Non-classical photon pair generation in atomic vapours

A scheme for the generation of non-classical pairs of photons in atomic vapours is proposed. The scheme exploits the fact that the cross correlation of the emission of photons from the extreme transitions of a four-level cascade system shows anti-bunching which has not been reported earlier and which is unlike the case of the three level cascade emission which shows bunching. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality which is the ratio of cross-correlation to the auto correlation function in this case is estimated to be $10^3-10^6$ for controllable time delay, and is one to four orders of magnitude larger compared to previous experiments. The choice of Doppler free geometry in addition to the fact that at three photon resonance the excitation/deexcitation processes occur in a very narrow frequency band, ensures cleaner signals.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure

Nonclassical effects in a driven atoms/cavity system in the presence of arbitrary driving field and dephasing

We investigate the photon statistics of light transmitted from a driven optical cavity containing one or two atoms interacting with a single mode of the cavity field. We treat arbitrary driving fields with emphasis on departure from previous weak field results. In addition effects of dephasing due to atomic transit through the cavity mode are included using two different models. We find that both models show the nonclassical correlations are quite sensitive to dephasing. The effect of multiple atoms on the system dynamics is investigated by placing two atoms in the cavity mode at different positions, therefore having different coupling strengths.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, minor typographical errors corrected, submitted to Phys Rev

Development of an Accelerated Test Design for Predicting the Service Life of the Solar Array at Mead, Nebraska

Potential long-term degradation modes for the two types of modules in the Mead array were determined and judgments were made as to those environmental stresses and combinations of stresses which accelerate the degradation of the power output. Hierarchical trees representing the severity of effects of stresses (test conditions) on eleven individual degradation modes were constructed and were pruned of tests judged to be nonessential. Composites of those trees were developed so that there is now one pruned tree covering eight degradation modes, another covering two degradation modes, and a third covering one degradation mode. These three composite trees form the basis for selection of test conditions in the final test plan which is now being prepared

Review of world experience and properties of materials for encapsulation of terrestrial photovoltaic arrays

Published and unpublished information relating to encapsulation systems and materials properties was collected by searching the literature and appropriate data bases (over 1,300 documents were selected and reviewed) and by personal contacts including site and company visits. A data tabulation summarizing world experience with terrestrial photovoltaic arrays (50 installations) is presented in the report. Based on criteria of properties, processability, availability, and cost, candidate materials were identified which have potential for use in encapsulation systems for arrays with a lifetime of over 20 years high reliability, an efficiency greater than 10 percent, a total price less than $500/kW, and a production capacity of 500,000 kW/yr. The recommended materials (all commercially available) include, depending upon the device design, various borosilicate and soda-lime glasses and numerous polymerics suitable for specific encapsulation system functions

Stratospheric measurement requirements and satellite-borne remote sensing capabilities

The capabilities of specific NASA remote sensing systems to provide appropriate measurements of stratospheric parameters for potential user needs were assessed. This was used to evaluate the capabilities of the remote sensing systems to perform global monitoring of the stratosphere. The following conclusions were reached: (1) The performance of current remote stratospheric sensors, in some cases, compares quite well with identified measurement requirements. Their ability to measure other species has not been demonstrated. (2) None of the current, in-situ methods have the capability to satisfy the requirements for global monitoring and the temporal constraints derived from the users needs portion of the study. (3) Existing, non-remote techniques will continue to play an important role in stratospheric investigations for both corroboration of remotely collected data and in the evolutionary development of future remote sensors

Methodology for designing accelerated aging tests for predicting life of photovoltaic arrays

A methodology for designing aging tests in which life prediction was paramount was developed. The methodology builds upon experience with regard to aging behavior in those material classes which are expected to be utilized as encapsulant elements, viz., glasses and polymers, and upon experience with the design of aging tests. The experiences were reviewed, and results are discussed in detail

Non-Markovian Quantum Trajectories Versus Master Equations: Finite Temperature Heat Bath

The interrelationship between the non-Markovian stochastic Schr\"odinger equations and the corresponding non-Markovian master equations is investigated in the finite temperature regimes. We show that the general finite temperature non-Markovian trajectories can be used to derive the corresponding non-Markovian master equations. A simple, yet important solvable example is the well-known damped harmonic oscillator model in which a harmonic oscillator is coupled to a finite temperature reservoir in the rotating wave approximation. The exact convolutionless master equation for the damped harmonic oscillator is obtained by averaging the quantum trajectories relying upon no assumption of coupling strength or time scale. The master equation derived in this way automatically preserves the positivity, Hermiticity and unity.Comment: 19 pages, typos corrected, references adde

Evaluation available encapsulation materials for low-cost long-life silicon photovoltaic arrays

Experimental evaluation of selected encapsulation designs and materials based on an earlier study which have potential for use in low cost, long-life photovoltaic arrays are reported. The performance of candidate materials and encapsulated cells were evaluated principally for three types of encapsulation designs based on their potentially low materials and processing costs: (1) polymeric coatings, transparent conformal coatings over the cell with a structural-support substrate; (2) polymeric film lamination, cells laminated between two films or sheets of polymeric materials; and (3) glass-covered systems, cells adhesively bonded to a glass cover (superstrate) with a polymeric pottant and a glass or other substrate material. Several other design types, including those utilizing polymer sheet and pottant materials, were also included in the investigation

State Measurements with Short Laser Pulses and Lower-Efficiency Photon Detectors

It has been proposed by Cook (Phys. Scr. T 21, 49 (1988)) to use a short probe laser pulse for state measurements of two-level systems. In previous work we have investigated to what extent this proposal fulfills the projection postulate if ideal photon detectors are considered. For detectors with overall efficiency less than 1 complications arise for single systems, and for this case we present a simple criterion for a laser pulse to act as a state measurement and to cause an almost complete state reduction.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX; submitted to J. mod. Op

Super and Sub-Poissonian photon statistics for single molecule spectroscopy

We investigate the distribution of the number of photons emitted by a single molecule undergoing a spectral diffusion process and interacting with a continuous wave laser field. The spectral diffusion is modeled based on a stochastic approach, in the spirit of the Anderson-Kubo line shape theory. Using a generating function formalism we solve the generalized optical Bloch equations, and obtain an exact analytical formula for the line shape and Mandel's Q parameter. The line shape exhibits well known behaviors, including motional narrowing when the stochastic modulation is fast, and power broadening. The Mandel parameter, describing the line shape fluctuations, exhibits a transition from a Quantum sub-Poissonian behavior in the fast modulation limit, to a classical super-Poissonian behavior found in the slow modulation limit. Our result is applicable for weak and strong laser field, namely for arbitrary Rabi frequency. We show how to choose the Rabi frequency in such a way that the Quantum sub-Poissonian nature of the emission process becomes strongest. A lower bound on $Q$ is found, and simple limiting behaviors are investigated. A non-trivial behavior is obtained in the intermediate modulation limit, when the time scales for spectral diffusion and the life time of the excited state, become similar. A comparison is made between our results, and previous ones derived based on the semi-classical generalized Wiener--Khintchine theorem.Comment: 14 Phys. Rev style pages, 10 figure