19,616 research outputs found
Phase Space Evolution and Discontinuous Schr\"odinger Waves
The problem of Schr\"odinger propagation of a discontinuous wavefunction
-diffraction in time- is studied under a new light. It is shown that the
evolution map in phase space induces a set of affine transformations on
discontinuous wavepackets, generating expansions similar to those of wavelet
analysis. Such transformations are identified as the cause for the
infinitesimal details in diffraction patterns. A simple case of an evolution
map, such as SL(2) in a two-dimensional phase space, is shown to produce an
infinite set of space-time trajectories of constant probability. The
trajectories emerge from a breaking point of the initial wave.Comment: Presented at the conference QTS7, Prague 2011. 12 pages, 7 figure
Vector Potential and Berry phase-induced Force
We present a general theoretical framework for the exact treatment of a
hybrid system that is composed of a quantum subsystem and a classical
subsystem. When the quantum subsystem is dynamically fast and the classical
subsystem is slow, a vector potential is generated with a simple canonical
transformation. This vector potential, on one hand, gives rise to the familiar
Berry phase in the fast quantum dynamics; on the other hand, it yields a
Lorentz-like force in the slow classical dynamics. In this way, the pure phase
(Berry phase) of a wavefunction is linked to a physical force.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Anomalous Hall effect in the Co-based Heusler compounds CoFeSi and CoFeAl
The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in the Heusler compounds CoFeSi and
CoFeAl is studied in dependence of the annealing temperature to achieve a
general comprehension of its origin. We have demonstrated that the crystal
quality affected by annealing processes is a significant control parameter to
tune the electrical resistivity as well as the anomalous Hall
resistivity . Analyzing the scaling behavior of in
terms of points to a temperature-dependent skew scattering as the
dominant mechanism in both Heusler compounds
Evidence for the Validity of the Berry-Robnik Surmise in a Periodically Pulsed Spin System
We study the statistical properties of the spectrum of a quantum dynamical
system whose classical counterpart has a mixed phase space structure consisting
of two regular regions separated by a chaotical one. We make use of a simple
symmetry of the system to separate the eigenstates of the time-evolution
operator into two classes in agreement with the Percival classification scheme
\cite{Per}. We then use a method firstly developed by Bohigas et. al.
\cite{BoUlTo} to evaluate the fractional measure of states belonging to the
regular class, and finally present the level spacings statistics for each class
which confirm the validity of the Berry-Robnik surmise in our model.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures available upon request, Latex fil
Deviations from Berry--Robnik Distribution Caused by Spectral Accumulation
By extending the Berry--Robnik approach for the nearly integrable quantum
systems,\cite{[1]} we propose one possible scenario of the energy level spacing
distribution that deviates from the Berry--Robnik distribution. The result
described in this paper implies that deviations from the Berry--Robnik
distribution would arise when energy level components show strong accumulation,
and otherwise, the level spacing distribution agrees with the Berry--Robnik
distribution.Comment: 4 page
Geometric phase for a dimerized disordered continuum: Topological shot noise
Geometric phase shift associated with an electron propagating through a
dimerized-disordered continuum is shown to be 0, or (modulo 2),
according as the associated circuit traversed in the two-dimensional parameter
space excludes, or encircles a certain singularity. This phase-shift is a
topological invariant. Its discontinuous dependence on the electron energy and
disorder implies a statistical spectral and conductance fluctuation in a
corresponding mesoscopic system. Inasmuch as the fluctuation derives from the
discreteness of the phase shift, it may aptly be called a topological
shot-noise.Comment: 10 pages(LATEX) + 1 figure, (revised version). Will appear in
Europhys. Let
Surprises in the suddenly-expanded infinite well
I study the time-evolution of a particle prepared in the ground state of an
infinite well after the latter is suddenly expanded. It turns out that the
probability density shows up quite a surprising behaviour:
for definite times, {\it plateaux} appear for which is
constant on finite intervals for . Elements of theoretical explanation are
given by analyzing the singular component of the second derivative
. Analytical closed expressions are obtained for some
specific times, which easily allow to show that, at these times, the density
organizes itself into regular patterns provided the size of the box in large
enough; more, above some critical time-dependent size, the density patterns are
independent of the expansion parameter. It is seen how the density at these
times simply results from a construction game with definite rules acting on the
pieces of the initial density.Comment: 24 pages, 14 figure
Stating Appointment Costs in SMS Reminders Reduces Missed Hospital Appointments: Findings from Two Randomised Controlled Trials
BACKGROUND:
Missed hospital appointments are a major cause of inefficiency worldwide. Healthcare providers are increasingly using Short Message Service reminders to reduce 'Did Not Attend' (DNA) rates. Systematic reviews show that sending such reminders is effective, but there is no evidence on whether their impact is affected by their content. Accordingly, we undertook two randomised controlled trials that tested the impact of rephrasing appointment reminders on DNA rates in the United Kingdom.
TRIAL METHODS:
Participants were outpatients with a valid mobile telephone number and an outpatient appointment between November 2013 and January 2014 (Trial One, 10,111 participants) or March and May 2014 (Trial Two, 9,848 participants). Appointments were randomly allocated to one of four reminder messages, which were issued five days in advance. Message assignment was then compared against appointment outcomes (appointment attendance, DNA, cancellation by patient).
RESULTS:
In Trial One, a message including the cost of a missed appointment to the health system produced a DNA rate of 8.4%, compared to 11.1% for the existing message (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.89, P<0.01). Trial Two replicated this effect (DNA rate 8.2%), but also found that expressing the same concept in general terms was significantly less effective (DNA rate 9.9%, OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.00-1.48, P<0.05). Moving from the existing reminder to the more effective costs message would result in 5,800 fewer missed appointments per year in the National Health Service Trust in question, at no additional cost. The study's main limitations are that it took place in a single location in England, and that it required accurate phone records, which were only obtained for 20% of eligible patients. We conclude that missed appointments can be reduced, for no additional cost, by introducing persuasive messages to appointment reminders. Future studies could examine the impact of varying reminder messages in other health systems.
TRIAL REGISTRATION:
Controlled-Trials.com 49432571
Quantum effects in the evolution of vortices in the electromagnetic field
We analyze the influence of electron-positron pairs creation on the motion of
vortex lines in electromagnetic field. In our approach the electric and
magnetic fields satisfy nonlinear equations derived from the Euler-Heisenberg
effective Lagrangian. We show that these nonlinearities may change the
evolution of vortices.Comment: REVTEX4 and 5 EPS figure
Geometric phase effects for wavepacket revivals
The study of wavepacket revivals is extended to the case of Hamiltonians
which are made time-dependent through the adiabatic cycling of some parameters.
It is shown that the quantal geometric phase (Berry's phase) causes the revived
packet to be displaced along the classical trajectory, by an amount equal to
the classical geometric phase (Hannay's angle), in one degree of freedom. A
physical example illustrating this effect in three degrees of freedom is
mentioned.Comment: Revtex, 11 pages, no figures
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