983 research outputs found
Surface-induced heating of cold polar molecules
We study the rotational and vibrational heating of diatomic molecules placed
near a surface at finite temperature on the basis of macroscopic quantum
electrodynamics. The internal molecular evolution is governed by transition
rates that depend on both temperature and position. Analytical and numerical
methods are used to investigate the heating of several relevant molecules near
various surfaces. We determine the critical distances at which the surface
itself becomes the dominant source of heating and we investigate the transition
between the long-range and short-range behaviour of the heating rates. A simple
formula is presented that can be used to estimate the surface-induced heating
rates of other molecules of interest. We also consider how the heating depends
on the thickness and composition of the surface.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
On kernel engineering via Paley–Wiener
A radial basis function approximation takes the form
where the coefficients a 1,…,a n are real numbers, the centres b 1,…,b n are distinct points in ℝ d , and the function φ:ℝ d →ℝ is radially symmetric. Such functions are highly useful in practice and enjoy many beautiful theoretical properties. In particular, much work has been devoted to the polyharmonic radial basis functions, for which φ is the fundamental solution of some iterate of the Laplacian. In this note, we consider the construction of a rotation-invariant signed (Borel) measure μ for which the convolution ψ=μ φ is a function of compact support, and when φ is polyharmonic. The novelty of this construction is its use of the Paley–Wiener theorem to identify compact support via analysis of the Fourier transform of the new kernel ψ, so providing a new form of kernel engineering
Ground-state van der Waals forces in planar multilayer magnetodielectrics
Within the frame of lowest-order perturbation theory, the van der Waals
potential of a ground-state atom placed within an arbitrary dispersing and
absorbing magnetodielectric multilayer system is given. Examples of an atom
situated in front of a magnetodielectric plate or between two such plates are
studied in detail. Special emphasis is placed on the competing attractive and
repulsive force components associated with the electric and magnetic matter
properties, respectively, and conditions for the formation of repulsive
potential walls are given. Both numerical and analytical results are presented.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, minor correction
Interatomic van der Waals potential in the presence of a magneto-electric sphere
On the basis of a general formula obtained earlier via fourth-order
erturbation theory within the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics,
the van der Waals potential between two neutral, unpolarized, ground-state
atoms in the presence of a homogeneous, dispersing and absorbing
magnetoelectric sphere is studied. When the radius of the sphere becomes
sufficiently large, the result asymptotically agrees with that for two atoms
near a planar interface. In the opposite limit of a very small sphere, the
sphere can effectively be regarded as being a third ground-state atom, and the
nonadditive three-atom van der Waals potential is recovered. To illustrate the
effect of a sphere of arbitrary radius, numerical results are presented for the
triangular arrangement where the atoms are at equidistance from the sphere, and
for the linear arrangement where the atoms and the sphere are aligned along a
straight line. As demonstrated, the enhancement or reduction of the interaction
potential in the presence of purely electric or magnetic spheres can be
physically understood in terms of image charges.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure
Casimir force on amplifying bodies
Based on a unified approach to macroscopic QED that allows for the inclusion
of amplification in a limited space and frequency range, we study the Casimir
force as a Lorentz force on an arbitrary partially amplifying system of
linearly locally responding (isotropic) magnetoelectric bodies. We demonstrate
that the force on a weakly polarisable/magnetisable amplifying object in the
presence of a purely absorbing environment can be expressed as a sum over the
Casimir--Polder forces on the excited atoms inside the body. As an example, the
resonant force between a plate consisting of a dilute gas of excited atoms and
a perfect mirror is calculated
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