UC Santa Barbara

Driven degenerate quantum gases are flexible platforms that allow for rich investigationsof quantum dynamics. Certain gases, such as Bose-Einstein condensates of 7Li, also afford the ability to tune interactions and thus study quantum many-body phenomena. In this thesis, I present three experiments which explore dynamic and thermodynamic quantum behavior using both periodic driving and interaction control. The experiments span a range of frequencies from Hz to MHz, and elucidate fundamental phenomena of localization and energy transfer. I will first describe an experiment which introduces interactions to the quantum kicked rotor, a prototypical quantum chaotic system, and observe the role interactions play in localization. I will then show how using the same system with altered symmetries can create a probe for previously unobserved dynamical signatures of Anderson localization. Finally, switching to a completely different regime, I’ll outline how a slowly driven quantum gas can be used to realize a novel quantum thermodynamic engine.