2,709 research outputs found
Comparison of imaging with sub-wavelength resolution in the canalization and resonant tunnelling regimes
We compare the properties of subwavelength imaging in the visible wavelength
range for metal-dielectric multilayers operating in the canalization and the
resonant tunnelling regimes. The analysis is based on the transfer matrix
method and time domain simulations. We show that Point Spread Functions for the
first two resonances in the canalization regime are approximately Gaussian in
shape. Material losses suppress transmission for higher resonances, regularise
the PSF but do not compromise the resolution. In the resonant tunnelling
regime, the MTF may dramatically vary in their phase dependence. Resulting PSF
may have a sub-wavelength thickness as well as may be broad with multiple
maxima and a rapid phase modulation. We show that the width of PSF may be
reduced by further propagation in free space, and we provide arguments to
explain this surprising observation.Comment: 17 pages,12 figure
A technique for optimal temperature estimation for modeling sunrise/sunset thermal snap disturbance torque
A predictive temperature estimation technique which can be used to drive a model of the Sunrise/Sunset thermal 'snap' disturbance torque experienced by low Earth orbiting spacecraft is described. The twice per orbit impulsive disturbance torque is attributed to vehicle passage in and out of the Earth's shadow cone (umbra), during which large flexible appendages undergo rapidly changing thermal conditions. Flexible members, in particular solar arrays, experience rapid cooling during umbra entrance (Sunset) and rapid heating during exit (Sunrise). The thermal 'snap' phenomena has been observed during normal on-orbit operations of both the LANDSAT-4 satellite and the Communications Technology Satellite (CTS). Thermal 'snap' has also been predicted to be a dominant source of error for the TOPEX satellite. The fundamental equations used to model the Sunrise/Sunset thermal 'snap' disturbance torque for a typical solar array like structure will be described. For this derivation the array is assumed to be a thin, cantilevered beam. The time varying thermal gradient is shown to be the driving force behind predicting the thermal 'snap' disturbance torque and therefore motivates the need for accurate estimates of temperature. The development of a technique to optimally estimate appendage surface temperature is highlighted. The objective analysis method used is structured on the Gauss-Markov Theorem and provides an optimal temperature estimate at a prescribed location given data from a distributed thermal sensor network. The optimally estimated surface temperatures could then be used to compute the thermal gradient across the body. The estimation technique is demonstrated using a typical satellite solar array
On the physical origins of the negative index of refraction
The physical origins of negative refractive index are derived from a dilute
microscopic model, producing a result that is generalized to the dense
condensed phase limit. In particular, scattering from a thin sheet of electric
and magnetic dipoles driven above resonance is used to form a fundamental
description for negative refraction. Of practical significance, loss and
dispersion are implicit in the microscopic model. While naturally occurring
negative index materials are unavailable, ferromagnetic and ferroelectric
materials provide device design opportunities.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Exciton coherence lifetimes from electronic structure
We model the coherent energy transfer of an electronic excitation within
covalently linked aromatic homodimers from first-principles, to answer whether
the usual models of the bath calculated via detailed electronic structure
calculations can reproduce the key dynamics. For these systems the timescales
of coherent transport are experimentally known from time-dependent polarization
anisotropy measurements, and so we can directly assess the whether current
techniques might be predictive for this phenomenon. Two choices of electronic
basis states are investigated, and their relative merits discussed regarding
the predictions of the perturbative model. The coupling of the electronic
degrees of freedom to the nuclear degrees of freedom is calculated rather than
assumed, and the fluorescence anisotropy decay is directly reproduced.
