Raman signatures of classical and quantum phases in coupled dots: A theoretical prediction

We study electron molecules in realistic vertically coupled quantum dots in a strong magnetic field. Computing the energy spectrum, pair correlation functions, and dynamical form factor as a function of inter-dot coupling via diagonalization of the many-body Hamiltonian, we identify structural transitions between different phases, some of which do not have a classical counterpart. The calculated Raman cross section shows how such phases can be experimentally singled out.Comment: 9 pages, 2 postscript figures, 1 colour postscript figure, Latex 2e, Europhysics Letters style and epsfig macros. Submitted to Europhysics Letter

Enhancing single-molecule photostability by optical feedback from quantum-jump detection

We report an optical technique that yields an enhancement of single-molecule photostability, by greatly suppressing photobleaching pathways which involve photoexcitation from the triplet state. This is accomplished by dynamically switching off the excitation laser when a quantum-jump of the molecule to the triplet state is optically detected. This procedure leads to a lengthened single-molecule observation time and an increased total number of detected photons. The resulting improvement in photostability unambiguously confirms the importance of photoexcitation from the triplet state in photobleaching dynamics, and may allow the investigation of new phenomena at the single-molecule level

Illustration of quantum complementarity using single photons interfering on a grating

A recent experiment performed by S. S. Afshar et al. has been interpreted as a violation of Bohr's complementarity principle between interference visibility and which-path information in a two-path interferometer. We have reproduced this experiment, using true single-photon pulses propagating in a two-path wavefront- splitting interferometer realized with a Fresnel's biprism, and followed by a grating with adjustable transmitting slits. The measured values of interference visibility V and which-path information, characterized by the distinguishability parameter D, are found to obey the complementarity relation V^2+D^2=<1. This result demonstrates that the experiment can be perfectly explained by the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

A new Manifestation of Atomic Parity Violation in Cesium: a Chiral Optical Gain induced by linearly polarized 6S-7S Excitation

We have detected, by using stimulated emission, an Atomic Parity Violation (APV) in the form of a chiral optical gain of a cesium vapor on the 7S - 6P$_{3/2}$ transition,consecutive to linearly polarized 6S-7S excitation. We demonstrate the validity of this detection method of APV, by presenting a 9% accurate measurement of expected sign and magnitude. We underline several advantages of this entirely new approach in which the cylindrical symmetry of the set-up can be fully exploited. Future measurements at the percent level will provide an important cross-check of an existing more precise result obtained by a different method.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Fresnel laws at curved dielectric interfaces of microresonators

We discuss curvature corrections to Fresnel's laws for the reflection and transmission of light at a non-planar refractive-index boundary. The reflection coefficients are obtained from the resonances of a dielectric disk within a sequential-reflection model. The Goos-H\"anchen effect for curved light fronts at a planar interface can be adapted to provide a qualitative and quantitative extension of the ray model which explains the observed deviations from Fresnel's laws.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Search for Direct CP Violation in Non-Leptonic Decays of Charged Ξ\Xi and Λ\Lambda Hyperons

A search for direct CP violation in the non-leptonic decays of hyperons has been performed. In comparing the product of the decay parameters, $\alpha_{\Xi}\alpha_{\Lambda}$, in terms of an asymmetry parameter, $A_{\Xi\Lambda}$, between hyperons and anti-hyperons in the charged $\Xi \to \Lambda \pi$ and $\Lambda \to p \pi$ decay sequence, we found no evidence of direct CP violations. The parameter $A_{\Xi\Lambda}$ was measured to be $0.012 \pm 0.014$.Comment: Submitted for publication; RevTex, 13 pages, 4 figure

Neutral weak currents in pion electroproduction on the nucleon

Parity violating asymmetry in inclusive scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons by unpolarized protons with $\pi^0$ or $\pi^+$ meson production, is calculated as a function of the momentum transfer squared $Q^2$ and the total energy $W$ of the $\pi N$-system. This asymmetry, which is induced by the interference of the one-photon exchange amplitude with the parity-odd part of the $Z^0$-exchange amplitude, is calculated for the $\gamma^*(Z^*)+p\to N+\pi$ processes ($\gamma^*$ is a virtual photon and $Z^*$ a virtual Z-boson) considering the $\Delta$-contribution in the $s-$channel, the standard Born contributions and vector meson ($\rho$ and $\omega$) exchanges in the $t-$channel. Taking into account the known isotopic properties of the hadron electromagnetic and neutral currents, we show that the P-odd term is the sum of two contributions. The main term is model independent and it can be calculated exactly in terms of fundamental constants. It is found to be linear in $Q^2$. The second term is a relatively small correction which is determined by the isoscalar component of the electromagnetic current. Near threshold and in the $\Delta$-region, this isoscalar part is much smaller (in absolute value) than the isovector one: its contribution to the asymmetry depend on the polarization state (longitudinal or transverse) of the virtual photon.Comment: 30 pages 9 figure

Second-harmonic generation from coupled plasmon modes in a single dimer of gold nanospheres

We show that a dimer made of two gold nanospheres exhibits a remarkable efficiency for second-harmonic generation under femtosecond optical excitation. The detectable nonlinear emission for the given particle size and excitation wavelength arises when the two nanoparticles are as close as possible to contact, as in situ controlled and measured using the tip of an atomic force microscope. The excitation wavelength dependence of the second-harmonic signal supports a coupled plasmon resonance origin with radiation from the dimer gap. This nanometer-size light source might be used for high-resolution near-field optical microscopy.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Measurement of Decay Parameters for Ξ−→Λπ−\Xi^{-} \to \Lambda \pi^{-} Decay

Based on 1.35 million polarized $\Xi^{-}$ events, we measure the parameter $\phi_{\Xi}$ to be $-1.61^{\circ} \pm 2.66^{\circ} \pm 0.37^{\circ}$ for $\Xi^{-} \to \Lambda \pi^{-}$ decay. New results for the parameters $\beta_{\Xi}$ and $\gamma_{\Xi}$ are also presented. Assuming that the CP-violating phase-shift difference is negligible, we deduce the strong phase-shift difference between the P-wave and S-wave amplitudes of the $\Lambda\pi$ final state to be $3.17^{\circ} \pm 5.28^{\circ} \pm 0.73^{\circ}$. This strong phase-shift difference reduces the theoretical uncertainty in estimating the level of CP violation in $\Xi$-hyperon decay.Comment: To be published in Physical Review Letter

Low-Energy Parity-Violation and New Physics

The new physics sensitivity of a variety of low-energy parity-violating (PV) observables is analyzed. A comparison is made between atomic PV for a single isotope, atomic PV using isotope ratios, and PV electron-hadron and electron-electron scattering. The complementarity among these observables, as well as with high-energy processes, is emphasized. Theoretical uncertainties entering the interpretation of low-energy measurements are discussed.Comment: 37 pages, 2 figures. Omissions to Tables I and V corrected along with some minor typographical errors. To appear in Phys. Rev.