Stable islands in chaotic atom-optics billiards, caused by curved trajectories

M. F. Andersen, A. Kaplan, N. Friedman and N. Davidson

We investigate the effects of curving trajectories by applying external force fields on a particle in a billiard. We investigate two special cases: a constant force field and a parabolic potential. These perturbations change the stability conditions and can lead to formation of elliptical orbits in otherwise hyperbolic billiards. We demonstrate these effects experimentally with ultra-cold atoms in atom-optic billiards.

“Stable islands in chaotic atom-optics billiards, caused by curved trajectories”, M. F. Andersen, A. Kaplan, N. Friedman and N. Davidson, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 35 (2002) 2183 (Abstract, PDF)

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