Arbeitsbedingungen und Wirtschaftskrise

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The Creation and Detection of Arbitrary Photon Number States Using Cavity QED

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Ökonomische Funktionen der österreichischen Abfertigungsregelung - im Lichte von Theorie und Empirie

Die folgende Arbeit verfolgt - vor dem Hintergrund der wieder auflebenden Reformdebatte rund um die österreichische Abfertigungsregelung - drei Ziele: (1) Es soll ein knapper, analytisch fundierter Überblick über ökonomische Funktionen der österreichischen Abfertigungsregelung aus der Sicht der modernen Arbeits- und Organisationsökonomik gegeben werden. Neben den unmittelbaren Anreizwirkungen sollen auch jene Probleme betrachtet werden, die sich aufgrund strategischer Verhaltensweisen der Arbeitsvertragspartner ergeben können. (2). Vor dem Hintergrund neuerer empirischer Daten, welche ein überraschend hohes Maß an Mobilität im Sinne eines häufigen Arbeitgeberwechsels anzuzeigen scheinen (Pichelmann, K. , Hofer, H. und Rosner, P. , 1998), soll eine plausible Abschätzung der durch Abfertigungsansprüche induzierten Arbeitskosteneffekte durchgeführt werden. (3) Unter Beachtung der in (1) und (2) präsentierten Zusammenhänge soll eine vorsichtige Evaluation möglicher Reformen des derzeitigen Systems vorgenommen werden.

Optimal Taxation of Gambling and Lotto

Bets are analyzed using an intertemporal, state dependent expected utility model with non-linear probability weighting. Gamblers face a tradeoff between long-run expected utility from wealth and the short-run and fading emotional utility from gambling. Different wager tax bets, including lotto, are compared in various settings (fair bet versus monopoly). Reaction patterns are analyzed with respect to tax rates, the price of tickets, jackpots and the ’scale’ of the gamble. It is shown that optimal tax rates are higher for larger lotto communities, jackpots induce overshooting ’bubbles’ and taxes on lotto and fix-prize gambles are regressive.

Competitive Conspicuous Consumption, Household Saving and Income inequality

An intertemporal decision model is presented in which subjects save less for retirement than the permanent income hypothesis predicts, signaling optimistic income prospects (and therefore high latent productivity) to possible partners in productive exchanges. Competitive conspicuous consumption (CCC), as it is called, is a self-defeating strategy, if followed by subjects simultaneously. Egalitarian policies (which have to be distinguished from pure welfare policies) tend to lower excess consumption. The CCC-hypothesis justifies a cross-sectional Keynesian consumption function with declining marginal propensities to consume. It is argued that the cultural context is highly relevant to the scope and importance of CCC.

The Economics of the Sabbath

Uur paper is inspired by the observation that - contrary to the US-experience - in many European countries working time schedules for different groups of workers are strictly regulated for the purpose of protecting "common leisure time" (like holidays sundays, recreation periods during the night and so on...). As a first step towards a more general analysis, a simple model analyzing the pattern of working time and leisure for two types of workers is developed. The basic assumptions are: productivity in general differs between periods where both are at work simultaneously ("common working time") and periods where only one is at work "private working time"). Moreover, utility of "common" (= overlapping) leisure time differs from utility of "private" leisure. The findings show that from a welfare point of view people work too long and get a shortage of common leisure whenever productivity during common working time is lower than outside common working time for any single individual. If the reverse holds, workers will end up with too short a working day and a lack of private leisure. The long-run development of the productivity gap is given a tentative historical interpretation.Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Serie

Elements of quantum information

Elements of Quantum Information' introduces the reader to the fascinating field of quantum information processing, which lives on the interface between computer science, physics, mathematics, and engineering. This interdisciplinary branch of science thrives on the use of quantum mechanics as a resource for high potential modern applications. With its wide coverage of experiments, applications, and specialized topics - all written by renowned experts - 'Elements of Quantum Information' provides an indispensable up-to-date account of the state of the art of this rapidly advancing field and takes the reader straight up to the frontiers of current research. The articles have first appeared as a special issue of the journal 'Fortschritte der Physik/Progress of Physics'. Since then, they have been carefully updated. The book will be an inspiring source of information and insight for anyone researching and specializing in experiments and theory of quantum information'Elements of Quantum Information' introduces the reader to the fascinating field of quantum information processing, which lives on the interface between computer science, physics, mathematics, and engineering. This interdisciplinary branch of science thrives on the use of quantum mechanics as a resource for high potential modern applications. With its wide coverage of experiments, applications, and specialized topics - all written by renowned experts - 'Elements of Quantum Information' provides an indispensable up-to-date account of the state of the art of this rapidly advancing field and takes the reader straight up to the frontiers of current research. The articles have first appeared as a special issue of the journal 'Fortschritte der Physik/Progress of Physics'. Since then, they have been carefully updated. The book will be an inspiring source of information and insight for anyone researching and specializing in experiments and theory of quantum information

Measuring irreversible dynamics of a quantum harmonic oscillator

We show that the unitary evolution of a harmonic oscillator coupled to a two-level system can be undone by a suitable manipulation of the two-level system -- more specifically: by a quasi-instantaneous phase change. This enables us to isolate the dissipative evolution to which the oscillator may be exposed in addition. With this method we study the decoherence of a photon mode in cavity QED, and that of the quantized harmonic motion of trapped ions. We comment on the relation to spin echoes and multi-path interferometry.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; submitted to Physical Review A as a Rapid Communicatio