Quantum discord in finite XY chains

We examine the quantum discord between two spins in the exact ground state of finite spin 1/2 arrays with anisotropic XY couplings in a transverse field B. It is shown that in the vicinity of the factorizing field B_s, the discord approaches a common finite non-negligible limit which is independent of the pair separation and the coupling range. An analytic expression of this limit is provided. The discord of a mixture of aligned pairs in two different directions, crucial for the previous results, is analyzed in detail, including the evaluation of coherence effects, relevant in small samples and responsible for a parity splitting at B_s. Exact results for finite chains with first neighbor and full range couplings and their interpretation in terms of such mixtures are provided.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Generalized mean field description of entanglement in dimerized spin systems

We discuss a generalized self-consistent mean field (MF) treatment, based on the selection of an arbitrary subset of operators for representing the system density matrix, and its application to the problem of entanglement evaluation in composite quantum systems. As a specific example, we examine in detail a pair MF approach to the ground state (GS) of dimerized spin 1/2 systems with anisotropic ferromagnetic-type XY and XYZ couplings in a transverse field, including chains and arrays with first neighbor and also longer range couplings. The approach is fully analytic and able to capture the main features of the GS of these systems, in contrast with the conventional single spin MF. Its phase diagram differs significantly from that of the latter, exhibiting (Sz) parity breaking just in a finite field window if the coupling between pairs is sufficiently weak, together with a fully dimerized phase below this window and a partially aligned phase above it. It is then shown that through symmetry restoration, the approach is able to correctly predict not only the concurrence of a pair, but also its entanglement with the rest of the chain, which shows a pronounced peak in the parity breaking window. Perturbative corrections allow to reproduce more subtle observables like the entanglement between weakly coupled spins and the low lying energy spectrum. All predictions are tested against exact results for finite systems.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. Final versio

Factorization and entanglement in general XYZ spin arrays in non-uniform transverse fields

We determine the conditions for the existence of a pair of degenerate parity breaking separable eigenstates in general arrays of arbitrary spins connected through $XYZ$ couplings of arbitrary range and placed in a transverse field, not necessarily uniform. Sufficient conditions under which they are ground states are also provided. It is then shown that in finite chains, the associated definite parity states, which represent the actual ground state in the immediate vicinity of separability, can exhibit entanglement between any two spins regardless of the coupling range or separation, with the reduced state of any two subsystems equivalent to that of pair of qubits in an entangled mixed state. The corresponding concurrences and negativities are exactly determined. The same properties persist in the mixture of both definite parity states. These effects become specially relevant in systems close to the $XXZ$ limit. The possibility of field induced alternating separable solutions with controllable entanglement side limits is also discussed. Illustrative numerical results for the negativity between the first and the $j^{\rm th}$ spin in an open spin $s$ chain for different values of $s$ and $j$ are as well provided.Comment: 6 pages, figures adde

Quantum correlations and least disturbing local measurements

We examine the evaluation of the minimum information loss due to an unread local measurement in mixed states of bipartite systems, for a general entropic form. Such quantity provides a measure of quantum correlations, reducing for pure states to the generalized entanglement entropy, while in the case of mixed states it vanishes just for classically correlated states with respect to the measured system, as the quantum discord. General stationary conditions are provided, together with their explicit form for general two-qubit states. Closed expressions for the minimum information loss as measured by quadratic and cubic entropies are also derived for general states of two-qubit systems. As application, we analyze the case of states with maximally mixed marginals, where a general evaluation is provided, as well as X states and the mixture of two aligned states.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Flame-Retardant Systems Based on Alkoxysilanes for Wood Protection

The aim of this study was to formulate, develop, and determine the performance of flame-retardant systems for wood protection. Flame-retardant systems involve wood impregnation and intumescent coating application. The impregnation was made in two retention levels using silanes of low and high hydrophobicity (methyltriethoxysilane and n-octyltriethoxysilane, respectively); these silanes were conducted to polymerize by sol-gel process in wood pores. The intumescent coatings were formulated with a polymeric binder (hydroxy-functional acrylic resin) modified with n-octadecyltriethoxysilane in two w/w ratios to combine the individual characteristics of each film-forming material. In this research, Pinus radiata panels were selected to study the performance of quoted flame-retardant systems. The results indicated excellent flame-retardant performance of some studied systems in two foot tunnel, in oxygen index cabin, and in horizontal-vertical chamber

Generalized entropic measures of quantum correlations

We propose a general measure of non-classical correlations for bipartite systems based on generalized entropic functions and majorization properties. Defined as the minimum information loss due to a local measurement, in the case of pure states it reduces to the generalized entanglement entropy, i.e., the generalized entropy of the reduced state. However, in the case of mixed states it can be non-zero in separable states, vanishing just for states diagonal in a general product basis, like the Quantum Discord. Simple quadratic measures of quantum correlations arise as a particular case of the present formalism. The minimum information loss due to a joint local measurement is also discussed. The evaluation of these measures in a few simple relevant cases is as well provided, together with comparison with the corresponding entanglement monotones.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Meson-meson interactions -- from static to dynamic valence quarks

A method for the extraction of an effective meson-meson potential from Green functions, which can be obtained from a lattice simulation, is presented. Simulations are carried out for compact QED and QCD in four dimensions using the quenched approximation and the hopping parameter expansion. In a further study, a heavy-light meson is considered employing a conjugate gradient algorithm for the light propagators. Due to the Pauli exclusion principle, the results for QED indicate the existence of a hard core, but for QCD there is strong attraction at small meson distances.Comment: 4 pages, uuencoded gziped postscript file, contribution to LATTICE'95, Melbourne, Australia (list of authors completed

Description of thermal entanglement with the static path plus random-phase approximation

We discuss the application of the static path plus random phase approximation (SPA+RPA) and the ensuing mean field+RPA treatment to the evaluation of entanglement in composite quantum systems at finite temperature. These methods involve just local diagonalizations and the determination of the generalized collective vibrational frequencies. As illustration, we evaluate the pairwise entanglement in a fully connected XXZ chain of $n$ spins at finite temperature in a transverse magnetic field $b$. It is shown that already the mean field+RPA provides an accurate analytic description of the concurrence below the mean field critical region ($|b|<b_c$), exact for large $n$, whereas the full SPA+RPA is able to improve results for finite systems in the critical region. It is proved as well that for $T>0$ weak entanglement also arises when the ground state is separable ($|b|>b_c$), with the limit temperature for pairwise entanglement exhibiting quite distinct regimes for $|b|b_c$.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

Thermal entanglement in fully connected spin systems and its RPA description

We examine the thermal pairwise entanglement in a symmetric system of $n$ spins fully connected through anisotropic $XYZ$-type couplings embedded in a transverse magnetic field. We consider both the exact evaluation together with that obtained with the static path + random phase approximation (RPA) and the ensuing mean field + RPA. The latter is shown to provide an accurate analytic description of both the parallel and antiparallel thermal concurrence in large systems. We also analyze the limit temperature for pairwise entanglement, which is shown to increase for large fields and to decrease logarithmically with increasing $n$. Special finite size effects are as well discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

On the I=2 channel pi-pi interaction in the chiral limit

An approximate local potential for the residual pi+ pi+ interaction is computed. We use an O(a**2) improved action on a coarse 9x9x9x13 lattice with approximately a=0.4fm. The results present a continuation of previous work: Increasing the number of gauge configurations and quark propagators we attempt extrapolation of the pi+ pi+ potential to the chiral limit.Comment: LATTICE98(spectrum) LaTeX2e, 3 pages, 3 eps figure