Quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects in the Friedrichs model

We analyze the short-time behavior of the survival probability in the frame of the Friedrichs model for different formfactors. We have shown that this probability is not necessary analytic at the time origin. The time when the quantum Zeno effect could be observed is found to be much smaller than usually estimated. We have also studied the anti-Zeno era and have estimated its duration.Comment: References added. Appendix B shortened. Discussions extende

Spectroscopic studies of fractal aggregates of silver nanospheres undergoing local restructuring

We present an experimental spectroscopic study of large random colloidal aggregates of silver nanoparticles undergoing local restructuring. We argue that such well-known phenomena as strong fluctuation of local electromagnetic fields, appearance of "hot spots" and enhancement of nonlinear optical responses depend on the local structure on the scales of several nanosphere diameters, rather that the large-scale fractal geometry of the sample.Comment: 3.5 pages, submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Optical Camera with high temporal resolution to search for transients in the wide field

The wide field optical camera with high temporal resolution for the continuous monitoring of the sky in order to catch the initial stages of GRBs is described.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. To be published in "Il Nuovo Cimento", Proceedings of the 4th Rome Workshop on Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Afterglow Era, eds. L. Piro, L. Amati, S. Covino, B. Gendr

Cloning quantum entanglement in arbitrary dimensions

We have found a quantum cloning machine that optimally duplicates the entanglement of a pair of $d$-dimensional quantum systems. It maximizes the entanglement of formation contained in the two copies of any maximally-entangled input state, while preserving the separability of unentangled input states. Moreover, it cannot increase the entanglement of formation of all isotropic states. For large $d$, the entanglement of formation of each clone tends to one half the entanglement of the input state, which corresponds to a classical behavior. Finally, we investigate a local entanglement cloner, which yields entangled clones with one fourth the input entanglement in the large-$d$ limit.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

The Boson Peak and its Relation with Acoustic Attenuation in Glasses

Experimental results on the density of states and on the acoustic modes of glasses in the THz region are compared to the predictions of two categories of models. A recent one, solely based on an elastic instability, does not account for most observations. Good agreement without adjustable parameters is obtained with models including the existence of non-acoustic vibrational modes at THz frequency, providing in many cases a comprehensive picture for a range of glass anomalies.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Physical Review Letters in pres

Causality, delocalization and positivity of energy

In a series of interesting papers G. C. Hegerfeldt has shown that quantum systems with positive energy initially localized in a finite region, immediately develop infinite tails. In our paper Hegerfeldt's theorem is analysed using quantum and classical wave packets. We show that Hegerfeldt's conclusion remains valid in classical physics. No violation of Einstein's causality is ever involved. Using only positive frequencies, complex wave packets are constructed which at $t = 0$ are real and finitely localized and which, furthemore, are superpositions of two nonlocal wave packets. The nonlocality is initially cancelled by destructive interference. However this cancellation becomes incomplete at arbitrary times immediately afterwards. In agreement with relativity the two nonlocal wave packets move with the velocity of light, in opposite directions.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Structure and diffusion processes in laminated composites of a Cu-Ti system

Characteristics of diffusion transformations in a multi-layer composite of a Cu-Ti system, which was produced by high-temperature diffusion welding followed by rolling at room temperature, are reportedye

Soliton dual comb in crystalline microresonators

We present a novel compact dual-comb source based on a monolithic optical crystalline MgF$_2$ multi-resonator stack. The coherent soliton combs generated in two microresonators of the stack with the repetition rate of 12.1 GHz and difference of 1.62 MHz provided after heterodyning a 300 MHz wide radio-frequency comb. Analogous system can be used for dual-comb spectroscopy, coherent LIDAR applications and massively parallel optical communications.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure