Quantum resonance (QR) is defined in the free-falling frame of the quantum kicked particle subjected to gravity. The general QR conditions are derived. They imply the rationality of the gravity parameter eta , the kicking-period parameter tau/(2pi) , and the quasimomentum beta . Exact results are obtained concerning wave-packet evolution for arbitrary periodic kicking potentials in the case of integer tau/(2pi) (the main QRs). It is shown that a quantum ratchet generally arises in this case for resonant beta . The noninertial nature of the free-falling frame affects the ratchet by effectively changing the kicking potential to one depending on (beta,eta) . For a simple class of initial wave packets, it is explicitly shown that the ratchet characteristics are determined to a large extent by symmetry properties and by number-theoretical features of eta .

A study of the DC I-V curves of BSCCO tapes exposed to AC perpendicular and parallel magnetic fields is presented. AC magnetic fields with amplitudes up to 700 G and frequencies from 1 to 430 Hz have been applied perpendicular and parallel to tapes carrying DC currents at T = 77 K. Both field orientations result in a significant DC electric field increase, in comparison to applying DC magnetic fields of the same intensity. However, the observed I-V curves behavior is different for the perpendicular and parallel cases. In the perpendicular case, we distinguish between two frequency regimes: for frequencies above 40 Hz, the observed I-V curves obey the empirical power law dependence with current density, J C , and power index, n, that strongly depend on the field amplitude. For frequencies below 20 Hz, the observed I-V curves deviate from power law description. In the parallel field case, the I-V curve can be regarded as a superposition of an additional DC voltage over the no field I-V curve. This additional voltage increases with increasing current, peaks near the critical current and decreases thereafter. The results are discussed assuming a narrowing down of the DC current path under the application of a perpendicular AC field. Shaking of the pinned vortices under the application of a parallel AC field is assumed for explaining the results in this case.Index Terms-AC field, Bi-2223 tape, critical current, I-V curve.

No abstract

Classical Hamiltonian systems with a mixed phase space and some asymmetry may exhibit chaotic ratchet effects. The most significant such effect is a directed momentum current or acceleration. In known model systems, this effect may arise only for sufficiently strong chaos. In this paper, a Hamiltonian ratchet accelerator is introduced, featuring a momentum current for arbitrarily weak chaos. The system is a realistic, generalized kicked rotor and is exactly solvable to some extent, leading to analytical expressions for the momentum current. While this current arises also for relatively strong chaos, the maximal current is shown to occur, at least in one case, precisely in a limit of arbitrarily weak chaos.

A theory of quantum ratchets for a particle periodically kicked by a general periodic potential under quantum-resonance conditions is developed for arbitrary values of the conserved quasimomentum β. A special case of this theory is experimentally realized using a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) exposed to a pulsed standing light wave. While this case corresponds to completely symmetric potential and initial wave-packet, a purely quantum ratchet effect still arises from the generic noncoincidence of the symmetry centers of these two entities. The experimental results agree well with the theory after taking properly into account the finite quasimomentum width of the BEC. This width causes a suppression of the ratchet acceleration occurring for "resonant" β, so that the mean momentum saturates to a finite ratchet velocity, strongly pronounced relative to that for nonresonant β.