Optimal quantum state reconstruction for cold trapped ions

We study the physical implementation of an optimal tomographic reconstruction scheme for the case of determining the state of a multi-qubit system, where trapped ions are used for defining qubits. The protocol is based on the use of mutually unbiased measurements and on the physical information described in H. H\"{a}ffner \emph{et. al} [Nature \textbf{438}, 643-646 (2005)]. We introduce the concept of physical complexity for different types of unbiased measurements and analyze their generation in terms of one and two qubit gates for trapped ions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. A as Rap. Com

Single top polarisation as a window to new physics

We discuss the effect of heavy new physics, parameterised in terms of four-fermion operators, in the polarisation of single top (anti-)quarks in the $t$-channel process at the LHC. It is found that for operators involving a right-handed top quark field the relative effect on the longitudinal polarisation is twice larger than the relative effect on the total cross section. This enhanced dependence on possible four-fermion contributions makes the polarisation measurements specially interesting, in particular at high momenta.Comment: LaTeX 10 pages. v2: comments and references added, journal versio

FCNCs in supersymmetric multi-Higgs doublet models

We conduct a general discussion of supersymmetric models with three families in the Higgs sector. We analyse the scalar potential, and investigate the minima conditions, deriving the mass matrices for the scalar, pseudoscalar and charged states. Depending on the Yukawa couplings and the Higgs spectrum, the model might allow the occurrence of potentially dangerous flavour changing neutral currents at the tree-level. We compute model-independent contributions for several observables, and as an example we apply this general analysis to a specific model of quark-Higgs interactions, discussing how compatibility with current experimental data constrains the Higgs sector.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures. Comments and references added. Final version published in Physical Review

Ground state of medium-heavy doubly-closed shell nuclei in correlated basis function theory

The correlated basis function theory is applied to the study of medium-heavy doubly closed shell nuclei with different wave functions for protons and neutrons and in the jj coupling scheme. State dependent correlations including tensor correlations are used. Realistic two-body interactions of Argonne and Urbana type, together with three-body interactions have been used to calculate ground state energies and density distributions of the 12C, 16O, 40Ca, 48Ca and 208Pb nuclei.Comment: Latex 10 pages, 3 Tables, 10 Figure

Renormalized Fermi hypernetted chain approach in medium-heavy nuclei

The application of the Correlated basis function theory and of the Fermi hypernetted chain technique, to the description of the ground state of medium-heavy nuclei is reviewed. We discuss how the formalism, originally developed for symmetric nuclear matter, should be changed in order to describe finite nuclear systems, with different number of protons and neutrons. This approach allows us to describe doubly closed shell nuclei by using microscopic nucleon-nucleon interactions. We presents results of numerical calculations done with two-nucleon interactions of Argonne type,implemented with three-body forces of Urbana type. Our results regard ground-state energies, matter, charge and momentum distributions, natural orbits, occupation numbers, quasi-hole wave functions and spectroscopic factors of 12C, 16O, 40Ca, 48Ca and 208Pb nuclei.Comment: 127 Pages, 37 figures, Accepted for publication in Physics Report

Experimental scheme for unambiguous discrimination of linearly independent symmetric states

We propose an optimal discrimination scheme for a case of four linearly independent nonorthogonal symmetric quantum states, based on linear optics only. The probability of discrimination is in agreement with the optimal probability for unambiguous discrimination among N symmetric states [Phys. Lett. A \textbf{250}, 223 (1998)]. The experimental setup can be extended for the case of discrimination among $2^M$ nonorthogonal symmetric quantum states