Stephanie M. Reimann
From Quantum Dots to Cold Atoms in Traps - Interaction Blockade and Vortices
Stephanie M. Reimann, Lund University
Many analogies exist between quantum dots in nanostructured semiconductors, and trapped cold atom gases. We show how effects similar to Coulomb blockade in quantum dots may occur in "atomtronic" systems in optical lattices or atom chips [1].
For a finite many-body system of few interacting cold fermionic atoms confined in a harmonic trap, the microscopic properties are studied by numerical diagonalization. For repulsive interactions, we show that a strong shell structure dominates, with Hund's rule acting at its extreme for the mid-shell configurations. In the attractive case, odd-even oscillations due to
pairing were found to occur simultaneously with deformations in the internal structure of the many-body ground states. [2]
Furthermore, vortices in single- and multicomponent quantum systems will be discussed, pointing out the many analogies between rotating fermionic and bosonic quantum systems [3,4].
Work performed in the collaborations listed below:
[1] K. Capelle, M. Borgh, K. Kärkkäinen, and S.M. Reimann, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 010402 (2007); P. Schlagheck, F. Malet-Girarlt, J. Christensson, and S. Reimann, to be published (2009).
[2] M. Rontani, J. Armstrong, Y. Yu, S. Åberg and S.M. Reimann, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 060401 (2009).
[3] M. Borgh, M. Koskinen, J. Christensson, M. Manninen, and S. M. Reimann, Phys. Rev. A 77, 033615 (2008)
[4] H. Saarikoski, S.M. Reimann, A. Harju and M. Manninen, submitted to Rev. Mod. Phys. (2009).
