2,669 research outputs found
Magnetic shielding and exotic spin-dependent interactions
Experiments searching for exotic spin-dependent interactions typically employ
magnetic shielding between the source of the exotic field and the interrogated
spins. We explore the question of what effect magnetic shielding has on
detectable signals induced by exotic fields. Our general conclusion is that for
common experimental geometries and conditions, magnetic shields should not
significantly reduce sensitivity to exotic spin-dependent interactions,
especially when the technique of comagnetometry is used. However, exotic fields
that couple to electron spin can induce magnetic fields in the interior of
shields made of a soft ferro- or ferrimagnetic material. This induced magnetic
field must be taken into account in the interpretation of experiments searching
for new spin-dependent interactions and raises the possibility of using a flux
concentrator inside magnetic shields to amplify exotic spin-dependent signals.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
AC Stark shift noise in QND measurement arising from quantum fluctuations of light polarization
In a recent letter [Auzinsh {\it{et. al.}} (physics/0403097)] we have
analyzed the noise properties of an idealized atomic magnetometer that utilizes
spin squeezing induced by a continuous quantum nondemolition measurement. Such
a magnetometer measures spin precession of atomic spins by detecting
optical rotation of far-detuned probe light. Here we consider maximally
squeezed probe light, and carry out a detailed derivation of the contribution
to the noise in a magnetometric measurement due to the differential AC Stark
shift between Zeeman sublevels arising from quantum fluctuations of the probe
polarization.Comment: This is a companion note to physics/040309
Can a quantum nondemolition measurement improve the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer?
Noise properties of an idealized atomic magnetometer that utilizes spin
squeezing induced by a continuous quantum nondemolition measurement are
considered. Such a magnetometer measures spin precession of atomic spins by
detecting optical rotation of far-detuned light. Fundamental noise sources
include the quantum projection noise and the photon shot-noise. For measurement
times much shorter than the spin-relaxation time observed in the absence of
light () divided by , the optimal sensitivity of the
magnetometer scales as , so an advantage over the usual sensitivity
scaling as can be achieved. However, at longer measurement times,
the optimized sensitivity scales as , as for a usual shot-noise
limited magnetometer. If strongly squeezed probe light is used, the Heisenberg
uncertainty limit may, in principle, be reached for very short measurement
times. However, if the measurement time exceeds , the
scaling is again restored.Comment: Some details of calculations can be found in a companion note:
physics/040712
Linguistics
Contains reports on four research projects.U. S. Air Force (Electronics Systems Division) under Contract AF 19(628)-2487Joint Services Electronics Programs (U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force) under Contract DA 28-043-AMC-02536(E)National Science Foundation (Grant GK-835)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 PO1 MH-04737-06)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496
Hyperpolarized xenon nuclear spins detected by optical atomic magnetometry
We report the use of an atomic magnetometer based on nonlinear
magneto-optical rotation with frequency modulated light (FM NMOR) to detect
nuclear magnetization of xenon gas. The magnetization of a
spin-exchange-polarized xenon sample (cm at a pressure of bar,
natural isotopic abundance, polarization 1%), prepared remotely to the
detection apparatus, is measured with an atomic sensor (which is insensitive to
the leading field of 0.45 G applied to the sample; an independent bias field at
the sensor is G). An average magnetic field of nG induced by
the xenon sample on the 10-cm diameter atomic sensor is detected with
signal-to-noise ratio , limited by residual noise in the magnetic
environment. The possibility of using modern atomic magnetometers as detectors
of nuclear magnetic resonance and in magnetic resonance imaging is discussed.
Atomic magnetometers appear to be ideally suited for emerging low-field and
remote-detection magnetic resonance applications.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Investigation of microwave transitions and nonlinear magneto-optical rotation in anti-relaxation-coated cells
Using laser optical pumping, widths and frequency shifts are determined for
microwave transitions between ground-state hyperfine components of Rb
and Rb atoms contained in vapor cells with alkane anti-relaxation
coatings. The results are compared with data on Zeeman relaxation obtained in
nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR) experiments, a comparison important
for quantitative understanding of spin-relaxation mechanisms in coated cells.
By comparing cells manufactured over a forty-year period we demonstrate the
long-term stability of coated cells, an important property for atomic clocks
and magnetometers
Infrared-Faint Radio Sources: A New Population of High-redshift Radio Galaxies
We present a sample of 1317 Infrared-Faint Radio Sources (IFRSs) that, for
the first time, are reliably detected in the infrared, generated by
cross-correlating the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) all-sky survey
with major radio surveys. Our IFRSs are brighter in both radio and infrared
than the first generation IFRSs that were undetected in the infrared by the
Spitzer Space Telescope. We present the first spectroscopic redshifts of IFRSs,
and find that all but one of the IFRSs with spectroscopy has z > 2. We also
report the first X-ray counterparts of IFRSs, and present an analysis of radio
spectra and polarization, and show that they include Gigahertz-Peaked Spectrum,
Compact Steep Spectrum, and Ultra-Steep Spectrum sources. These results,
together with their WISE infrared colours and radio morphologies, imply that
our sample of IFRSs represents a population of radio-loud Active Galactic
Nuclei at z > 2. We conclude that our sample consists of lower-redshift
counterparts of the extreme first generation IFRSs, suggesting that the fainter
IFRSs are at even higher redshift.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures. Submitted to MNRA
Thermodynamical fingerprints of fractal spectra
We investigate the thermodynamics of model systems exhibiting two-scale
fractal spectra. In particular, we present both analytical and numerical
studies on the temperature dependence of the vibrational and electronic
specific heats. For phonons, and for bosons in general, we show that the
average specific heat can be associated to the average (power law) density of
states. The corrections to this average behavior are log-periodic oscillations
which can be traced back to the self-similarity of the spectral staircase. In
the electronic case, even if the thermodynamical quantities exhibit a strong
dependence on the particle number, regularities arise when special cases are
considered. Applications to substitutional and hierarchical structures are
discussed.Comment: 8 latex pages, 9 embedded PS figure
Velocity-selective direct frequency-comb spectroscopy of atomic vapors
We present an experimental and theoretical investigation of two-photon direct
frequency-comb spectroscopy performed through velocity-selective excitation. In
particular, we explore the effect of repetition rate on the
two-photon transitions
excited in a rubidium atomic vapor cell. The transitions occur via step-wise
excitation through the states by use of the direct
output of an optical frequency comb. Experiments were performed with two
different frequency combs, one with a repetition rate of MHz and
one with a repetition rate of MHz. The experimental spectra are
compared to each other and to a theoretical model.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
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