This dissertation discusses a number of theoretical models of coupled bosonic modes, all closely related to the Bose-Hubbard dimer. In studying these models, we will repeatedly return to two unifying themes: the classical structure underlying quantum dynamics and the impact of weakly coupling a system to an environment. Or, more succinctly, semiclassical methods and open quantum systems. Our primary motivation for studying models such as the Bose-Hubbard is their relevance to ongoing ultracold atom experiments. We review these experiments, derive the Bose-Hubbard model in their context and briefly discuss its limitations in the first half of Chapter 1. In its second half, we review the theory of open quantum systems and the master equation description of the dissipative Bose-Hubbard model. This opening chapter constitutes a survey of existing results, rather than original work. In Chapter 2, we turn to the mean-field limit of the Bose-Hubbard model. After reviewing the striking localization phenomena predicted by the mean-field (and confirmed by experiment), we identify the first corrections to this picture for the dimer. The most interesting of these is the dynamical tunneling between the self-trapping points of the mean-field. We derive an accurate analytical expression for the tunneling rate using semiclassical techniques. We continue studying the dynamics near the self-trapping fixed points in Chapter 3, focusing on corrections to the mean-field that arise at larger nonlinearities and on shorter time scales than dynamical tunneling. We study the impact of dissipation on coherence and entanglement near the fixed points, and explain it in terms of the structure of the classical phase space. The last chapter of the dissertation is also devoted to a dissipative bosonic dimer model, but one arising in a very different physical context. Abandoning optical lattices, we consider the problem of formulating a quantum model of operation of the cylindrical anode magnetron, a vacuum tube crossed-field microwave amplifier. We derive an effective dissipative dimer model and study its relationship to the classical description. Our dimer model is a first step towards the analysis of solid-state analogs of such devices.

In this thesis, we study the odd solution of the linearlized Einstein equation on the Schwarzschild background and in the harmonic gauge. With the aid of Regge-Wheeler quantities, we are able to estimate the odd part of Lichnerowicz d'Alembertian equation. In particular, we prove the solution decays to a linearlized Kerr solution except for the angular mode l=2.

Let (M,g) be a quasi-Sasaki manifold with Reeb vector field xi. Our goal is to understand the structure of M when g is an Einstein metric. Assuming that the S^1 action induced by xi is locally free or assuming a certain non-negativity condition on the transverse curvature, we prove some rigidity results on the structure of (M,g). Naturally associated to a quasi-Sasaki metric g is a transverse Kahler metric g^T. The transverse Kahler-Ricci flow of g^T is the normalized Ricci flow of the transverse metric. Exploiting the transverse Kahler geometry of (M,g), we can extend results in Kahler-Ricci flow to our transverse version. In particular, we show that a deep and beautiful theorem due to Perleman has its counterpart in the quasi-Sasaki setting. We also consider evolving a Sasaki metric g by Ricci flow. Unfortunately, if g(0) is Sasaki then g(t) is not Sasaki for t>0. However, in some instances g(t) is quasi-Sasaki. We examine this and give some qualitative results and examples in the special case that the initial metric is eta-Einstein.

Orientador: George Emanuel Avraam Matsas / Mestre

Estudamos um Hamiltoniano exatamente solúvel que modela um condensado de Bose- Einstein hetero-triatômico molecular. Este modelo descreve a mistura de duas espécies de átomos em proporções diferentes que podem se combinar e formar uma molécula triatômica. Começando por uma análise clássica, nós determinamos os pontos fixos do sistema. Bifurcações destes pontos fixos separam o espaço de parâmetros em diferentes regiões. Três cenários distintos são encontrados, dependendo da diferença hetero-atômica. Estes resultados sugerem que as propriedades do estado fundamental do sistema exibem uma sensibilidade à diferença hetero-atômica. Subseqüentemente, nós fazemos uma análise quântica do sistema, utilizando diferentes técnicas, como a dinâmica quântica, valores esperados, o gap de energia e a fidelidade. Nós encontramos que os resultados da análise quântica confirmam as previsões da análise clássica. / We investigate an integrable Hamiltonian modelling a hetero-triatomic-molecular Bose- Einstein condensate. This model describes a mixture of two species of atoms in different proportions, which can combine to form a triatomic molecule. Beginning with a classical analysis, we determine the fixed points of the system. Bifurcations of these points separate the parameter space into different regions. Three distinct scenarios are found, varying with the atomic population imbalance. This result suggests the ground state properties of the quantum model exhibits a sensitivity on the atomic population imbalance, which is confirmed by a quantum analysis using different approaches, such as the ground-state expectation values, the behaviour of the quantum dynamics, the energy gap and the ground state fidelity.

