Number-phase uncertainty and quantum dynamics of bosons and fermions interacting with a finite range and large scattering length in a double-well potential

摘要

In a previous paper, Das et al (2013 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 46 035501), it was shown that the unitary quantum phase operators play a particularly important role in quantum dynamics of bosons and fermions in a one-dimensional (1D) double-well (DW) when the number of particles is small. In this paper, we define the standard quantum limit (SQL) for phase and number fluctuations, and describe two-mode squeezing for number and phase variables. The usual two-mode number squeezing parameter, also used to describe two-mode entanglement of a quantum field, is defined considering phase as a classical variable. However, when phase is treated as a unitary quantum-mechanical operator, number and phase operators satisfy an uncertainty relation. As a result, the usual definition of number squeezing parameter becomes modified. Two-mode number squeezing occurs when the number fluctuation goes below the SQL at the cost of enhanced phase fluctuation. As an application of number-phase uncertainty, we consider bosons or fermions trapped in a quasi-1D DW potential interacting via a 3D finite-range two-body interaction potential with large scattering length as. Under tight-binding or two-mode approximation, we describe in detail the effects of the range of interaction on the quantum dynamics and number-phase uncertainty in the strongly interacting or unitarity regime a(s) - +/- infinity. Our results show intriguing coherent dynamics of number-phase uncertainty with number squeezing for bosons and ph squeezing for fermions. Our results may be important for exploring new quantum interferometry, Josephson oscillations, Bose-Hubbard and Fermi-Hubbard physics with ultracold atoms in DW potentials or DW optical lattices. Particularly interesting will be the question of the importance of quantum phase operators in two-atom interferometry and entanglement.