Observation of Islands of Stability in Soft Wall Atom-Optics Billiards
Ariel KaplanDepartment of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, IsraelNir FriedmanDepartment of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, IsraelMikkel F. AndersenDepartment of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, IsraelNir DavidsonDepartment of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
2001en
ABI
Abstract
We report on numerical and experimental observations of islands of stability induced in a Bunimovich stadium atom-optics billiard by a soft wall repulsive potential. A deviation from exponential decay of the survival probability of atoms in an open billiard is observed, and explained by the presence of these stable islands and a sticky region surrounding them. We also investigate islands in dispersing billiards with soft walls, and predict a new mechanism for their formation.
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