On an atom with a magnetic quadrupole moment subject to harmonic and linear confining potentials

Abstract

The quantum dynamics of an atom with a magnetic quadrupole moment that interacts with an external field subject to a harmonic and a linear confining potentials is investigated. It is shown that the interaction between the magnetic quadrupole moment and an electric field gives rise to an analogue of the Coulomb potential and, by confining this atom to a harmonic and a linear confining potentials, a quantum effect characterized by the dependence of the angular frequency on the quantum numbers of the system is obtained. In particular, it is shown that the possible values of the angular frequency associated with the ground state of the system are determined by a third-degree algebraic equation.