Neste trabalho estudamos as propriedades termodinâmicas da Condensação de Bose-Einstein (CBE) para um gás de bósons não-interagentes confinado em potenciais bidimensionais V(x,y) que apresentam classicamente, um caos-suave (soft chaos), isto é, um espaço de fases compartilhado por ilhas de estabilidade e mares de caos. O formalismo estatístico mais apropriado para os nossos objetivos é o descrito pelo ensemble canônico, de forma que o número de partículas N é mantido fixo em cada simulação. Nosso principal objetivo é investigar se o caos pode caracterizar algum comportamento distinto nas propriedades do Condensado de Bose-Einstein. Para comparação dos nossos resultados com a literatura, mostramos em detalhes todos os cálculos para o oscilador bidimensional e a caixa bidimensional suavizados1. No potencial harmônico a suavização implica em um amortecimento da freqüência de oscilação, enquanto que para a caixa bidimensional, a suavização implica em um aumento da área da caixa quando N é aumentado. Esse recurso é necessário, uma vez que não se define rigorosamente uma transição de fase em sistemas com dimensão menor que três. Embora a suavização pareça ser mais um recurso matemático que físico, ela descreve bem a CBE em potenciais suaves. Para estudar o efeito do caos na CBE, escolhemos dois potenciais: i) O potencial Nelson, que é um potencial parabólico que descreve essencialmente dois osciladores harmônicos x e y com um termo de acoplamento não-linear que origina caos; ii) O potencial quártico, cuja base é mais achatada parecendo-se mais com uma caixa. Simulamos também a situação em que a partícula confinada é sujeita a um campo magnético perpendicular uniforme ao longo do eixoz. Os nossos resultados mostram que estatísticas que são bilineares em relação à densidade de energia do potencial de confinamento, como a variância do número de ocupação do estado fundamental, exibem assinatura do caos subjacente. / In this work we examine some of the thermodynamics propertie of Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) for a gas of non-interacting bosons trapped in bidimensional potentials V(x,y). We choose potentials that exhibits soft chaos in the classical regime which means they have a mixed phase space where islands of stability share the space with chaotic seas. We also describe the statistics via the canonical ensemble formalism which is more appropriate for our purposes. In this case, the number of particles N is kept fixed through each numerical simulation. Our main goal is to detect, if there is any, influence of the subjacent chaotic behavior in the BEC. For a matter of comparison, we show in details the calculations of both smoothed bidimensional harmonic oscillator and smoothed bidimensional box. The smoothing is equivalent to weakening the potential, so that it can be understood as to slowing down the oscillator frequency and to an enlargement of the box side as N is increased. This is necessary since phase transitions are rigorously violated in systems with dimension d < 3. Although this smoothing seems rather artificial, it models well BEC in non-rigid potentials. In order to study any possible fingerprint of chaos in the Bose-Einstein condensate we choose two potentials: i) Nelson Potential which is a paraboloid describing two harmonic oscillators coupled via a term that is responsible for the chaos in the system and ii) Quartic Potential which has a flat bottom resembling a box. We were also able to simulate the potentials with uniform magnetic field in the z direction. Our results show that statistics that are bilinear in the potential density of states like the particle number fluctuation of the ground state exhibit some fingerprints of the subjacent chaos.

Neste trabalho investigamos os diferentes estados de um sistema de bósons de spin 1 em dois poços de potencial conectados por tunelamento, com interação dependente de spin. O modelo utiliza o conhecido hamiltoniano de Bose-Hubbard, adicionando um termo de interação local que depende do módulo do spin total em um poço, podendo favorecer um estado de alto ou baixo spin para diferentes sinais da constante de acoplamento. Empregamos o conceito de fidelidade para detectar valores críticos dos parâmetros do modelo para os quais o estado fundamental sofre mudanças significativas. A natureza dos estados é investigada através do cálculo de números médios de ocupação nos poços e correlações de spin. A análise mais detalhada é feita para um sistema de duas partículas, mas alguns exemplos para números maiores são também apresentados. / In this work we investigate the different states of a system of spin-1 bosons in two potential wells connected by tunneling, with spin-dependent interaction. The model utilizes the well-known Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian, adding a local interaction term that depends on the modulus of the total spin in a well, favoring a high- or low-spin state for different signs of the coupling constant. We employ the concept of fidelity to detect critical values of model parameters for which the ground state undergoes significant changes. The nature of the states is investigated through evaluation of average occupation numbers in the wells and of spin correlations. A more detailed analysis is done for a two-particle system, but some examples for larger numbers are also presented.

