Asymmetric diffusion in the delta-kicked rotor with broken symmetries

Jones, P. H.; Goonasekera, M.; Saunders-Singer, H. E.; Monteiro, T. S.; Meacher, D. R.

Asymmetric diffusion in the delta-kicked rotor with broken symmetries

Authors

Jones, P. H.

Goonasekera, M.

Saunders-Singer, H. E.

Monteiro, T. S.

Meacher, D. R.

Description

We report an experimental investigation of momentum diffusion in the delta-function kicked rotor where time symmetry is broken by a two-period kicking cycle and spatial symmetry by an alternating linear potential. The momentum diffusion constant is thus modified by kick-to-kick correlations which show a momentum dependence. We exploit this, and a technique involving a moving optical potential, to create an asymmetry in the momentum diffusion that is due entirely to the chaotic dynamics.
4 pages, 4 figures