188 research outputs found
Topological Schr\"odinger cats: Non-local quantum superpositions of topological defects
Topological defects (such as monopoles, vortex lines, or domain walls) mark
locations where disparate choices of a broken symmetry vacuum elsewhere in the
system lead to irreconcilable differences. They are energetically costly (the
energy density in their core reaches that of the prior symmetric vacuum) but
topologically stable (the whole manifold would have to be rearranged to get rid
of the defect). We show how, in a paradigmatic model of a quantum phase
transition, a topological defect can be put in a non-local superposition, so
that - in a region large compared to the size of its core - the order parameter
of the system is "undecided" by being in a quantum superposition of conflicting
choices of the broken symmetry. We demonstrate how to exhibit such a
"Schr\"odinger kink" by devising a version of a double-slit experiment suitable
for topological defects. Coherence detectable in such experiments will be
suppressed as a consequence of interaction with the environment. We analyze
environment-induced decoherence and discuss its role in symmetry breaking.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
A Liquid Model Analogue for Black Hole Thermodynamics
We are able to characterize a 2--dimensional classical fluid sharing some of
the same thermodynamic state functions as the Schwarzschild black hole. This
phenomenological correspondence between black holes and fluids is established
by means of the model liquid's pair-correlation function and the two-body
atomic interaction potential. These latter two functions are calculated exactly
in terms of the black hole internal (quasilocal) energy and the isothermal
compressibility. We find the existence of a ``screening" like effect for the
components of the liquid.Comment: 20 pages and 6 Encapsulated PostScript figure
Electron-radiation interaction in a Penning trap: beyond the dipole approximation
We investigate the physics of a single trapped electron interacting with a
radiation field without the dipole approximation. This gives new physical
insights in the so-called geonium theory.Comment: 12 pages, RevTeX, 6 figures, Approved for publication in Phys. Rev.
Dynamics of Quantum Collapse in Energy Measurements
The influence of continuous measurements of energy with a finite accuracy is
studied in various quantum systems through a restriction of the Feynman
path-integrals around the measurement result. The method, which is equivalent
to consider an effective Schr\"odinger equation with a non-Hermitian
Hamiltonian, allows one to study the dynamics of the wavefunction collapse. A
numerical algorithm for solving the effective Schr\"odinger equation is
developed and checked in the case of a harmonic oscillator. The situations, of
physical interest, of a two-level system and of a metastable quantum-well are
then discussed. In the first case the Zeno inhibition observed in quantum
optics experiments is recovered and extended to nonresonant transitions, in the
second one we propose to observe inhibition of spontaneous decay in mesoscopic
heterostructures. In all the considered examples the effect of the continuous
measurement of energy is a freezing of the evolution of the system proportional
to the accuracy of the measurement itself.Comment: 20 pages with figures, compressed and uuencoded ps fil
Quantum Logic with a Single Trapped Electron
We propose the use of a trapped electron to implement quantum logic
operations. The fundamental controlled-NOT gate is shown to be feasible. The
two quantum bits are stored in the internal and external (motional) degrees of
freedom.Comment: 7 Pages, REVTeX, No Figures, To appear in Phys. Rev.
A Grand Canonical Ensemble Approach to the Thermodynamic Properties of the Nucleon in the Quark-Gluon Coupling Model
In this paper, we put forward a way to study the nucleon's thermodynamic
properties such as its temperature, entropy and so on, without inputting any
free parameters by human hand, even the nucleon's mass and radius. First we use
the Lagrangian density of the quark gluon coupling fields to deduce the Dirac
Equation of the quarks confined in the gluon fields. By boundary conditions we
solve the wave functions and energy eigenvalues of the quarks, and thus get
energy-momentum tensor, nucleon mass, and density of states. Then we utilize a
hybrid grand canonical ensemble, to generate the temperature and chemical
potentials of quarks, antiquarks of three flovars by the four conservation laws
of the energy and the valence quark numbers, after which, all other
thermodynamic properties are known. The only seemed free paremeter, the nucleon
radius is finally determined by the grand potential minimal principle.Comment: 5 pages, LaTe
Why the Hamilton operator alone is not enough
In the many worlds community seems to exist a belief that the physics of a
quantum theory is completely defined by it's Hamilton operator given in an
abstract Hilbert space, especially that the position basis may be derived from
it as preferred using decoherence techniques.
