Tilt-induced localization in interacting Bose-Einstein condensates for quantum sensing
Phys. Rev. A 113, 042615 – Published 14 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rmvy-35tj
Abstract
We investigate localization transitions in interacting Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) confined in tilted optical lattices, focusing on both the continuum limit accessed via shallow lattice depths and the tight-binding limit realized in the deep lattice regime. Utilizing the Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) and the many-body Bose-Hubbard model, we analyze the scaling behavior of localization indicators, such as the root-mean-square width and fidelity susceptibility, as a function of the applied tilt. Our results reveal clear signatures of a localization-delocalization transition driven by the linear potential, with scaling properties that characterize criticality even in the presence of interactions within the GPE description. Despite the single-mode nature of the condensate wave function, we demonstrate that it can effectively probe quantum criticality. Building on this, we propose the use of interacting BECs in tilted lattices as a platform for quantum critical sensing, where the condensate wave function serves as both a sensitive probe of localization and a practical resource for quantum-enhanced metrology. This approach opens avenues for precision gradient sensing based on localization phenomena in bosonic systems.
