2,358 research outputs found
Nonadiabatic Dynamics in Open Quantum-Classical Systems: Forward-Backward Trajectory Solution
A new approximate solution to the quantum-classical Liouville equation is
derived starting from the formal solution of this equation in forward-backward
form. The time evolution of a mixed quantum-classical system described by this
equation is obtained in a coherent state basis using the mapping
representation, which expresses quantum degrees of freedom in a
2N-dimensional phase space. The solution yields a simple non-Hamiltonian
dynamics in which a set of coherent state coordinates evolve in forward and
backward trajectories while the bath coordinates evolve under the influence of
the mean potential that depends on these forward and backward trajectories. It
is shown that the solution satisfies the differential form of the
quantum-classical Liouville equation exactly. Relations to other mixed
quantum-classical and semi-classical schemes are discussed.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figur
Quantum theory of the low-frequency linear susceptibility of interferometer-type superconducting qubits
We use the density matrix formalism to analyze the interaction of
interferometer-type superconducting qubits with a high quality tank circuit,
which frequency is well below the gap frequency of a qubit. We start with the
ground state characterization of the superconducting flux and charge qubits.
Then, by making use of a dressed state approach we describe the qubits'
spectroscopy when the qubit is irradiated by a microwave field which is tuned
to the gap frequency. The last section of the paper is devoted to continuous
monitoring of qubit states by using a DC SQUID in the inductive mode.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures; the title and abstract are slightly changed;
several typos are corrected; in order to make our argumentation more clear we
added some comments in the introduction and other section
Multiple-time correlation functions for non-Markovian interaction: Beyond the Quantum Regression Theorem
Multiple time correlation functions are found in the dynamical description of
different phenomena. They encode and describe the fluctuations of the dynamical
variables of a system. In this paper we formulate a theory of non-Markovian
multiple-time correlation functions (MTCF) for a wide class of systems. We
derive the dynamical equation of the {\it reduced propagator}, an object that
evolve state vectors of the system conditioned to the dynamics of its
environment, which is not necessarily at the vacuum state at the initial time.
Such reduced propagator is the essential piece to obtain multiple-time
correlation functions. An average over the different environmental histories of
the reduced propagator permits us to obtain the evolution equations of the
multiple-time correlation functions. We also study the evolution of MTCF within
the weak coupling limit and it is shown that the multiple-time correlation
function of some observables satisfy the Quantum Regression Theorem (QRT),
whereas other correlations do not. We set the conditions under which the
correlations satisfy the QRT. We illustrate the theory in two different cases;
first, solving an exact model for which the MTCF are explicitly given, and
second, presenting the results of a numerical integration for a system coupled
with a dissipative environment through a non-diagonal interaction.Comment: Submitted (04 Jul 04
Few-Qubit lasing in circuit QED
Motivated by recent experiments, which demonstrated lasing and cooling of the
electromagnetic modes in a resonator coupled to a superconducting qubit, we
describe the specific mechanisms creating the population inversion, and we
study the spectral properties of these systems in the lasing state. Different
levels of the theoretical description, i.e., the semi-classical and the
semi-quantum approximation, as well as an analysis based on the full Liouville
equation are compared. We extend the usual quantum optics description to
account for strong qubit-resonator coupling and include the effects of
low-frequency noise. Beyond the lasing transition we find for a single- or
few-qubit system the phase diffusion strength to grow with the coupling
strength, which in turn deteriorates the lasing state.Comment: Prepared for the proceedings of the Nobel Symposium 2009, Qubits for
future quantum computers, May 2009 in Goeteborg, Sweden. Published versio
Quantum Smoluchowski equation: A systematic study
The strong friction regime at low temperatures is analyzed systematically
starting from the formally exact path integral expression for the reduced
dynamics. This quantum Smoluchowski regime allows for a type of semiclassical
treatment in the inverse friction strength so that higher order quantum
corrections to the original quantum Smoluchowski equation [PRL 87, 086802
(2001), PRL 101, 11903 (2008)] can be derived. Drift and diffusion coefficients
are determined by the equilibrium distribution in position and are directly
related to the corresponding action of extremal paths and fluctuations around
them. It is shown that the inclusion of higher order corrections reproduces the
quantum enhancement above crossover for the decay rate out of a metastable well
exactly.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure
Overdamping by weakly coupled environments
A quantum system weakly interacting with a fast environment usually undergoes
a relaxation with complex frequencies whose imaginary parts are damping rates
quadratic in the coupling to the environment, in accord with Fermi's ``Golden
Rule''. We show for various models (spin damped by harmonic-oscillator or
random-matrix baths, quantum diffusion, quantum Brownian motion) that upon
increasing the coupling up to a critical value still small enough to allow for
weak-coupling Markovian master equations, a new relaxation regime can occur. In
that regime, complex frequencies lose their real parts such that the process
becomes overdamped. Our results call into question the standard belief that
overdamping is exclusively a strong coupling feature.Comment: 4 figures; Paper submitted to Phys. Rev.
