Proposal of a Cold-atom Realization of Quantum Maps with Hofstadter's Butterfly Spectrum

Abstract

Quantum systems with Hofstadter's butterfly spectrum are of fundamental interest to many research areas. Based upon slight modifications of existing cold-atom experiments, a cold-atom realization of quantum maps with Hofstadter's butterfly spectrum is proposed. Connections and differences between our realization and the kicked Harper model are identified. This work also exposes, for the first time, a simple connection between the kicked Harper model and the kicked rotor model, the two paradigms of classical and quantum chaos.

5 pages, 4 figures, minor changes, to appear in Phys. Rev. A (Rapid Communication)