Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Theory of anomalous Landau-Zener tunneling induced by nonlinear coupling

    Wen-Yuan Wang* and Hong-Juan Meng†

    • Key Laboratory of Atomic and Molecular Physics and Functional Materials of Gansu Province, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

    • *Contact author: wywang@nwnu.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: mhjnx@163.com

    Phys. Rev. A 113, 062218 – Published 18 June, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/hxv8-ntdw

    Abstract

    We develop a general theory of Landau-Zener (LZ) tunneling in a two-level system with amplitude-dependent, sign-reversible nonlinear coupling, distinguishing it fundamentally from conventional on-site nonlinearity. Through a combination of analytical and phase-space analysis, we show that beyond a critical interaction strength, the nonlinear coupling fundamentally reshapes the adiabatic energy landscape, introducing a topological twisted and knotted structure. This structure leads to a complete breakdown of the standard exponential LZ formula, even in the adiabatic limit. Central to this anomalous behavior is the emergence of a universal-attractor fixed point, which acts as a universal attractor: Upon traversing the critical region, all quantum trajectories converge to this fixed point, irreversibly erasing any memory of the initial state. From this fixed-point picture, we derive an exact analytical expression for the adiabatic tunneling probability, revealing a characteristic power-law dependence on both linear and nonlinear coupling strengths. Our work establishes a paradigmatic framework for nonlinear-coupling-induced anomalous adiabaticity breaking and offers a universal mechanism for state control in driven quantum and wave systems.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation