586 research outputs found
Transient interference of transmission and incidence
Due to a transient quantum interference during a wavepacket collision with a
potential barrier, a particular momentum, that depends on the potential
parameters but is close to the initial average momentum, becomes suppressed.
The hole left pushes the momentum distribution outwards leading to a
significant constructive enhancement of lower and higher momenta. This is
explained in the momentum complex-plane language in terms of a saddle point and
two contiguous ``structural'' poles, which are not associated with resonances
but with incident and transmitted components of the wavefunction.Comment: 4 pages of text, 6 postscript figures, revte
Decoherence in a quantum harmonic oscillator monitored by a Bose-Einstein condensate
We investigate the dynamics of a quantum oscillator, whose evolution is
monitored by a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) trapped in a symmetric double
well potential. It is demonstrated that the oscillator may experience various
degrees of decoherence depending on the variable being measured and the state
in which the BEC is prepared. These range from a `coherent' regime in which
only the variances of the oscillator position and momentum are affected by
measurement, to a slow (power law) or rapid (Gaussian) decoherence of the mean
values themselves.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, lette
Reexamination of continuous fuzzy measurement on two-level systems
Imposing restrictions on the Feynman paths of the monitored system has in the past been proposed as a universal model-free approach to continuous quantum measurements. Here we revisit this proposition and demonstrate that a Gaussian restriction, resulting in a sequence of many highly inaccurate (weak) von Neumann measurements, is not sufficiently strong to ensure proximity between a readout and the Feynman paths along which the monitored system evolves. Rather, in the continuous limit, the variations of a typical readout become much larger than the separation between the eigenvalues of the measured quantity. Thus, a typical readout is not represented by a nearly constant curve, correlating with one of the eigenvalues of the measured quantity , even when decoherence or Zeno effect is achieved for the observed two-level system, and does not point directly to the system's final state. We show that the decoherence in a ``free'' system can be seen as induced by a Gaussian random walk with a drift, eventually directing the system towards one of the eigenstates of . A similar mechanism appears to be responsible for the Zeno effect in a driven system, when its Rabi oscillations are quenched by monitoring. Alongside the Gaussian case, which can only be studied numerically, we also consider a fully tractable model with a ``hard wall'' restriction and show the results to be similar.MINECO, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional FEDER, Grant No. FIS2015-67161-P (MINECO/FEDER) (D.S.), MINECO Grant No. SVP-2014-068451 (S.R.), MINECO Grant No. MTM2013-46553-C3-1-P (E.A.), SGI/IZOSGIker UPV/EHU, i2BASQUE academic network
Explicit solution for a Gaussian wave packet impinging on a square barrier
The collision of a quantum Gaussian wave packet with a square barrier is
solved explicitly in terms of known functions. The obtained formula is suitable
for performing fast calculations or asymptotic analysis. It also provides
physical insight since the description of different regimes and collision
phenomena typically requires only some of the terms.Comment: To be published in J. Phys.
Reduced dimensionality spin-orbit dynamics of CH3 + HCl reversible arrow CH4 Cl on ab initio surfaces
A reduced dimensionality quantum scattering method is extended to the study of spin-orbit nonadiabatic transitions in the CH3 + HCl reversible arrow CH4 + Cl(P-2(J)) reaction. Three two-dimensional potential energy surfaces are developed by fitting a 29 parameter double-Morse function to CCSD(T)/IB//MP2/cc-pV(T+d)Z-dk ab initio data; interaction between surfaces is described by geometry-dependent spin-orbit coupling functions fit to MCSCF/cc-pV(T+d)Z-dk ab initio data. Spectator modes are treated adiabatically via inclusion of curvilinear projected frequencies. The total scattering wave function is expanded in a vibronic basis set and close-coupled equations are solved via R-matrix propagation. Ground state thermal rate constants for forward and reverse reactions agree well with experiment. Multi-surface reaction probabilities, integral cross sections, and initial-state selected branching ratios all highlight the importance of vibrational energy in mediating nonadiabatic transition. Electronically excited state dynamics are seen to play a small but significant role as consistent with experimental conclusions. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3592732
Differential and integral cross sections for the rotationally inelastic scattering of methyl radicals with H-2 and D-2
Composite absorbing potentials
The multiple scattering interferences due to the addition of several
contiguous potential units are used to construct composite absorbing potentials
that absorb at an arbitrary set of incident momenta or for a broad momentum
interval.Comment: 9 pages, Revtex, 2 postscript figures. Accepted in Phys. Rev. Let
Action scales for quantum decoherence and their relation to structures in phase space
A characteristic action is defined whose magnitude determines some
properties of the expectation value of a general quantum displacement operator.
These properties are related to the capability of a given environmental
`monitoring' system to induce decoherence in quantum systems coupled to it. We
show that the scale for effective decoherence is given by . We relate this characteristic action with a complementary
quantity, , and analyse their connection with the main features of
the pattern of structures developed by the environmental state in different
phase space representations. The relevance of the -action scale is
illustrated using both a model quantum system solved numerically and a set of
model quantum systems for which analytical expressions for the time-averaged
expectation value of the displacement operator are obtained explicitly.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Environmental control of the microfaunal community structure in tropical bromeliads.
Ecological communities hosted within phytotelmata (plant compartments filled with water) provide an excellent opportunity to test ecological theory and to advance our understanding of how local and global environmental changes affect ecosystems. However, insights from bromeliad phytotelmata communities are currently limited by scarce accounts of microfauna assemblages, even though these assemblages are critical in transferring, recycling, and releasing nutrients in these model ecosystems. Here, we analyzed natural microfaunal communities in leaf compartments of 43 bromeliads to identify the key environmental filters underlying their community structures. We found that microfaunal community richness and abundance were negatively related to canopy openness and vertical height above the ground. These associations were primarily driven by the composition of amoebae and flagellate assemblages and indicate the importance of bottom-up control of microfauna in bromeliads. Taxonomic richness of all functional groups followed a unimodal relationship with water temperature, peaking at 23-25°C and declining below and above this relatively narrow thermal range. This suggests that relatively small changes in water temperature under expected future climate warming may alter taxonomic richness and ecological structure of these communities. Our findings improve the understanding of this unstudied but crucial component of bromeliad ecosystems and reveal important environmental filters that likely contribute to overall bromeliad community structure and function.This research was funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)
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