Plateau dynamics with quantized oscillations of a strongly driven qubit

We present an interesting dynamical temporal localization of a strongly driven two-level system (TLS), a plateau with quantized oscillation, by an analytical and transparent method, the counter-rotating-hybridized rotating-wave (CHRW) method. This approach, which is based on unitary transformations with a single parameter, treats the rotating and counter-rotating terms on equal footing. In the unitarily transformed representation, we find that it is the multiple-harmonic terms shown in the transformed Hamiltonian that make a crucial contribution to the generation of the exotic plateau phenomenon. By comparing the results of the numerically exact calculation and several other methods, we show that the CHRW results obtained by analytical formalism involving the collective effects of multiple harmonics are in good agreement with the numerical results, which illustrates not only the general tendency of the dynamical evolution of strongly driven TLS, but also the interesting phenomena of plateaus. The developed CHRW method reveals two kinds of plateau patterns: zigzag plateau and armchair plateau. The plateau phenomenon has a periodical pattern whose frequency is double the driving frequency, and possesses quantized oscillations the number of which has a certain, precise value. Besides, fast oscillation is produced on every plateau which is determined by the relevant driving parameters of the TLS. Our main results are as follows: (i) in the large-amplitude oscillatory case, it turns out that the collective effects of all even harmonics contribute to the generation of zigzag plateau with quantized oscillation; (ii) in the small-amplitude oscillatory case, the dynamics of the coherent destruction of tunneling under strong driving is exactly exhibited by including the odd-harmonic effect, namely, armchair plateau possessing a two-stair structure rather than the complete destruction.