Decoherence induced by an interacting spin environment in the transition from integrability to chaos

We investigate the decoherence properties of a central system composed of two spins 1/2 in contact with a spin bath. The dynamical regime of the bath ranges from a fully integrable integrable limit to complete chaoticity. We show that the dynamical regime of the bath determines the efficiency of the decoherence process. For perturbative regimes, the integrable limit provides stronger decoherence, while in the strong coupling regime the chaotic limit becomes more efficient. We also show that the decoherence time behaves in a similar way. On the contrary, the rate of decay of magnitudes like linear entropy or fidelity does not depend on the dynamical regime of the bath. We interpret the latter results as due to a comparable complexity of the Hamiltonian for both the integrable and the fully chaotic limits.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Frequency and damping evolution during experimental seismic response of civil engineering structures

The results of the seismic tests on several reinforced-concrete shear walls and a four-storey frame are analysed in this paper. Each specimen was submitted to the action of a horizontal accelerogram, with successive growing amplitudes, using the pseudodynamic method. An analysis of the results allows knowing the evolution of the eigen frequency and damping ratio during the earthquakes thanks to an identification method working in the time domain. The method is formulated as a spatial model in which the stiffness and damping matrices are directly identified from the experimental displacements, velocities and restoring forces. The obtained matrices are then combined with the theoretical mass in order to obtain the eigen frequencies, damping ratios and modes. Those parameters have a great relevance for the design of this type of structures

Numerical estimation of critical parameters using the Bond entropy

Using a model of spinless fermions in a lattice with nearest neighbor and next-nearest neighbor interaction we show that the entropy of the reduced two site density matrix (the bond entropy) can be used as an extremely accurate and easy to calculate numerical indicator for the critical parameters of the quantum phase transition when the basic ordering pattern has a two-site periodicity. The actual behavior of the bond entropy depends on the particular characteristics of the transition under study. For the Kosterlitz-Thouless type phase transition from a Luttinger liquid phase to a charge density wave state the bond entropy has a local maximum while in the transition from the Luttinger liquid to the phase separated state the derivative of the bond entropy has a divergence due to the cancelation of the third eigenvalue of the two-site reduced density matrix.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Delocalization induced by low-frequency driving in disordered superlattices

We study the localization properties of disordered semiconductor superlattices driven by ac-fields. The localization length of the electrons in the superlattice increases when the frequency of the driving field is smaller than the miniband width. We show that there is an optimal value of the amplitude of the driving field for which the localization length of the system is maximal. This maximum localization length increases with the inverse of the driving frequency.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Observation of surface solitons in chirped waveguide arrays

We report the observation of surface solitons in chirped semi-infinite waveguide arrays whose waveguides exhibit exponentially decreasing refractive indices. We show that the power threshold for surface wave formation decreases with an increase of the array chirp and that for sufficiently large chirp values linear surface modes are supported.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Optics Letter

Observaciones sobre el género Carex en la provincia de León (NW España)

Para completar el catálogo caricológico de la provincia de León (NW España) se incorporan cinco táxones del género Carex (C. diandra, C. muricata subsp. muricata, C. guestphalica, C. umbrosa subsp. umbrosa y C. depressa subsp. depressa) y se eliminan seis (C. paniculata subsp. paniculata, C. vulpina, C. stenophylla, C. hispida, C. puntacta y C. flava) anteriormente citados. También se realizan observaciones sobre ocho especies más, indicando segundas o terceras citas, y concretando su área de distribución. En todos los casos se indica, además del hábitat y el comportamiento fitosociológico, el estado de conservación y, cuando es necesario, se aportan caracteres diagnósticos morfológicos y anatómicos para su correcta identificación. Finalmente, se realiza una valoración de la presencia de los Carex en la provincia.In order to complete and correct the sedges checklist of León province in NW Spain, five new taxa are reported (Carex diandra, C. muricata subsp. muricata, C. guestphalica, C. umbrosa subsp. umbrosa and C. depressa subsp. depressa). Six taxa previously reported are removed from the León checklist (C. paniculata subsp. paniculata, C. vulpina, C. stenophylla, C. hispida, C. puntacta y C. flava). Some comments helping to know the distribution of other very scarce eight species in this area are made. For all of the nineteen taxa, we make some considerations about the habitat, point out the phytosociological behavior, the conservation state, and when necessary, we give some diagnostic characters. Finally, an assessment of the presence of all the sedges living in León province is made

Optimization of soliton ratchets in inhomogeneous sine-Gordon systems

Unidirectional motion of solitons can take place, although the applied force has zero average in time, when the spatial symmetry is broken by introducing a potential $V(x)$, which consists of periodically repeated cells with each cell containing an asymmetric array of strongly localized inhomogeneities at positions $x_{i}$. A collective coordinate approach shows that the positions, heights and widths of the inhomogeneities (in that order) are the crucial parameters so as to obtain an optimal effective potential $U_{opt}$ that yields a maximal average soliton velocity. $U_{opt}$ essentially exhibits two features: double peaks consisting of a positive and a negative peak, and long flat regions between the double peaks. Such a potential can be obtained by choosing inhomogeneities with opposite signs (e.g., microresistors and microshorts in the case of long Josephson junctions) that are positioned close to each other, while the distance between each peak pair is rather large. These results of the collective variables theory are confirmed by full simulations for the inhomogeneous sine-Gordon system

Effect of Glass Fiber Hybridization on the Behavior Under Impact of Woven Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Laminates

The low-velocity impact behavior was studied in hybrid laminates manufactured by RTM with woven carbon and glass (S2) fabrics. Specimens with different thicknesses and glass fiber content (from 0 to 21 vol.%) were tested with impact energies in the range 30–245 J and the resulting deformation and fracture micromechanisms were studied using X-ray microtomography. The results of these analyses, together with those of the impact tests (maximum load and energy absorbed), were used to elucidate the role played by glass fiber hybridization on the fracture micromechanisms and on the overall laminate performance under low-velocity impact