Surprisingly we find that although TDDFT absolute energies are routinely in
error by orders of magnitude more than the coupling energy, the coherent
transport properties of these dimers can be semi-quantitatively reproduced from
first-principles. The directions which must be pursued to yield predictive and
reliable prediction of coherent transport are suggested.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure
Diagonalization of multicomponent wave equations with a Born-Oppenheimer example
A general method to decouple multicomponent linear wave equations is presented. First, the Weyl calculus is used to transform operator relations into relations between c-number valued matrices. Then it is shown that the symbol representing the wave operator can be diagonalized systematically up to arbitrary order in an appropriate expansion parameter. After transforming the symbols back to operators, the original problem is reduced to solving a set of linear uncoupled scalar wave equations. The procedure is exemplified for a particle with a Born-Oppenheimer-type Hamiltonian valid through second order in h. The resulting effective scalar Hamiltonians are seen to contain an additional velocity-dependent potential. This contribution has not been reported in recent studies investigating the adiabatic motion of a neutral particle moving in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. Finally, the relation of the general method to standard quantum-mechanical perturbation theory is discussed
Scattering polarization of hydrogen lines in the presence of turbulent electric fields
We study the broadband polarization of hydrogen lines produced by scattering
of radiation, in the presence of isotropic electric fields. In this paper, we
focus on two distinct problems: a) the possibility of detecting the presence of
turbulent electric fields by polarimetric methods, and b) the influence of such
fields on the polarization due to a macroscopic, deterministic magnetic field.
We found that isotropic electric fields decrease the degree of linear
polarization in the scattered radiation, with respect to the zero-field case.
On the other hand, a distribution of isotropic electric fields superimposed
onto a deterministic magnetic field can generate a significant increase of the
degree of magnetic-induced, net circular polarization. This phenomenon has
important implications for the diagnostics of magnetic fields in plasmas using
hydrogen lines, because of the ubiquitous presence of the Holtsmark,
microscopic electric field from neighbouring ions. In particular, previous
solar magnetographic studies of the Balmer lines of hydrogen may need to be
revised because they neglected the effect of turbulent electric fields on the
polarization signals. In this work, we give explicit results for the
Lyman-alpha and Balmer-alpha lines.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure
Two-mirror Schwarzschild aplanats. Basic relations
It is shown that the theory of aplanatic two-mirror telescopes developed by
Karl Schwarzschild in 1905 leads to the unified description both the prefocal
and the postfocal systems. The class of surfaces in the ZEMAX optical program
has been properly extended to ascertain the image quality in exact
Schwarzschild aplanats. A comparison of Schwarzschild aplanats with approximate
Ritchey-Chretien and Gregory-Maksutov aplanatic telescopes reveals a noticeable
advantage of the former at fast focal ratio of the system.Comment: 19 page
Dissipation in ultra-thin current-carrying superconducting bridges; evidence for quantum tunneling of Pearl vortices
We have made current-voltage (IV) measurements of artificially layered
high- thin-film bridges. Scanning SQUID microscopy of these films provides
values for the Pearl lengths that exceed the bridge width, and shows
that the current distributions are uniform across the bridges. At high
temperatures and high currents the voltages follow the power law , with , and at high temperatures and
low-currents the resistance is exponential in temperature, in good agreement
with the predictions for thermally activated vortex motion. At low
temperatures, the IV's are better fit by linear in . This is
expected if the low temperature dissipation is dominated by quantum tunneling
of Pearl vortices.Comment: 5 pages, 7 fig
Casimir force calculations near the insulator-conductor transition in gold thin films
We present theoretical calculations of the Casimir force for Au thin films
near the insulator-conductor transition that has been observed experimentally.
The dielectric function of the Au thin films is described by the Drude-Smith
model. The parameters needed to model the dielectric function such as the
relaxation time, plasma frequency and the backscattering constant depend on the
thickness of the film. The Casimir force decreases as the film thickness
decreases until it reaches a minimum after which the force increases again. The
minimum of the force coincides with the critical film thickness where a
percolation conductor-insulator occurs.Comment: 5 figures, 1 tabl
Completeness of evanescent modes in layered dielectrics
In the presence of a dielectric slab, the modes of the free electromagnetic field comprise traveling modes, consisting of incoming, reflected, and transmitted parts, as well as trapped modes that are subject to repeated total internal reflection and emerge as evanescent field outside the slab. Traveling modes have a continuous range of frequencies, but trapped modes occur only at certain discrete frequencies. We solve the problem of which relative weight to use when summing over all modes, as commonly required in perturbative calculations. We demonstrate the correctness of our method by showing the completeness of electromagnetic field modes in the presence of a dielectric slab. We derive a convenient method of summing over all modes by means of a single contour integral, which is very useful in standard quantum electrodynamic calculations
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