Microstructure of the Local Interstellar Cloud and the Identification of the Hyades Cloud
We analyze high-resolution UV spectra of the Mg II h and k lines for 18
members of the Hyades Cluster to study inhomogeneity along these proximate
lines of sight. The observations were taken by the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph (STIS) instrument on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Three
distinct velocity components are observed. All 18 lines of sight show
absorption by the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC), ten stars show absorption by
an additional cloud, which we name the Hyades Cloud, and one star exhibits a
third absorption component. The LIC absorption is observed at a lower radial
velocity than predicted by the LIC velocity vector derived by Lallement &
Bertin (1992) and Lallement et al. (1995), (v(predicted LIC) - v(observed LIC)
= 2.9 +/- 0.7 km/s), which may indicate a compression or deceleration at the
leading edge of the LIC. We propose an extention of the Hyades Cloud boundary
based on previous HST observations of other stars in the general vicinity of
the Hyades, as well as ground-based Ca II observations. We present our fits of
the interstellar parameters for each absorption component. The availability of
18 similar lines of sight provides an excellent opportunity to study the
inhomogeneity of the warm, partially ionized local interstellar medium (LISM).
We find that these structures are roughly homogeneous. The measured Mg II
column densities do not vary by more than a factor of 2 for angular separations
of < 8 degrees, which at the outer edge of the LIC correspond to physical
separations of < 0.6 pc.Comment: 35 pages, 11 figures, AASTEX v.5.0 plus EPSF extensions in mkfig.sty;
accepted by Ap
Output spectrum of a measuring device at arbitrary voltage and temperature
We calculate the noise spectrum of the electrical current in a quantum point
contact which is used for continuous measurements of a two-level system
(qubit). We generalize the previous results obtained for the regime of high
transport voltages (when is much larger than the qubit's energy level
splitting (we put )) to the case of arbitrary voltages and
temperatures. When the background output spectrum is essentially
asymmetric in frequency, i.e., it is no longer classical. Yet, the spectrum of
the amplified signal, i.e., the two coherent peaks at is still
symmetric. In the emission (negative frequency) part of the spectrum the
coherent peak can be 8 times higher than the background pedestal.
Alternatively, this ratio can be seen in the directly measureable {\it excess}
noise. For and T=0 the coherent peaks do not appear at all. We relate
these results to the properties of linear amplifiers.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, the results generalized for arbitrary angle
between the magnetic field and the observed component of the spin, minor
corrections and typo
Gas Absorption in the KH 15D System: Further Evidence for Dust Settling in the Circumbinary Disk
Na I D lines in the spectrum of the young binary KH 15D have been analyzed in
detail. We find an excess absorption component that may be attributed to
foreground interstellar absorption, and to gas possibly associated with the
solids in the circumbinary disk. The derived column density is log N_NaI = 12.5
cm^-2, centered on a radial velocity that is consistent with the systemic
velocity. Subtracting the likely contribution of the ISM leaves log N_NaI ~
12.3 cm^-2. There is no detectable change in the gas column density across the
"knife edge" formed by the opaque grain disk, indicating that the gas and
solids have very different scale heights, with the solids being highly settled.
Our data support a picture of this circumbinary disk as being composed of a
very thin particulate grain layer composed of millimeter-sized or larger
objects that are settled within whatever remaining gas may be present. This
phase of disk evolution has been hypothesized to exist as a prelude to the
formation of planetesimals through gravitational fragmentation, and is expected
to be short-lived if much gas were still present in such a disk. Our analysis
also reveals the presence of excess Na I emission relative to the comparison
spectrum at the radial velocity of the currently visible star that plausibly
arises within the magnetosphere of this still-accreting young star.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 23 pages, 6 figure
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