Relativistic (Zα)2 Corrections and Leading Quantum Electrodynamic Corrections to the Two-Photon Decay Rate of Ionic States

We calculate the relativistic corrections of relative order (Zα) 2 to the two-photon decay rate of higher excited S and D states in ionic atomic systems, and we also evaluate the leading radiative corrections of relative order α (Zα) 2 ln [(Zα) -2]. We thus complete the theory of the two-photon decay rates up to relative order α3 ln (α). An approach inspired by nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics is used. We find that the corrections of relative order (Zα) 2 to the two-photon decay are given by the Zitterbewegung, by the spin-orbit coupling and by relativistic corrections to the electron mass, and by quadrupole interactions. We show that all corrections are separately gauge invariant with respect to a hybrid transformation from velocity to length gauge, where the gauge transformation of the wave function is neglected. The corrections are evaluated for the two-photon decay from 2S, 3S, 3D, and 4S states in one-electron (hydrogenlike) systems, with 1S and 2S final states

Quantum Entanglement in (d−1)(d-1)-Spherium

There are very few systems of interacting particles (with continuous variables) for which the entanglement of the concomitant eigenfunctions can be computed in an exact, analytical way. Here we present analytical calculations of the amount of entanglement exhibited by $s$-states of \emph{spherium}. This is a system of two particles (electrons) interacting via a Coulomb potential and confined to a $(d-1)$-sphere (that is, to the surface of a $d$-dimensional ball). We investigate the dependence of entanglement on the radius $R$ of the system, on the spatial dimensionality $d$, and on energy. We find that entanglement increases monotonically with $R$, decreases with $d$, and also tends to increase with the energy of the eigenstates. These trends are discussed and compared with those observed in other two-electron atomic-like models where entanglement has been investigated.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. J. Phys. A (2015). Accepte

The relationship between entanglement, energy and level degeneracy in two-electron systems

The entanglement properties of two-electron atomic systems have been the subject of considerable research activity in recent years. These studies are still somewhat fragmentary, focusing on numerical computations on particular states of systems such as helium, or on analytical studies of model systems such as the Moshinsky atom. Some general trends are beginning to emerge from these studies: the amount of entanglement tends to increase with energy and, in the case of excited states, entanglement does not necessarily tend to zero in the limit of vanishing interaction between the two constituting particles. A physical explanation of these properties, shared by the different two-electron models investigated so far, is still lacking. As a first step towards this goal, we perform here, via a perturbative approach, an analysis of entanglement in two-electron models that sheds new light on the physical origin of the aforementioned features and on their universal character.Fil: Majtey, Ana Paula. Universidad de Granada; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Plastino, Ángel Ricardo. Universidad de Granada; España. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Dehesa, J. S.. Universidad de Granada; Españ

Analytical energy gradient in variational calculations of the two lowest 3P states of the carbon atom with explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions

Variational calculations of ground and excited bound states on atomic and molecular systems performed with basis functions that explicitly depend on the interparticle distances can generate very accurate results provided that the basis function parameters are thoroughly optimized by the minimization of the energy. In this work we have derived the algorithm for the gradient of the energy determined with respect to the nonlinear exponential parameters of explicitly correlated Gaussian functions used in calculating n-electron atomic systems with two p-electrons and n−2 s-electrons. The atomic Hamiltonian we used was obtained by rigorously separating out the kinetic energy of the center of mass motion from the laboratory-frame Hamiltonian and explicitly depends on the finite mass of the nucleus. The advantage of having the gradient available in the variational minimization of the energy is demonstrated in the calculations of the ground and the first excited 3P state of the carbon atom. For the former the lowest energy upper bound ever obtained is reporte

