Quantum and Classical Effects in the Two-Frequency Kicked Rotor with Variable Initial Phase

Abstract

We present an investigation into effects exhibited by the two-frequency kicked rotor. Experiments were performed and in addition quantum and classical dynamics were simulated and compared with the experimental results. The experiments involved pulsing the optical standing wave with two pulsing periods of differing frequencies and variable initial phase offset. The ratio of pulsing periods was sampled for rational and irrational values for different experimental runs. In this paper we present these results and examine the measured momentum distributions for the cause of any structures that are seen in the energy as the initial phase offset is changed. Irrational ratios exhibit no significant quantum effects, whereas rational ratios show dynamical localisation (DL) for certain values of the initial phase. However, most of the observed structure is found to be due to classical effects, in particular KAM boundaries, and is therefore not of uniquely quantum origin.