778 research outputs found
Identification of Coulomb blockade and macroscopic quantum tunneling by noise
The effects of Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling (MQT) and Coulomb Blockade (CB)
in Josephson junctions are of considerable significance both for the
manifestations of quantum mechanics on the macroscopic scale and potential
technological applications. These two complementary effects are shown to be
clearly distinguishable from the associated noise spectra. The current noise is
determined exactly and a rather sharp crossover between flux noise in the MQT
and charge noise in the CB regions is found as the applied voltage is changed.
Related results hold for the voltage noise in current-biased junctions.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, epl.cls include
T-Bar clasp-retained removable partial denture as an alternative to implant-based prosthetic treatment
This article reports the case of a 55-year-old female patient who presented with unsatisfactory temporary crowns in the right mandibular premolars and molars, and a premolar-to-molar fixed partial denture in the left side. The clinical and radiographic examinations revealed a fracture of the left first premolar that was a retainer of the fixed partial denture and required extraction. Initially, the acrylic resin crowns were replaced by new ones, and a provisional RPD was made using acrylic resin and orthodontic wire clasps to resolve the problem arising from the loss of the fixed partial denture. Considering the patient's high esthetic demands, the treatment options for the definitive prosthetic treatment were discussed with her and rehabilitation with implant-supported dentures was proposed because the clinical conditions of the residual alveolar ridge were suitable for implant installation, and the patient's general health was excellent. However, the patient did not agree because she knew of a failed case of implant-retained denture in a diabetic individual and was concerned. The patient was fully informed that implant installation was the best indication for her case, but the arguments were not sufficient to change her decision. The treatment possibilities were presented and the patient opted for a clasp-retained removable partial denture (RPD) associated with the placement of crowns in the pillar teeth. The temporary RPD was replaced by the definitive RPD constructed subsequently. Although RPD was not the first choice, satisfactory esthetic and functional outcomes were achieved, overcaming the patient's expectations. This case report illustrates that the dentist must be prepared to deal with situations where, for reasons that cannot be managed, the patient does not accept the treatment considered as the most indicated for his/her case. Alternatives must be proposed and the functional and esthetic requirements must be fulfilled in the best possible manner.Este artigo relata o caso de uma paciente de 55 anos que apresentava no arco mandibular coroas provisórias insatisfatórias nos pré-molares do lado direito e uma prótese parcial fixa de molar a pré-molar no lado esquerdo. Os exames clínico e radiográfico revelaram uma fratura do primeiro pré-molar esquerdo que era um retentor da prótese parcial fixa e teve a extração indicada. Inicialmente, as coroas provisórias foram substituídas por novas e uma prótese parcial removível provisória foi confeccionada com resina acrílica e grampos de fio ortodôntico a fim resolver os problemas relacionados à perda da prótese parcial fixa. Considerando a forte demanda estética da paciente, foram discutidas as opções de tratamento protético definitivo. Foi proposta a reabilitação com prótese implanto-suportada uma vez que as condições clínicas do rebordo alveolar se apresentavam adequadas para instalação de implantes e a saúde geral da paciente era excelente. Entretanto, a paciente não concordou com o tratamento proposto, alegando saber de um caso clínico em que houve insucesso na reabilitação por prótese implanto-suportada em um paciente diabético. Ela foi inteiramente informada de que a colocação de implantes era a melhor indicação para seu caso, mas os argumentos não foram suficientes para mudar sua decisão. As possibilidades de tratamento foram apresentadas e a paciente optou por uma prótese parcial removível (PPR) retida a grampos associada com coroas nos dentes pilares. Na seqüência, a PPR provisória foi substituída por uma PPR definitiva. Embora a PPR não tivesse sido a primeira escolha, foram obtidos resultados estéticos e funcionais satisfatórios, superando as expectativas da paciente. Este relato de caso ilustra que o dentista deve estar preparado para enfrentar situações em que, por razões que não possam ser administradas, o paciente não aceite o tratamento considerado mais indicado para seu caso. Alternativas devem ser propostas e as exigências estéticas e funcionais devem ser contempladas da melhor maneira possível
Quantum nondemolition-like, fast measurement scheme for a superconducting qubit
We present a measurement protocol for a flux qubit coupled to a
dc-Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID), representative of any
