Patterned deposition of particles in spatio-temporally driven lattices

Zentrum für Optische Quantentechnologien, Universität Hamburg - Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany, EU

^a Benno.Liebchen@physnet.uni-hamburg.de
^b Peter.Schmelcher@physnet.uni-hamburg.de

Received: 9 March 2011
Accepted: 5 April 2011

Abstract

We present and analyze mechanisms for the patterned deposition of particles in a spatio-temporally driven lattice. The working principle is based on the breaking of the spatio-temporal translation symmetry, which is responsible for the equivalence of all lattice sites, by applying modulated phase shifts to the lattice sites. The patterned trapping of the particles occurs in confined chaotic seas, created via the ramping of the height of the lattice potential. Complex density profiles on the length scale of the complete lattice can be obtained by a quasi-continuous, spatial deformation of the chaotic sea in a frequency modulated lattice.