3,285 research outputs found
Field-free two-direction alignment alternation of linear molecules by elliptic laser pulses
We show that a linear molecule subjected to a short specific elliptically
polarized laser field yields postpulse revivals exhibiting alignment
alternatively located along the orthogonal axis and the major axis of the
ellipse. The effect is experimentally demonstrated by measuring the optical
Kerr effect along two different axes. The conditions ensuring an optimal
field-free alternation of high alignments along both directions are derived.Comment: 5 pages, 4 color figure
Quantum Ising model in a transverse random field: A density-matrix renormalization group analysis
The spin-1/2 quantum Ising chain in a transverse random magnetic field is
studied by means of the density-matrix renormalization group. The system
evolves from an ordered to a paramagnetic state as the amplitude of the random
field is increased. The dependence of the magnetization on a uniform magnetic
field in the z direction and the spontaneous magnetization as a function of the
amplitude of the transverse random magnetic field are determined. The behavior
of the spin-spin correlation function both above and at criticality is studied.
The scaling laws for magnetization and correlation functions are tested against
previous numerical and renormalization-group results.Comment: 5 pages with 7 figures inside them, proper format of authors' names
use
Phase transitions in soft-committee machines
Equilibrium statistical physics is applied to layered neural networks with
differentiable activation functions. A first analysis of off-line learning in
soft-committee machines with a finite number (K) of hidden units learning a
perfectly matching rule is performed. Our results are exact in the limit of
high training temperatures. For K=2 we find a second order phase transition
from unspecialized to specialized student configurations at a critical size P
of the training set, whereas for K > 2 the transition is first order. Monte
Carlo simulations indicate that our results are also valid for moderately low
temperatures qualitatively. The limit K to infinity can be performed
analytically, the transition occurs after presenting on the order of N K
examples. However, an unspecialized metastable state persists up to P= O (N
K^2).Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Superconducting Quantum Critical Point
We study the properties of a quantum critical point which develops in a BCS
superconductor when pair-breaking suppresses the transition temperature to
zero. The pair fluctuations are characterized by a dynamical critical exponent
z=2. Except for very low temperatures, anomalous contribution to the
conductivity is proportional to the square root of T in three dimensions, but
to 1/T in two dimensions. At lowest temperatures, the conductivity correction
varies as T to the power 1/4 in three dimensions, and as ln(1/T) in two.Comment: 3 pages, 3 Postscript figures, Late
The dynamics of quasi-isometric foliations
If the stable, center, and unstable foliations of a partially hyperbolic
system are quasi-isometric, the system has Global Product Structure. This
result also applies to Anosov systems and to other invariant splittings.
If a partially hyperbolic system on a manifold with abelian fundamental group
has quasi-isometric stable and unstable foliations, the center foliation is
without holonomy. If, further, the system has Global Product Structure, then
all center leaves are homeomorphic.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur
The Measure-theoretic Identity Underlying Transient Fluctuation Theorems
We prove a measure-theoretic identity that underlies all transient
fluctuation theorems (TFTs) for entropy production and dissipated work in
inhomogeneous deterministic and stochastic processes, including those of Evans
and Searles, Crooks, and Seifert. The identity is used to deduce a tautological
physical interpretation of TFTs in terms of the arrow of time, and its
generality reveals that the self-inverse nature of the various trajectory and
process transformations historically relied upon to prove TFTs, while necessary
for these theorems from a physical standpoint, is not necessary from a
mathematical one. The moment generating functions of thermodynamic variables
appearing in the identity are shown to converge in general only in a vertical
strip in the complex plane, with the consequence that a TFT that holds over
arbitrary timescales may fail to give rise to an asymptotic fluctuation theorem
for any possible speed of the corresponding large deviation principle. The case
of strongly biased birth-death chains is presented to illustrate this
phenomenon. We also discuss insights obtained from our measure-theoretic
formalism into the results of Saha et. al. on the breakdown of TFTs for driven
Brownian particles
Dimensional Reduction and Quantum-to-Classical Reduction at High Temperatures
We discuss the relation between dimensional reduction in quantum field
theories at finite temperature and a familiar quantum mechanical phenomenon
that quantum effects become negligible at high temperatures. Fermi and Bose
fields are compared in this respect. We show that decoupling of fermions from
the dimensionally reduced theory can be related to the non-existence of
classical statistics for a Fermi field.Comment: 11 pages, REVTeX, revised v. to be published in Phys. Rev. D: some
points made more explici
Metal-superconductor transition at zero temperature: A case of unusual scaling
An effective field theory is derived for the normal metal-to-superconductor
quantum phase transition at T=0. The critical behavior is determined exactly
for all dimensions d>2. Although the critical exponents \beta and \nu do not
exist, the usual scaling relations, properly reinterpreted, still hold. A
complete scaling description of the transition is given, and the physics
underlying the unusual critical behavior is discussed. Quenched disorder leads
to anomalously strong T_c-fluctuations which are shown to explain the
experimentally observed broadening of the transition in low-T_c thin films.Comment: 4 pp., no figs, final version as publishe
- …