Single-Spin Measurement and Decoherence in Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy

We consider a simple version of a cyclic adiabatic inversion (CAI) technique in magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM). We study the problem: What component of the spin is measured in the CAI MRFM? We show that the non-destructive detection of the cantilever vibrations provides a measurement of the spin component along the effective magnetic field. This result is based on numerical simulations of the Hamiltonian dynamics (the Schrodinger equation) and the numerical solution of the master equation.Comment: 5 pages + 5 figures (PNG format

Transient Dynamics in Magnetic Force Microscopy for a Single-Spin Measurement

We analyze a single-spin measurement using a transient process in magnetic force microscopy (MFM) which could increase the maximum operating temperature by a factor of Q (the quality factor of the cantilever) in comparison with the static Stern-Gerlach effect. We obtain an exact solution of the master equation, which confirms this result. We also discuss the conditions required to create a macroscopic Schrodinger cat state in the cantilever.Comment: 22 pages 2 figure

Recycling of textile waste by reinforcing earthy render with micro-fiber

Earth construction is worldwide spread. It is a valuable heritage to preserve because of its cultural and socio-economical relevance. Furthermore, earth construction, since it needs significantly less energy than modern construction techniques, and works with local materials, it contributes for thesustainable development. In Portugal, there is an impressive earth construction heritage that requires maintenance. Among the Portuguese traditional building techniques related to earth construction, the rammed earth, the adobe and the tabique are the most relevant ones. This work is focused on attempting to apply textile waste micro-fiber as an alternative sustainable reinforcement solution of earthy render of tabique walls. Therefore, several earthy render samples reinforced with 1% textile waste micro-fiber content were prepared and mechanically tested. The main experimental results are presented and discussed, and the main conclusions are drawn. This study also contributes for recycling a specific waste, namely short fibers from needling machines used to produce nonwoven fabrics

Universal asymptotic behavior in flow equations of dissipative systems

Based on two dissipative models, universal asymptotic behavior of flow equations for Hamiltonians is found and discussed. Universal asymptotic behavior only depends on fundamental bath properties but not on initial system parameters, and the integro-differential equations possess an universal attractor. The asymptotic flow of the Hamiltonian can be characterized by a non-local differential equation which only depends on one parameter - independent of the dissipative system or truncation scheme. Since the fixed point Hamiltonian is trivial, the physical information is completely transferred to the transformation of the observables. This yields a more stable flow which is crucial for the numerical evaluation of correlation functions. Furthermore, the low energy behavior of correlation functions is determined analytically. The presented procedure can also be applied if relevant perturbations are present as is demonstrated by evaluating dynamical correlation functions for sub-Ohmic environments. It can further be generalized to other dissipative systems.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.

Coulomb-gas formulation of SU(2) branes and chiral blocks

We construct boundary states in $SU(2)_k$ WZNW models using the bosonized Wakimoto free-field representation and study their properties. We introduce a Fock space representation of Ishibashi states which are coherent states of bosons with zero-mode momenta (boundary Coulomb-gas charges) summed over certain lattices according to Fock space resolution of $SU(2)_k$. The Virasoro invariance of the coherent states leads to families of boundary states including the B-type D-branes found by Maldacena, Moore and Seiberg, as well as the A-type corresponding to trivial current gluing conditions. We then use the Coulomb-gas technique to compute exact correlation functions of WZNW primary fields on the disk topology with A- and B-type Cardy states on the boundary. We check that the obtained chiral blocks for A-branes are solutions of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, revtex4. Essentially the published versio

Wigner Distribution Function Approach to Dissipative Problems in Quantum Mechanics with emphasis on Decoherence and Measurement Theory

We first review the usefulness of the Wigner distribution functions (WDF), associated with Lindblad and pre-master equations, for analyzing a host of problems in Quantum Optics where dissipation plays a major role, an arena where weak coupling and long-time approximations are valid. However, we also show their limitations for the discussion of decoherence, which is generally a short-time phenomenon with decay rates typically much smaller than typical dissipative decay rates. We discuss two approaches to the problem both of which use a quantum Langevin equation (QLE) as a starting-point: (a) use of a reduced WDF but in the context of an exact master equation (b) use of a WDF for the complete system corresponding to entanglement at all times

Berry's Phase in the Presence of a Stochastically Evolving Environment: A Geometric Mechanism for Energy-Level Broadening

The generic Berry phase scenario in which a two-level system is coupled to a second system whose dynamical coordinate is slowly-varying is generalized to allow for stochastic evolution of the slow system. The stochastic behavior is produced by coupling the slow system to a heat resevoir which is modeled by a bath of harmonic oscillators initially in equilibrium at temperature T, and whose spectral density has a bandwidth which is small compared to the energy-level spacing of the fast system. The well-known energy-level shifts produced by Berry's phase in the fast system, in conjunction with the stochastic motion of the slow system, leads to a broadening of the fast system energy-levels. In the limit of strong damping and sufficiently low temperature, we determine the degree of level-broadening analytically, and show that the slow system dynamics satisfies a Langevin equation in which Lorentz-like and electric-like forces appear as a consequence of geometrical effects. We also determine the average energy-level shift produced in the fast system by this mechanism.Comment: 29 pages, RevTex, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Exact C=1 Boundary Conformal Field Theories

We present a solution of the problem of a free massless scalar field on the half line interacting through a periodic potential on the boundary. For a critical value of the period, this system is a conformal field theory with a non-trivial and explicitly calculable S-matrix for scattering from the boundary. Unlike all other exactly solvable conformal field theories, it is non-rational ({\it i.e.} has infinitely many primary fields). It describes the critical behavior of a number of condensed matter systems, including dissipative quantum mechanics and of barriers in ``quantum wires''.Comment: harvmac, 10 pages, PUPT-1432/IASSNS-HEP-93/7

Residue and residue flour from Chardonnay wine processing.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of the production of the flour from the residue of production of Chardonnay white wines and characterize the change of the quality attributes during the transformation of the residue in residue flour