Structural Defects in Ion Chains by Quenching the External Potential: The Inhomogeneous Kibble-Zurek Mechanism

A. del Campo, G. De Chiara, Giovanna Morigi, M. B. Plenio, and A. Retzker
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 075701 – Published 11 August 2010

Abstract

The nonequilibrium dynamics of an ion chain in a highly anisotropic trap is studied when the transverse trap frequency is quenched across the value at which the chain undergoes a continuous phase transition from a linear to a zigzag structure. Within Landau theory, an equation for the order parameter, corresponding to the transverse size of the zigzag structure, is determined when the vibrational motion is damped via laser cooling. The number of structural defects produced during a linear quench of the transverse trapping frequency is predicted and verified numerically. It is shown to obey the scaling predicted by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, when extended to take into account the spatial inhomogeneities of the ion chain in a linear Paul trap.

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  • Received 12 February 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.075701

© 2010 The American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. del Campo1,2, G. De Chiara3,4, Giovanna Morigi3,5, M. B. Plenio1,2, and A. Retzker1,2

  • 1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, Universität Ulm, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
  • 2QOLS, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2BW London, United Kingdom
  • 3Grup d’Òptica, Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
  • 4Física Teòrica: Informació i Processos Quàntics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
  • 5Theoretische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 105, Iss. 7 — 13 August 2010

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