Super-Bloch oscillations with parametric modulation of a parabolic trap

Abstract

Super-Bloch oscillations are the outcome of a relative phase between Bloch oscillations and modulations of the periodic lattice. We analyze the dynamics for a model system in which such a relative phase is intrinsically present due to the position-dependent force provided by a parabolic trap and therefore an external detuning is not required. The relative phase is not unique and the realized dynamics depends on the initial phase of the modulated parabolic potential. We provide accurate explanations for the different obtained oscillatory transport and spreading regimes by analyzing the spatio-temporal dynamics in real space and by visualizing the relative phase in the k-space dynamics. We also compare our numerical results to an approximate semiclassical analytical expression for the group velocity for a modulated constant force system and find good agreement for coherent oscillations but deviations for oscillations with spreading dynamics which altogether supports the interpretations of our findings.