2,102 research outputs found
Towards Quantum Superpositions of a Mirror: an Exact Open Systems Analysis
We analyze the recently proposed mirror superposition experiment of Marshall,
Simon, Penrose, and Bouwmeester, assuming that the mirror's dynamics contains a
non-unitary term of the Lindblad type proportional to -[q,[q,\rho]], with q the
position operator for the center of mass of the mirror, and \rho the
statistical operator. We derive an exact formula for the fringe visibility for
this system. We discuss the consequences of our result for tests of
environmental decoherence and of collapse models. In particular, we find that
with the conventional parameters for the CSL model of state vector collapse,
maintenance of coherence is expected to within an accuracy of at least 1 part
in 10^{8}. Increasing the apparatus coupling to environmental decoherence may
lead to observable modifications of the fringe visibility, with time dependence
given by our exact result.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX. Substantial changes mad
Decoherence of coupled electron spins via nuclear spin dynamics in quantum dots
In double quantum dots, the exchange interaction between two electron spins
renormalizes the excitation energy of pair-flips in the nuclear spin bath,
which in turn modifies the non-Markovian bath dynamics. As the energy
renormalization varies with the Overhauser field mismatch between the quantum
dots, the electron singlet-triplet decoherence resulting from the bath dynamics
depends on sampling of nuclear spin states from an ensemble, leading to the
transition from exponential decoherence in single-sample dynamics to power-law
decay under ensemble averaging. In contrast, the decoherence of a single
electron spin in one dot is essentially the same for different choices of the
nuclear spin configuration.Comment: 4 pages 3 figure
Quantum decoherence in the theory of open systems
In the framework of the Lindblad theory for open quantum systems, we
determine the degree of quantum decoherence of a harmonic oscillator
interacting with a thermal bath. It is found that the system manifests a
quantum decoherence which is more and more significant in time. We calculate
also the decoherence time scale and analyze the transition from quantum to
classical behaviour of the considered system.Comment: 6 pages; talk at the 3rd International Workshop "Quantum Physics and
Communication" (QPC 2005), Dubna, Russia, 200
Localization of Relative-Position of Two Atoms Induced by Spontaneous Emission
We revisit the back-action of emitted photons on the motion of the relative
position of two cold atoms. We show that photon recoil resulting from the
spontaneous emission can induce the localization of the relative position of
the two atoms through the entanglement between the spatial motion of individual
atoms and their emitted photons. The result provides a more realistic model for
the analysis of the environment-induced localization of a macroscopic object.Comment: 8 pages and 4 figure
The triple neurokinin-receptor antagonist CS-003 inhibits neurokinin A-induced bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma
peer reviewedNeurokinin A (NKA) causes bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. In vitro both NK1 and NK2 receptors can mediate airway contraction. Moreover in guinea pigs, NK3 receptors facilitate cholinergic neurotransmission. Dual tachykinin NK1/NK2 receptor antagonism results in prevention of NKA-induced bronchoconstriction. We have now examined the effect of a single dose of the triple tachykinin receptor antagonist CS-003 on NKA-induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatics. A double blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial in 16 mild asthmatics was performed. One single dose of CS-003 (200 mg, solution in distilled water) or matched placebo was given orally on the assessment days. NKA-provocation tests were performed pre-dose and 1, 8 and 24h after dosing. There was a significant shift to the right of the dose-response curve at 1 and 8 h after intake of CS-003. PC20 was not reached in 12/16 patients at 1 h post-dose and in 5/16 patients at 8h post-dose. This did not occur under placebo treatment. A single dose of 200 mg CS-003 protected significantly against NKA-induced bronchoconstriction at 1 and 8 h post-dose in mild asthmatics. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Decoherence: Concepts and Examples
We give a pedagogical introduction to the process of decoherence - the
irreversible emergence of classical properties through interaction with the
environment. After discussing the general concepts, we present the following
examples: Localisation of objects, quantum Zeno effect, classicality of fields
and charges in QED, and decoherence in gravity theory. We finally emphasise the
important interpretational features of decoherence.Comment: 24 pages, LATEX, 9 figures, needs macro lamuphys.sty, to appear in
the Proceedings of the 10th Born Symposiu
Predictability sieve, pointer states, and the classicality of quantum trajectories
We study various measures of classicality of the states of open quantum
systems subject to decoherence. Classical states are expected to be stable in
spite of decoherence, and are thought to leave conspicuous imprints on the
environment. Here these expected features of environment-induced superselection
(einselection) are quantified using four different criteria: predictability
sieve (which selects states that produce least entropy), purification time
(which looks for states that are the easiest to find out from the imprint they
leave on the environment), efficiency threshold (which finds states that can be
deduced from measurements on a smallest fraction of the environment), and
purity loss time (that looks for states for which it takes the longest to lose
a set fraction of their initial purity). We show that when pointer states --
the most predictable states of an open quantum system selected by the
predictability sieve -- are well defined, all four criteria agree that they are
indeed the most classical states. We illustrate this with two examples: an
underdamped harmonic oscillator, for which coherent states are unanimously
chosen by all criteria, and a free particle undergoing quantum Brownian motion,
for which most criteria select almost identical Gaussian states (although, in
this case, predictability sieve does not select well defined pointer states.)Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure
Limits in the characteristic function description of non-Lindblad-type open quantum systems
In this paper I investigate the usability of the characteristic functions for
the description of the dynamics of open quantum systems focussing on
non-Lindblad-type master equations. I consider, as an example, a non-Markovian
generalized master equation containing a memory kernel which may lead to
nonphysical time evolutions characterized by negative values of the density
matrix diagonal elements [S.M. Barnett and S. Stenholm, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 64},
033808 (2001)]. The main result of the paper is to demonstrate that there exist
situations in which the symmetrically ordered characteristic function is
perfectly well defined while the corresponding density matrix loses positivity.
Therefore nonphysical situations may not show up in the characteristic
function. As a consequence, the characteristic function cannot be considered an
{\it alternative complete} description of the non-Lindblad dynamics.Comment: Revised version. 4 pages, 1 figur
Towards quantum superpositions of a mirror
We propose a scheme for creating quantum superposition states involving of
order atoms via the interaction of a single photon with a tiny
mirror. This mirror, mounted on a high-quality mechanical oscillator, is part
of a high-finesse optical cavity which forms one arm of a Michelson
interferometer. By observing the interference of the photon only, one can study
the creation and decoherence of superpositions involving the mirror. All
experimental requirements appear to be within reach of current technology.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
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