441 research outputs found
A quantum evaporation effect
A small momentum transfer to a particle interacting with a steep potential
barrier gives rise to a quantum evaporation effect which increases the
transmission appreciably. This effect results from the unexpectedly large
population of quantum states with energies above the height of the barrier. Its
characteristic properties are studied and an example of physical system in
which it may be observed is given.Comment: 7 pages + 3 figure
Stochastic Ergodicity Breaking: a Random Walk Approach
The continuous time random walk (CTRW) model exhibits a non-ergodic phase
when the average waiting time diverges. Using an analytical approach for the
non-biased and the uniformly biased CTRWs, and numerical simulations for the
CTRW in a potential field, we obtain the non-ergodic properties of the random
walk which show strong deviations from Boltzmann--Gibbs theory. We derive the
distribution function of occupation times in a bounded region of space which,
in the ergodic phase recovers the Boltzmann--Gibbs theory, while in the
non-ergodic phase yields a generalized non-ergodic statistical law.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Deeply subrecoil two-dimensional Raman cooling
We report the implementation of a two-dimensional Raman cooling scheme using
sequential excitations along the orthogonal axes. Using square pulses, we have
cooled a cloud of ultracold Cesium atoms down to an RMS velocity spread of
0.39(5) recoil velocity, corresponding to an effective temperature of 30 nK
(0.15 T_rec). This technique can be useful to improve cold atom atomic clocks,
and is particularly relevant for clocks in microgravity.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
On non-linear hydrodynamic instability and enhanced transport in differentially rotating flows
In this paper we argue that differential rotation can possibly sustain
hydrodynamic turbulence in the absence of magnetic field. We explain why the
non-linearities of the hydrodynamic equations (i.e. turbulent diffusion) should
not be neglected, either as a simplifying approximation or based on boundary
counditions. The consequences of lifting this hypothesis are studied for the
flow stability and the enhanced turbulent transport. We develop a simple
general model for the energetics of turbulent fluctuations in differentially
rotating flows. By taking into account the non-linearities of the equations of
motions, we give constraints on the mean flow properties for the possible
development of shear instability. The results from recent laboratory
experiments on rotating flows show -- in agreement with the model -- that the
pertinent parameter for stability appears to be the Rossby number Ro. The
laboratory experiments seem to be compatible with Ro 1 in the
inviscid or high rotation rates limit. Our results, taken in the inviscid
limit, are coherent with the classical linear stability analysis, in the sense
that the critical perturbation equals zero on the marginal linear stability
curve. We also propose a prescription for turbulent viscosity which generalize
the beta-prescription derived in Richard & Zahn 1999.Comment: Accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics
A Random Walk to a Non-Ergodic Equilibrium Concept
Random walk models, such as the trap model, continuous time random walks, and
comb models exhibit weak ergodicity breaking, when the average waiting time is
infinite. The open question is: what statistical mechanical theory replaces the
canonical Boltzmann-Gibbs theory for such systems? In this manuscript a
non-ergodic equilibrium concept is investigated, for a continuous time random
walk model in a potential field. In particular we show that in the non-ergodic
phase the distribution of the occupation time of the particle on a given
lattice point, approaches U or W shaped distributions related to the arcsin
law. We show that when conditions of detailed balance are applied, these
distributions depend on the partition function of the problem, thus
establishing a relation between the non-ergodic dynamics and canonical
statistical mechanics. In the ergodic phase the distribution function of the
occupation times approaches a delta function centered on the value predicted
based on standard Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics. Relation of our work with single
molecule experiments is briefly discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
Quantum coherence generated by interference-induced state selectiveness
The relations between quantum coherence and quantum interference are
discussed. A general method for generation of quantum coherence through
interference-induced state selection is introduced and then applied to `simple'
atomic systems under two-photon transitions, with applications in quantum
optics and laser cooling.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, to be published in Journal of Modern Optics'
special issue on quantum interferenc
Fractal time random walk and subrecoil laser cooling considered as renewal processes with infinite mean waiting times
There exist important stochastic physical processes involving infinite mean
waiting times. The mean divergence has dramatic consequences on the process
dynamics. Fractal time random walks, a diffusion process, and subrecoil laser
cooling, a concentration process, are two such processes that look
qualitatively dissimilar. Yet, a unifying treatment of these two processes,
which is the topic of this pedagogic paper, can be developed by combining
renewal theory with the generalized central limit theorem. This approach
enables to derive without technical difficulties the key physical properties
and it emphasizes the role of the behaviour of sums with infinite means.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of Cargese Summer
School on "Chaotic dynamics and transport in classical and quantum systems
Dephasing by a nonstationary classical intermittent noise
We consider a new phenomenological model for a classical
intermittent noise and study its effects on the dephasing of a two-level
system. Within this model, the evolution of the relative phase between the
states is described as a continuous time random walk (CTRW). Using
renewal theory, we find exact expressions for the dephasing factor and identify
the physically relevant various regimes in terms of the coupling to the noise.
In particular, we point out the consequences of the non-stationarity and
pronounced non-Gaussian features of this noise, including some new anomalous
and aging dephasing scenarii.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Aging and Rejuvenation with Fractional Derivatives
We discuss a dynamic procedure that makes the fractional derivatives emerge
in the time asymptotic limit of non-Poisson processes. We find that two-state
fluctuations, with an inverse power-law distribution of waiting times, finite
first moment and divergent second moment, namely with the power index mu in the
interval 2<mu <3, yields a generalized master equation equivalent to the sum of
an ordinary Markov contribution and of a fractional derivative term. We show
that the order of the fractional derivative depends on the age of the process
under study. If the system is infinitely old, the order of the fractional
derivative, ord, is given by ord=3-mu . A brand new system is characterized by
the degree ord=mu -2. If the system is prepared at time -ta<0$ and the
observation begins at time t=0, we derive the following scenario. For times
0<t<<ta the system is satisfactorily described by the fractional derivative
with ord=3-mu . Upon time increase the system undergoes a rejuvenation process
that in the time limit t>>ta yields ord=mu -2. The intermediate time regime is
probably incompatible with a picture based on fractional derivatives, or, at
least, with a mono-order fractional derivative.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Phase transitions driven by L\'evy stable noise: exact solutions and stability analysis of nonlinear fractional Fokker-Planck equations
Phase transitions and effects of external noise on many body systems are one
of the main topics in physics. In mean field coupled nonlinear dynamical
stochastic systems driven by Brownian noise, various types of phase transitions
including nonequilibrium ones may appear. A Brownian motion is a special case
of L\'evy motion and the stochastic process based on the latter is an
alternative choice for studying cooperative phenomena in various fields.
Recently, fractional Fokker-Planck equations associated with L\'evy noise have
attracted much attention and behaviors of systems with double-well potential
subjected to L\'evy noise have been studied intensively. However, most of such
studies have resorted to numerical computation. We construct an {\it
analytically solvable model} to study the occurrence of phase transitions
driven by L\'evy stable noise.Comment: submitted to EP
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