adjacent eigenstates in the atoms' effective potential, leading to an energy landscape reminiscent of systems exhibiting trap-induced shape …