Perturbative regimes in central spin models

Central spin models describe several types of solid state nanostructures which are presently considered as possible building blocks of future quantum information processing hardware. From a theoretical point of view, a key issue remains the treatment of the flip-flop terms in the Hamiltonian in the presence of a magnetic field. We systematically study the influence of these terms, both as a function of the field strength and the size of the spin baths. We find crucial differences between initial states with central spin configurations of high and such of low polarizations. This has strong implications with respect to the influence of a magnetic field on the flip-flop terms in central spin models of a single and more than one central spin. Furthermore, the dependencies on bath size and field differ from those anticipated so far. Our results might open the route for the systematic search for more efficient perturbative treatments of central spin problems.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Hyperfine induced spin and entanglement dynamics in Double Quantum Dots: A homogeneous coupling approach

We investigate hyperfine induced electron spin and entanglement dynamics in a system of two quantum dot spin qubits. We focus on the situation of zero external magnetic field and concentrate on approximation-free theoretical methods. We give an exact solution of the model for homogeneous hyperfine coupling constants (with all coupling coefficients being equal) and varying exchange coupling, and we derive the dynamics therefrom. After describing and explaining the basic dynamical properties, the decoherence time is calculated from the results of a detailed investigation of the short time electron spin dynamics. The result turns out to be in good agreement with experimental data.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Influence of chopped laser light onto the electronic transport through atomic-sized contacts

This article reports on the influence of laser irradiation onto the electrical conductance of gold nanocontacts established with the mechanically controllable breakjunction technique (MCB). We concentrate here on the study of reversible conductance changes which can be as high as 200%. We investigate the dependence on the initial conductance of the contacts, the wavelength, the intensity and position of the laser spot with respect to the sample. Under most conditions an enhancement of the conductance is observed. We discuss several physical mechanisms which might contribute to the observed effect including thermal expansion, rectification and photon-assisted transport. We conclude that thermal expansion is not the dominating one.Comment: 20 pages with 7 figures; conference contribution on the 9th near field optics conference 2006 in Lausanne, Switzerland; accepted by the Journal of Microscop

Influence of nano-mechanical properties on single electron tunneling: A vibrating Single-Electron Transistor

We describe single electron tunneling through molecular structures under the influence of nano-mechanical excitations. We develop a full quantum mechanical model, which includes charging effects and dissipation, and apply it to the vibrating C$_{60}$ single electron transistor experiment by Park {\em et al.} {[Nature {\bf 407}, 57 (2000)].} We find good agreement and argue vibrations to be essential to molecular electronic systems. We propose a mechanism to realize negative differential conductance using local bosonic excitations.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Existence of positive solutions of a superlinear boundary value problem with indefinite weight

We deal with the existence of positive solutions for a two-point boundary value problem associated with the nonlinear second order equation $u''+a(x)g(u)=0$. The weight $a(x)$ is allowed to change its sign. We assume that the function $g\colon\mathopen{[}0,+\infty\mathclose{[}\to\mathbb{R}$ is continuous, $g(0)=0$ and satisfies suitable growth conditions, so as the case $g(s)=s^{p}$, with $p>1$, is covered. In particular we suppose that $g(s)/s$ is large near infinity, but we do not require that $g(s)$ is non-negative in a neighborhood of zero. Using a topological approach based on the Leray-Schauder degree we obtain a result of existence of at least a positive solution that improves previous existence theorems.Comment: 12 pages, 4 PNG figure

Mechanical Cooper pair transportation as a source of long distance superconducting phase coherence

Transportation of Cooper-pairs by a movable single Cooper-pair-box placed between two remote superconductors is shown to establish coherent coupling between them. This coupling is due to entanglement of the movable box with the leads and is manifested in the supression of quantum fluctuations of the relative phase of the order parameters of the leads. It can be probed by attaching a high resistance Josephson junction between the leads and measuring the current through this junction. The current is suppressed with increasing temperature.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, RevTeX; Updated version, typos correcte

Electromechanics of charge shuttling in dissipative nanostructures

We investigate the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of a model single-electron transistor where mechanical motion, subject to strong dissipation, of a small metallic grain is possible. The system is studied both by using Monte Carlo simulations and by using an analytical approach. We show that electromechanical coupling results in a highly nonlinear IV-curve. For voltages above the Coulomb blockade threshold, two distinct regimes of charge transfer occur: At low voltages the system behave as a static asymmetric double junction and tunneling is the dominating charge transfer mechanism. At higher voltages an abrupt transition to a new shuttle regime appears, where the grain performs an oscillatory motion back and forth between the leads. In this regime the current is mainly mediated by charges that are carried on the grain as it moves from one lead to the other.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, final version to be published in PR

Impact of van der Waals forces on the classical shuttle instability

The effects of including the van der Waals interaction in the modelling of the single electron shuttle have been investigated numerically. It is demonstrated that the relative strength of the vdW-forces and the elastic restoring forces determine the characteristics of the shuttle instability. In the case of weak elastic forces and low voltages the grain is trapped close to one lead, and this trapping can be overcome by Coulomb forces by applying a bias voltage $V$ larger than a threshold voltage $V_{\rm u}$. This allows for grain motion leading to an increase in current by several orders of magnitude above the transition voltage $V_{\rm u}$. Associated with the process is also hysteresis in the I-V characteristics.Comment: minor revisions, updated references, Article published in Phys. Rev. B 69, 035309 (2004

Clues to the nature of the Delta^*(1700) resonance from pion- and photon-induced reactions

We make a study of the (pi^- p --> K^0 pi^0 Lambda), (pi^+ p --> K^+ pi^+ Lambda), (K^+\bar{K}^0 p), (K^+ pi^+ Sigma^0), (K^+ pi^0 Sigma^+), and (eta pi^+ p) reactions, in which the basic dynamics is given by the excitation of the Delta^*(1700) resonance which subsequently decays into (K Sigma^*(1385)) or (Delta(1232) eta). In a similar way we also study the (gamma p --> K^0 pi^+ Lambda), (K^+ pi^- Sigma^+), (K^+ pi^+ Sigma^-), (K^0 pi^0 Sigma^+), and (eta pi^0 p) related reactions. The cross sections are proportional to the square of the coupling of Delta^*(1700) to (Sigma^*K), (Delta eta) for which there is no experimental information but which is provided in the context of coupled channels chiral unitary theory where the Delta^*(1700) is dynamically generated. Within present theoretical and experimental uncertainties one can claim a global qualitative agreement between theory and experiment. We provide a list of items which need to be improved in order to make further progress along these lines.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Binary trees, coproducts, and integrable systems

We provide a unified framework for the treatment of special integrable systems which we propose to call "generalized mean field systems". Thereby previous results on integrable classical and quantum systems are generalized. Following Ballesteros and Ragnisco, the framework consists of a unital algebra with brackets, a Casimir element, and a coproduct which can be lifted to higher tensor products. The coupling scheme of the iterated tensor product is encoded in a binary tree. The theory is exemplified by the case of a spin octahedron.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, v2: minor correction in theorem 1, two new appendices adde