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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 274101-1 - 274101-4 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue number | 27 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 31 Dec 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |