Coherent control of atomic tunnelling

We study the tunnelling of a two-level atom in a double well potential while the atom is coupled to a single electromagnetic field mode of a cavity. The coupling between internal and external degrees of freedom, due to the mechanical effect on the atom from photon emission into the cavity mode, can dramatically change the tunnelling behaviour. We predict that in general the tunnelling process becomes quasiperiodic. In a certain regime of parameters a collapse and revival of the tunnelling occurs. Accessing the internal degrees of freedom of the atom with a laser allows us to coherently manipulate the atom position, and in particular to prepare the atom in one of the two wells