Transition times in the Landau-Zener model

This paper presents analytic formulas for various transition times in the L andau-Zener model. Considerable differences are found between the transitio n times in the diabatic and adiabatic bases, and between the jump time (the time for which the transition probability rises to the region of its asymp totic value) and the relaxation time (the characteristic damping time of th e oscillations which appear in the transition probability after the crossin g). These transition times have been calculated by using the exact values o f the transition probabilities and their derivatives at the crossing point and approximations to the time evolutions of the transition probabilities i n the diabatic basis, derived earlier [N. V. Vitanov and B. M. Garraway, Ph ys. Rev. A 53, 4288 (1996)]. and similar results in the adiabatic basis, de rived in the present paper. [S1050-2947(99)01002-1].