Atomic Landau-Zener Tunneling and Wannier-Stark Ladders in Optical Potentials

Abstract

We calculate the quantum motion of ultracold atoms in an accelerating optical potential, and show how they may be used to observe Landau-Zener tunneling and Wannier-Stark ladders, two fundamental quantum effects in solid state physics. The optical potential is spatially periodic, yielding an energy spectrum of Bloch bands for the atoms. The acceleration provides an inertial force in the moving frame, emulating an electric force on Bloch electrons.