Constraints on transmission, dispersion, and density of states in dielectric multilayers and stepwise potential barriers with arbitrary layer arrangement

Normal-incidence transmission and dispersion properties of optical multilayers and one-dimensional stepwise potential barriers in the non-tunneling regime are analytically investigated. The optical paths of every constituent layer in a multilayer structure, as well as the parameters of every step of the stepwise potential barrier, are constrained by a generalized quarter-wave condition. No other restrictions on the structure geometry is imposed, i.e., the layers are arranged arbitrarily. We show that the density of states (DOS) spectra of the multilayer or barrier in question are subject to integral conservation rules similar to the Barnett-Loudon sum rule but ocurring within a finite frequency or energy interval. In the optical case, these frequency intervals are regular. For the potential barriers, only non-periodic energy intervals can be present in the spectrum of any given structure, and only if the parameters of constituent potential steps are properly chosen. Abstract The integral conservation relations derived analytically have also been verified numerically. The relations can be used in dispersion-engineered multilayer-based devices, e.g., ultrashort pulse compressors or ultracompact optical delay lines, as well as to design multiple-quantum-well electronic heterostructures with engineered DOS.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, to be submitted to PR

Josephson surface plasmons in spatially confined cuprate superconductors

In this work, we generalize the theory of localized surface plasmons to the case of high-Tc cuprate superconductors, spatially confined in the form of small spherical particles. At variance from ordinary metals, cuprate superconductors are characterized by a low-energy bulk excitation known as the Josephson plasma wave (JPW), arising from interlayer tunneling of the condensate along the c-axis. The effect of the JPW is revealed in a characteristic spectrum of surface excitations, which we call Josephson surface plasmons. Our results, which apply to any material with a strongly anisotropic electromagnetic response, are worked out in detail for the case of multilayered superconductors supporting both low-frequency (acoustic) and transverse-optical JPW. Spatial confinement of the Josephson plasma waves may represent a new degree of freedom to engineer their frequencies and to explore the link between interlayer tunnelling and high-Tc superconductivity

Bleak House. No. 12

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Coherently tunable third-order nonlinearity in a nanojunction

A possibility of tuning the phase of the third-order Kerr-type nonlinear susceptibility in a system consisting of two interacting metal nanospheres and a nonlinearly polarizable molecule is investigated theoretically and numerically. It is shown that by varying the relative inter-sphere separation, it is possible to tune the phase of the effective nonlinear susceptibility \chi^{(3)}(\omega;\omega,\omega,-\omega)$in the whole range from 0 to$2\pi$.Comment: 10 pages 5 figure

Electron-Phonon Dynamics in an Ensemble of Nearly Isolated Nanoparticles

We investigate the electron population dynamics in an ensemble of nearly isolated insulating nanoparticles, each nanoparticle modeled as an electronic two-level system coupled to a single vibrational mode. We find that at short times the ensemble-averaged excited-state population oscillates but has a decaying envelope. At long times, the oscillations become purely sinusoidal about a ``plateau'' population, with a frequency determined by the electron-phonon interaction strength, and with an envelope that decays algebraically as t^-{1/2} We use this theory to predict electron-phonon dynamics in an ensemble of Y_2 O_3 nanoparticles.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Optical absorption in semiconductor quantum dots: Nonlocal effects

The optical absorption of a single spherical semiconductor quantum dot in an electrical field is studied taking into account the nonlocal coupling between the field of the light and the polarizability of the semiconductor. These nonlocal effects lead to a small size anf field dependent shift and broadening of the excitonic resonance which may be of interest in future high precision experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Channel spaser

We show that net amplification of surface plasmons is achieved in channel in a metal plate due to nonradiative excitation by quantum dots. This makes possible lossless plasmon transmission lines in the channel as well as the amplification and generation of coherent surface plasmons. As an example, a ring channel spaser is considered

An experiment for the measurement of the bound-beta decay of the free neutron

The hyperfine-state population of hydrogen after the bound-beta decay of the neutron directly yields the neutrino left-handedness or a possible right-handed admixture and possible small scalar and tensor contributions to the weak force. Using the through-going beam tube of a high-flux reactor, a background free hydrogen rate of ca. 3 s$^{-1}$ can be obtained. The detection of the neutral hydrogen atoms and the analysis of the hyperfine states is accomplished by Lamb shift source type quenching and subsequent ionization. The constraints on the neutrino helicity and the scalar and tensor coupling constants of weak interaction can be improved by a factor of ten.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to EPJ