755 research outputs found
Continuous measurement feedback control of a Bose-Einstein condensate using phase contrast imaging
We consider the theory of feedback control of a Bose-Einstein condensate
(BEC) confined in a harmonic trap under a continuous measurement constructed
via non-destructive imaging. A filtering theory approach is used to derive a
stochastic master equation (SME) for the system from a general Hamiltonian
based upon system-bath coupling. Numerical solutions for this SME in the limit
of a single atom show that the final steady state energy is dependent upon the
measurement strength, the ratio of photon kinetic energy to atomic kinetic
energy, and the feedback strength. Simulations indicate that for a weak
measurement strength, feedback can be used to overcome heating introduced by
the scattering of light, thereby allowing the atom to be driven towards the
ground state.Comment: 4 figures, 11 page
Robustness of System-Filter Separation for the Feedback Control of a Quantum Harmonic Oscillator Undergoing Continuous Position Measurement
We consider the effects of experimental imperfections on the problem of
estimation-based feedback control of a trapped particle under continuous
position measurement. These limitations violate the assumption that the
estimator (i.e. filter) accurately models the underlying system, thus requiring
a separate analysis of the system and filter dynamics. We quantify the
parameter regimes for stable cooling, and show that the control scheme is
robust to detector inefficiency, time delay, technical noise, and miscalibrated
parameters. We apply these results to the specific context of a weakly
interacting Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). Given that this system has
previously been shown to be less stable than a feedback-cooled BEC with strong
interatomic interactions, this result shows that reasonable experimental
imperfections do not limit the feasibility of cooling a BEC by continuous
measurement and feedback.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figure
Functionalization of semiconductor surfaces by organic layers: Concerted cycloaddition versus stepwise free-radical reaction mechanism
In the age when the miniaturization trend that has driven the semiconductor industry is reaching its limits, organic modification of semiconductors is emerging as a field that could give much-needed impetus. We review the current state of understanding of the functionalization of C(100), Si(100), and Ge(100) surfaces through chemisorption of alkenes and alkynes, focussing on adsorbate structural control. While reactions on C(100) show most of the properties expected for concerted cycloaddition reactions such as [2+2] and [4+2] (Diels-Alder) processes, reactions on Si(100) present a wide range of variant behaviour, including in some cases the prominence of non-cycloaddition products. More general stepwise free-radical addition processes are seen to provide a better description of reactions on Si(100), their prominence being attributed to either the non-existence or ineffectiveness of p bonding within surface silicon dimers. The investigations of these systems provide not only insight into driving mechanisms for chemisorption but also motivation for the development of new techniques of organic functionalization on semiconductors
Single photon production by rephased amplified spontaneous emission
The production of single photons using rephased amplified spontaneous
emission is examined. This process produces single photons on demand with high
efficiency by detecting the spontaneous emission from an atomic ensemble, then
applying a population-inverting pulse to rephase the ensemble and produce a
photon echo of the spontaneous emission events. The theoretical limits on the
efficiency of the production are determined for several variants of the scheme.
For an ensemble of uniform optical density, generating the initial spontaneous
emission and its echo using transitions of different strengths is shown to
produce single photons at 70% efficiency, limited by reabsorption. Tailoring
the spatial and spectral density of the atomic ensemble is then shown to
prevent reabsorption of the rephased photon, resulting in emission efficiency
near unity
Number-Phase Wigner Representation for Efficient Stochastic Simulations
Phase-space representations based on coherent states (P, Q, Wigner) have been
successful in the creation of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) for the
efficient stochastic simulation of high dimensional quantum systems. However
many problems using these techniques remain intractable over long integrations
times. We present a number-phase Wigner representation that can be unraveled
into SDEs. We demonstrate convergence to the correct solution for an anharmonic
oscillator with small dampening for significantly longer than other phase space
representations. This process requires an effective sampling of a non-classical
probability distribution. We describe and demonstrate a method of achieving
this sampling using stochastic weights.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur
Number-Phase Wigner Representation for Scalable Stochastic Simulations of Controlled Quantum Systems
Simulation of conditional master equations is important to describe systems
under continuous measurement and for the design of control strategies in
quantum systems. For large bosonic systems, such as BEC and atom lasers, full
quantum field simulations must rely on scalable stochastic methods whose
convergence time is restricted by the use of representations based on coherent
states. Here we show that typical measurements on atom-optical systems have a
common form that allows for an efficient simulation using the number-phase
Wigner (NPW) phase-space representation. We demonstrate that a stochastic
method based on the NPW can converge over an order of magnitude longer and more
precisely than its coherent equivalent. This opens the possibility of realistic
simulations of controlled multi-mode quantum systems.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur
Gold surfaces and nanoparticles are protected by Au(0)-thiyl species and are destroyed when Au(I)-thiolates form
The synthetic chemistry and spectroscopy of sulfur-protected gold surfaces and nanoparticles is analyzed, indicating that the electronic structure of the interface is Au(0)-thiyl, with Au(I)-thiolates identified as high-energy excited surface states. Density-functional theory indicates that it is the noble character of gold and nanoparticle surfaces that destabilizes Au(I)-thiolates. Bonding results from large van der Waals forces, influenced by covalent bonding induced through s-d hybridization and charge polarization effects that perturbatively mix in some Au(I)-thiolate character. A simple method for quantifying these contributions is presented, revealing that a driving force for nanoparticle growth is nobleization, minimizing Au(I)-thiolate involvement. Predictions that Brust-Schiffrin reactions involve thiolate anion intermediates are verified spectroscopically, establishing a key feature needed to understand nanoparticle growth. Mixing of preprepared Au(I) and thiolate reactants always produces Au(I)-thiolate thin films or compounds rather than monolayers. Smooth links to O, Se, Te, C, and N linker chemistry are established
Scalable quantum field simulations of conditioned systems
We demonstrate a technique for performing stochastic simulations of
conditional master equations. The method is scalable for many quantum-field
problems and therefore allows first-principles simulations of multimode bosonic
fields undergoing continuous measurement, such as those controlled by
measurement-based feedback. As examples, we demonstrate a 53-fold speed
increase for the simulation of the feedback cooling of a single trapped
particle, and the feedback cooling of a quantum field with 32 modes, which
would be impractical using previous brute force methods.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
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