We analyze the origin and properties of the chaotic dynamics of two atomic ensembles in a driven-dissipative experimental setup, where they are collectively damped by a bad cavity mode and incoherently pumped by a Raman laser. Starting from the mean-
field equations, we explain the emergence of chaos by way of quasiperiodicity -- presence of two or more incommensurate frequencies. This is known as the Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse route to chaos. The equations of motion have a $mathbb{Z}_{2}$-symmetry with respect to the interchange of the two ensembles. However, some of the attractors of these equations spontaneously break this symmetry. To understand the emergence and subsequent properties of various attractors, we concurrently study the mean-field trajectories, Poincar{e} sections, maximum and conditional Lyapunov exponents, and power spectra. Using Floquet analysis, we show that quasiperiodicity is born out of non $mathbb{Z}_{2}$-symmetric oscillations via a supercritical Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. Changing the detuning between the level spacings in the two ensembles and the repump rate results in the synchronization of the two chaotic ensembles. In this regime, the chaotic intensity fluctuations of the light radiated by the two ensembles are identical. Identifying the synchronization manifold, we understand the origin of synchronized chaos as a tangent bifurcation intermittency of the $mathbb{Z}_{2}$-symmetric oscillations. At its birth, synchronized chaos is unstable. The interaction of this attractor with other attractors causes on-off intermittency until the synchronization manifold becomes sufficiently attractive. We also show coexistence of different phases in small pockets near the boundaries.
We predict synchronization of the chaotic dynamics of two atomic ensembles coupled to a heavily damped optical cavity mode. The atoms are dissipated collectively through this mode and pumped incoherently to achieve a macroscopic population of the cav
ity photons. Even though the dynamics of each ensemble are chaotic, their motions repeat one another. In our system, chaos first emerges via quasiperiodicity and then synchronizes. We identify the signatures of synchronized chaos, chaos, and quasiperiodicity in the experimentally observable power spectra of the light emitted by the cavity.
We study the dynamics of two ensembles of atoms (or equivalently, atomic clocks) coupled to a bad cavity and pumped incoherently by a Raman laser. Our main result is the nonequilibrium phase diagram for this experimental setup in terms of two paramet
ers - detuning between the clocks and the repump rate. There are three main phases - trivial steady state (Phase I), where all atoms are maximally pumped, nontrivial steady state corresponding to monochromatic superradiance (Phase II), and amplitude-modulated superradiance (Phase III). Phases I and II are fixed points of the mean-field dynamics, while in most of Phase III stable attractors are limit cycles. Equations of motion possess an axial symmetry and a $mathbb{Z}_{2}$ symmetry with respect to the interchange of the two clocks. Either one or both of these symmetries are spontaneously broken in various phases. The trivial steady state loses stability via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation bringing about a $mathbb{Z}_{2}$-symmetric limit cycle. The nontrivial steady state goes through a subcritical Hopf bifurcation responsible for coexistence of monochromatic and amplitude-modulated superradiance. Using Floquet analysis, we show that the $mathbb{Z}_{2}$-symmetric limit cycle eventually becomes unstable and gives rise to two $mathbb{Z}_{2}$-asymmetric limit cycles via a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation. Each of the above attractors has its own unique fingerprint in the power spectrum of the light radiated from the cavity. In particular, limit cycles in Phase III emit frequency combs - series of equidistant peaks, where the symmetry of the frequency comb reflects the symmetry of the underlying limit cycle. For typical experimental parameters, the spacing between the peaks is several orders of magnitude smaller than the monochromatic superradiance frequency, making the lasing frequency highly tunable.
In a recent preprint [arXiv:1803.04118v2] Chern and Barros report numerical simulations of the mean-field interaction quench dynamics, $U_ito U_f$, of the attractive Hubbard model that confirm our earlier prediction [Europhys. Lett. 85, 20004 (2008),
arXiv:0805.2798] of spontaneous eruption of spatial inhomogeneities in the post-quench state with periodically oscillating superconducting order. Chern and Barros attribute this instability with respect to spatial fluctuations to the large magnitude of the final Hubbard coupling $U_f$. We point out that this interpretation is inaccurate and discuss further work necessary to numerically verify the mechanism of the instability and the nature of the steady state.
We determine the limiting dynamics of a fermionic condensate following a sudden perturbation for various initial conditions. We demonstrate that possible initial states of the condensate fall into two classes. In the first case, the order parameter a
symptotes to a constant value. The approach to a constant is oscillatory with an inverse square root decay. This happens, e.g., when the strength of pairing is abruptly changed while the system is in the paired ground state and more generally for any nonequilibrium state that is in the same class as the ground state. In the second case, the order parameter exhibits persistent oscillations with several frequencies. This is realized for nonequilibrium states that belong to the same class as excited stationary states. Our classification of initial states extends the concept of excitation spectrum to nonequilibrium regime and allows one to predict the evolution without solving equations of motion.