We show, by an explicit example of non-uniqueness, taken from the theory of
the KdV equation, that the Hamilton operator alone is not sufficient to fix the
physics. We need the canonical operators p, q as well. As a consequence, it is
not possible to derive a "preferred basis" from the Hamilton operator alone,
without postulating some additional structure like a "decomposition into
systems". We argue that this makes such a derivation useless for fundamental
physics
Phenomenology and Cosmology of an Electroweak Pseudo-Dilaton and Electroweak Baryons
In many strongly-interacting models of electroweak symmetry breaking the
lowest-lying observable particle is a pseudo-Goldstone boson of approximate
scale symmetry, the pseudo-dilaton. Its interactions with Standard Model
particles can be described using a low-energy effective nonlinear chiral
Lagrangian supplemented by terms that restore approximate scale symmetry,
yielding couplings of the pseudo-dilaton that differ from those of a Standard
Model Higgs boson by fixed factors. We review the experimental constraints on
such a pseudo-dilaton in light of new data from the LHC and elsewhere. The
effective nonlinear chiral Lagrangian has Skyrmion solutions that may be
identified with the `electroweak baryons' of the underlying
strongly-interacting theory, whose nature may be revealed by the properties of
the Skyrmions. We discuss the finite-temperature electroweak phase transition
in the low-energy effective theory, finding that the possibility of a
first-order electroweak phase transition is resurrected. We discuss the
evolution of the Universe during this transition and derive an
order-of-magnitude lower limit on the abundance of electroweak baryons in the
absence of a cosmological asymmetry, which suggests that such an asymmetry
would be necessary if the electroweak baryons are to provide the cosmological
density of dark matter. We revisit estimates of the corresponding
spin-independent dark matter scattering cross section, with a view to direct
detection experiments.Comment: 34 pages, 4 figures, additional references adde
Counting defects with the two-point correlator
We study how topological defects manifest themselves in the equal-time
two-point field correlator. We consider a scalar field with Z_2 symmetry in 1,
2 and 3 spatial dimensions, allowing for kinks, domain lines and domain walls,
respectively. Using numerical lattice simulations, we find that in any number
of dimensions, the correlator in momentum space is to a very good approximation
the product of two factors, one describing the spatial distribution of the
defects and the other describing the defect shape. When the defects are
produced by the Kibble mechanism, the former has a universal form as a function
of k/n, which we determine numerically. This signature makes it possible to
determine the kink density from the field correlator without having to resort
to the Gaussian approximation. This is essential when studying field dynamics
with methods relying only on correlators (Schwinger-Dyson, 2PI).Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures
Entropy of Quantum Fields for Nonextreme Black Holes in the Extreme Limit
Nonextreme black hole in a cavity within the framework of the canonical or
grand canonical ensemble can approach the extreme limit with a finite
temperature measured on a boundary located at a finite proper distance from the
horizon. In spite of this finite temperature, it is shown that the one-loop
contribution of quantum fields to the thermodynamic entropy due
to equilibrium Hawking radiation vanishes in the limit under consideration. The
same is true for the finite temperature version of the Bertotti-Robinson
spacetime into which a classical Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m black hole turns in the
extreme limit. The result is attributed to the nature of a horizon
for the Bertotti-Robinson spacetime.Comment: 11 pages, ReVTeX, no figures. New references added, discussion
expanded, presentation and English improved. Accepted for publication in
Phys. Rev.
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