INHIBITION OF QUANTUM TUNNELING OF AN ATOM DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS OBSERVATION OF LIGHT-SCATTERING

Authors
CIRAC JI SCHENZLE A ZOLLER P
Citation
Ji. Cirac et al., INHIBITION OF QUANTUM TUNNELING OF AN ATOM DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS OBSERVATION OF LIGHT-SCATTERING, Europhysics letters, 27(2), 1994, pp. 123-128
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Europhysics letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
02955075
Volume
27
Issue
2
Year of publication
1994
Pages
123 - 128
Database
ISI
SICI code
0295-5075(1994)27:2<123:IOQTOA>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
We propose a scheme for observing the inhibition of quantum tunneling of an atom trapped in a double-well potential due to continuous observ ation of light scattering. A resonant laser beam is focused in one of the wells. Continuous measurement of the position of the atom is perfo rmed by observing the presence (or absence) of photons emitted by the atom. An interpretation in terms of a quantum Zeno effect is given.