We study the dynamics of fermions loaded in an optical lattice with a superimposed parabolic trap potential. In the recent Hamburg experiments [J. Heinze et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 085302 (2013)] on quantum simulation of photoconductivity, a modulation pulse on the optical lattice transferred part of the population of the lowest band to an excited band, leaving a hole in the particle distribution of the lowest band. The subsequent intricate dynamics of both excited particles and holes can be explained by a semiclassical approach based on the evolution of the Wigner function. Here we provide a more detailed analysis of the dynamics, taking into account the dimensionality of the system and finite-temperature effects, aiming at reproducing experimental results on longer time scales. A semiclassical wave packet is constructed more accurately than in the previous theory. As a result, semiclassical dynamics indeed reproduces experimental data and full quantum numerical calculations with a much better accuracy. In particular, the fascinating phenomenon of collapse and revival of holes is investigated in more detail. We presume that the experimental setup can be used for deeper exploration of nonlinear waves in fermionic gases.

• Received 4 April 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.93.063637