two-state system with a controllable coupling to an harmonic oscillator
quadrature, which consists of two steps. First, the qubit state is imprinted
onto the SQUID via a very short and strong interaction. We show that at the end
of this step the qubit dephases completely, although the perturbation of the
measured qubit observable during this step is weak. In the second step,
information about the qubit is extracted by measuring the SQUID. This step can
have arbitrarily long duration, since it no longer induces qubit errors.Comment: published version, minor correction
Crossover from weak to strong coupling regime in dispersive circuit QED
We study the decoherence of a superconducting qubit due to the dispersive
coupling to a damped harmonic oscillator. We go beyond the weak
qubit-oscillator coupling, which we associate with a phase Purcell effect, and
enter into a strong coupling regime, with qualitatively different behavior of
the dephasing rate. We identify and give a physicaly intuitive discussion of
both decoherence mechanisms. Our results can be applied, with small
adaptations, to a large variety of other physical systems, e. g. trapped ions
and cavity QED, boosting theoretical and experimental decoherence studies.Comment: Published versio
Vitamin E in human low-density lipoprotein. When and how this antioxidant becomes a pro-oxidant
Theory of superconductor-insulator transition in single Josephson junctions
A non-band theory is developed to describe the superconductor-insulator (SI)
transtition in resistively shunted, single Josephson junctions. The
characteristic is formulated by a Landauer-like formula and evaluated by the
path-integral transfer-matrix method. The result is consistent with the recent
experiments at around 80 . However, the insulator phase shrinks with
decreasing temperature indicating that the single Josephson junction becomes
all superconducting at absolute zero temperature, as long as dissipation is
present.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Is the dynamics of open quantum systems always linear?
We study the influence of the preparation of an open quantum system on its
reduced time evolution. In contrast to the frequently considered case of an
initial preparation where the total density matrix factorizes into a product of
a system density matrix and a bath density matrix the time evolution generally
is no longer governed by a linear map nor is this map affine. Put differently,
the evolution is truly nonlinear and cannot be cast into the form of a linear
map plus a term that is independent of the initial density matrix of the open
quantum system. As a consequence, the inhomogeneity that emerges in formally
exact generalized master equations is in fact a nonlinear term that vanishes
for a factorizing initial state. The general results are elucidated with the
example of two interacting spins prepared at thermal equilibrium with one spin
subjected to an external field. The second spin represents the environment. The
field allows the preparation of mixed density matrices of the first spin that
can be represented as a convex combination of two limiting pure states, i.e.
the preparable reduced density matrices make up a convex set. Moreover, the map
from these reduced density matrices onto the corresponding density matrices of
the total system is affine only for vanishing coupling between the spins. In
general, the set of the accessible total density matrices is nonconvex.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, minor changes to improve readability, discussion
on Mori's linear regime and references adde
Superconductor-to-Metal Transitions in Dissipative Chains of Mesoscopic Grains and Nanowires
The interplay of quantum fluctuations and dissipation in chains of mesoscopic
superconducting grains is analyzed, and the results are also applied to
nanowires. It is shown that in 1-d arrays of resistively shunted Josephson
junctions, the superconducting-normal charge relaxation within the grains plays
an important role. At zero temperature, two superconducting phases can exist,
depending primarily on the strength of the dissipation. In the fully
superconducting phase (FSC), each grain acts superconducting, and the coupling
to the dissipative conduction is important. In the SC* phase, the dissipation
is irrelevant at long wavelengths. The phase transitions between these two
superconducting phases and the normal metallic phase may be either local or
global, and possess rich and complex critical properties. These are inferred
from both weak and strong coupling renormalization group analyses. At
intermediate temperatures, near either superconductor-to-normal phase
transition, there are regimes of super-metallic behavior, in which the
resistivity first decreases gradually with decreasing temperature before
eventually increasing as temperature is lowered further. The results on chains
of Josephson junctions are extended to continuous superconducting nanowires and
the subtle issue of whether these can exhibit an FSC phase is considered.
Potential relevance to superconductor-metal transitions in other systems is
also discussed.Comment: 42 pages, 14 figure
- …