Quantum Electrodynamics of qubits

Systematic description of a spin one-half system endowed with magnetic moment or any other two-level system (qubit) interacting with the quantized electromagnetic field is developed. This description exploits a close analogy between a two-level system and the Dirac electron that comes to light when the two-level system is described within the formalism of second quantization in terms of fermionic creation and annihilation operators. The analogy enables one to introduce all the powerful tools of relativistic QED (albeit in a greatly simplified form). The Feynman diagrams and the propagators turn out to be very useful. In particular, the QED concept of the vacuum polarization finds its close counterpart in the photon scattering off a two level-system leading via the linear response theory to the general formulas for the atomic polarizability and the dynamic single spin susceptibility. To illustrate the usefulness of these methods, we calculate the polarizability and susceptibility up to the fourth order of perturbation theory. These {\em ab initio} calculations resolve some ambiguities concerning the sign prescription and the optical damping that arise in the phenomenological treatment. We also show that the methods used to study two-level systems (qubits) can be extended to many-level systems (qudits). As an example, we describe the interaction with the quantized electromagnetic field of an atom with four relevant states: one S state and three degenerate P states.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure

Quantum entanglement in exactly soluble atomic models: The Moshinsky model with three electrons, and with two electrons in a uniform magnetic field

We investigate the entanglement-related features of the eigenstates of two exactly soluble atomic models: a one-dimensional three-electron Moshinsky model, and a three-dimensional two-electron Moshinsky system in an external uniform magnetic field. We analytically compute the amount of entanglement exhibited by the wavefunctions corresponding to the ground, first and second excited states of the three-electron model. We found that the amount of entanglement of the system tends to increase with energy, and in the case of excited states we found a finite amount of entanglement in the limit of vanishing interaction. We also analyze the entanglement properties of the ground and first few excited states of the two-electron Moshinsky model in the presence of a magnetic field. The dependence of the eigenstates' entanglement on the energy, as well as its behaviour in the regime of vanishing interaction, are similar to those observed in the three-electron system. On the other hand, the entanglement exhibits a monotonically decreasing behavior with the strength of the external magnetic field. For strong magnetic fields the entanglement approaches a finite asymptotic value that depends on the interaction strength. For both systems studied here we consider a perturbative approach in order to shed some light on the entanglement's dependence on energy and also to clarify the finite entanglement exhibited by excited states in the limit of weak interactions. As far as we know, this is the first work that provides analytical and exact results for the entanglement properties of a three-electron model.Fil: Bouvrie, P. A.. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Majtey, Ana Paula. Universidad de Granada; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Plastino, Ángel Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Moreno, P.. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Dehesa, J. S.. Universidad de Granada; Españ

Fifth Force and Hyperfine Splitting in Bound Systems

Two recent experimental observations at the ATOMKI Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (regarding the angular emission pattern of electron-positron pairs from nuclear transitions from excited states in 8Be and 4He) indicate the possible existence of a particle of a rest mass energy of roughly 17 MeV. The so-called X17 particle constitutes a virtual state in the process, preceding the emission of the electron-positron pair. Based on the symmetry of the nuclear transitions ($1^+$ to $0^+$ and $0^-$ to $0^+$), the X17 could either be a vector, or a pseudoscalar particle. Here, we calculate the effective potentials generated by the X17, for hyperfine interactions in simple atomic systems, for both the pseudoscalar as well as the vector X17 hypotheses. The effective Hamiltonians are obtained in a general form which is applicable to both electronic as well as muonic bound systems. The effect of virtual annihilation and its contribution to the hyperfine splitting also is considered. Because of the short range of the X17-generated potentials, the most promising pathway for the observation of the X17-mediated effects in bound systems concerns hyperfine interactions, which, for $S$ states, are given by modifications of short-range (Dirac-delta) potentials in coordinate space. For the pseudoscalar hypothesis, the exchange of one virtual X17 quantum between the bound lepton and the nucleus exclusively leads to hyperfine effects, but does not affect the Lamb shift. Effects due to the X17 are shown to be drastically enhanced for muonic bound systems. Prospects for the detection of hyperfine effects mediated by X17 exchange are analyzed for muonic deuterium, muonic hydrogen, muonium, true muonium ($\mu^+\mu^-$ bound system), and positronium.Comment: 14 pages; RevTe