Effects of a nonlinear perturbation on dynamical tunneling in cold atoms

Abstract

We perform a numerical analysis of the effects of a nonlinear perturbation on the quantum dynamics of two models describing non-interacting cold atoms in a standing wave of light with a periodical modulated amplitude $A(t)$. One model is the driven pendulum, considered in ref.\cite{raiz1}, and the other is a variant of the well-known Kicked Rotator Model. In absence of the nonlinear perturbation, the system is invariant under some discrete symmetries and quantum dynamical tunnelling between symmetric classical islands is found. The presence of nonlinearity destroys tunnelling, breaking the symmetries of the system. Finally, further consequences of nonlinearity in the kicked rotator case are considered.