Exotic Topological States with Raman-Induced Spin-Orbit Coupling

We propose a simple experimental scheme to realize simultaneously the one-dimensional spin-orbit coupling and the staggered spin-flip in ultracold pseudospin-$1/2$ atomic Fermi gases trapped in square optical lattices. In the absence of interspecies interactions, the system supports gapped Chern insulators and gapless topological semimetal states. By turning on the $s$-wave interactions, a rich variety of gapped and gapless inhomogeneous topological superfluids can emerge. In particular, a gapped topological Fulde-Ferrell superfluid, in which the chiral edge states at opposite boundaries possess the same chirality, is predicted.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Effective g-factor in Majorana Wires

We use the effective g-factor of subgap states, g*, in hybrid InAs nanowires with an epitaxial Al shell to investigate how the superconducting density of states is distributed between the semiconductor core and the metallic shell. We find a step-like reduction of g* and improved hard gap with reduced carrier density in the nanowire, controlled by gate voltage. These observations are relevant for Majorana devices, which require tunable carrier density and g* exceeding the g-factor of the proximitizing superconductor. Additionally, we observe the closing and reopening of a gap in the subgap spectrum coincident with the appearance of a zero-bias conductance peak

Probabilistic teleportation of unknown two-particle state via POVM

We propose a scheme for probabilistic teleportation of unknown two-particle state with partly entangled four-particle state via POVM. In this scheme the teleportation of unknown two-particle state can be realized with certain probability by performing two Bell state measurements, a proper POVM and a unitary transformation.Comment: 5 pages, no figur

A massive star origin for an unusual helium-rich supernova in an elliptical galaxy

The unusual helium-rich (type Ib) supernova SN 2005E is distinguished from any supernova hitherto observed by its faint and rapidly fading light curve, prominent calcium lines in late-phase spectra and lack of any mark of recent star formation near the supernova location. These properties are claimed to be explained by a helium detonation in a thin surface layer of an accreting white dwarf (Perets et al. 2010). Here we report on observations of SN 2005cz appeared in an elliptical galaxy, whose observed properties resemble those of SN 2005E in that it is helium-rich and unusually faint, fades rapidly, shows much weaker oxygen emission lines than those of calcium in the well-evolved spectrum. We argue that these properties are best explained by a core-collapse supernova at the low-mass end ($8-12 M_{\odot}$) of the range of massive stars that explode (Smartt 2009). Such a low mass progenitor had lost its hydrogen-rich envelope through binary interaction, having very thin oxygen-rich and silicon-rich layers above the collapsing core, thus ejecting a very small amount of radioactive $^{56}$Ni and oxygen. Although the host galaxy NGC 4589 is an elliptical, some studies have revealed evidence of recent star-formation activity (Zhang et al. 2008), consistent with the core-collapse scenario.Comment: Accepted by Nature (24 March 2010), 32 pages including Supplementary Informatio