Exact and approximate complex potentials for modelling time observables

  • A. Ruschhaupt
  • , J. A. Damborenea
  • , B. Navarro
  • , J. G. Muga
  • , G. C. Hegerfeldt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Local and energy-independent complex potentials have been used in the past to phenomenologically simulate the measurements of arrival, traversal or dwell times of a quantum particle. We physically justify these complex potentials with a realistic model of atom detection by fluorescence. As approximate effective interactions in the short lifetime and zero detuning limit, purely imaginary local potentials emerge from exact non-local and energy-dependent complex potentials obtained by Feshbach's partitioning technique. Non-zero laser detunings lead instead to local complex potentials with a real part.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-7
Number of pages7
JournalEurophysics Letters
Volume67
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2004
Externally publishedYes

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