Quasicrystals are long-range ordered and yet non-periodic. This interplay results in a wealth of intriguing physical phenomena, such as the inheritance of topological properties from higher dimensions, self-similarity, and the presence of non-trivial structure on all scales. The concept of aperiodic order has been extensively studied in mathematics and geometry, exemplified by the celebrated Penrose tiling. However, the understanding of physical quasicrystals (the vast majority of them are intermetallic compounds) is still incomplete owing to their complexity, regarding both growth processes and stability. Ultracold atoms in optical lattices offer an ideal, yet untested environment for investigating quasicrystals. Optical lattices, i.e. standing waves of light, allow the defect-free formation of a large variety of potential landscapes, including quasiperiodic geometries. In recent years, optical lattices have become one of the most successful tools in the large-scale quantum simulation of condensed-matter problems. This study presents the first experimental realisation of a two-dimensional quasicrystalline potential for ultracold atoms, based on an eightfold symmetric optical lattice. It is aimed at bringing together the fields of ultracold atoms and quasicrystals - and the more general concept of aperiodic order. The first part of this thesis introduces the theoretical aspects of aperiodic order and quasicrystalline structure. The second part comprises a detailed account of the newly designed apparatus that has been used to produce quantum-degenerate gases in quasicrystalline lattices. The third and final part summarises the matter-wave diffraction experiments that have been performed in various lattice geometries. These include one- and two-dimensional simple cubic lattices, one-dimensional quasiperiodic lattices, as well as two-dimensional quasicrystalline lattices. The striking self-similarity of this quasicrystalline structure has been directly observed, in close analogy to Shechtman's very first discovery of quasicrystals using electron diffraction. In addition, an in-depth study of the diffraction dynamics reveals the fundamental differences between periodic and quasicrystalline lattices, in excellent agreement with ab initio theory. The diffraction dynamics on short timescales constitutes a continuous-time quantum walk on a homogeneous four-dimensional tight-binding lattice. On the one hand, these measurements establish a novel experimental platform for investigating quasicrystals proper. On the other hand, ultracold atoms in quasicrystalline optical lattices are worth studying in their own right: Possible avenues include the observation many-body localisation and Bose glasses, as well as the creation of topologically non-trivial systems in higher dimensions.

Atom chips are devices used to magnetically trap and manipulate ultracold atoms and Bose-Einstein condensates near a surface. In particular, permanent magnetic film atom chips can allow very tight confinement and intricate magnetic field designs while circumventing technical current noise. Research described in this thesis is focused on the development of a magnetic film atom chip, the production of Bose-Einstein condensates near the film surface, the characterisation of the associated magnetic potentials using rf spectroscopy of ultracold atoms and the realisation of a precision sensor based on splitting Bose-Einstein condensates in a double-well potential. The atom chip itself combines the edge of a perpendicularly magnetised GdTbFeCo film with a machined silver wire structure. A mirror magneto-optical trap collects up to 5 x 108 87Rb atoms beneath the chip surface. The current-carrying wires are then used to transfer the cloud of atoms to the magnetic film microtrap and radio frequency evaporative cooling is applied to produce Bose-Einstein condensates consisting of 1 x 105 atoms. We have identified small spatial magnetic field variations near the film surface that fragment the ultracold atom cloud. These variations originate from inhomogeneity in the film magnetisation and are characterised using a novel technique based on spatially resolved radio frequency spectroscopy of the atoms to map the magnetic field landscape over a large area. The observations agree with an analytic model for the spatial decay of random magnetic fields from the film surface. Bose-Einstein condensates in our unique potential landscape have been used as a precision sensor for potential gradients. We transfer the atoms to the central region of the chip which produces a double-well potential. A single BEC is formed far from the surface and is then dynamically split in two by moving the trap closer to the surface. After splitting, the population of atoms in each well is extremely sensitive to the asymmetry of the potential and can be used to sense tiny magnetic field gradients or changes in gravity on a small spatial scale.

We present a detailed experimental investigation into Bose-Einstein condensates loaded into a one-dimensional optical standing wave at the Bragg condition. The main emphasis of this thesis is the experimental and theoretical investigation into Bragg spectroscopy performed on circularly accelerating Bose-Einstein condensates. The condensate undergoes circular micromotion in a magnetic time-averaged orbiting potential trap and the effect of this motion on the Bragg spectrum is analysed. A simple frequency modulation model is used to interpret the observed complex structure, and broadening effects are considered using numerical solutions to the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The second part of this thesis is an experimental investigation into the effect of nonlinearity on the non-adiabatic loading of a condensate into a optical lattice at the Brillouin zone boundary. Results of using a phase shifting technique to load a single Bloch band in the presence of strong interactions are presented. We observe a depletion of the condensed component, and we propose possible mechanisms for this result.