Dynamics of interacting atoms in driven tilted optical lattices

Abstract

The dynamics of cold Bose atoms in driven tilted optical lattices is analyzed focusing on destruction of Wannier-Stark localization and the phenomenon of band collapse. It is argued that an understanding of the experimental results requires thorough account for interaction effects. These are suppression of the ballistic spreading of atoms for resonant driving (a multiple of the driving frequency coincides with the Bloch frequency) and unbounded sub-diffusive spreading of atoms for off-resonant driving.