374 research outputs found
Holographic storage of multiple coherence gratings in a Bose-Einstein condensate
We demonstrate superradiant conversion between a two-mode collective atomic
state and a single-mode light field in an elongated cloud of Bose-condensed
atoms. Two off-resonant write beams induce superradiant Raman scattering,
producing two independent coherence gratings with a different wave vector in
the cloud. By applying phase-matched read beams after a controllable delay, the
gratings can be selectively converted into the light field also in a
superradiant way. Due to the large cooperativity parameter and the small
velocity width of the condensate, a high conversion efficiency of % and
a long storage time of s were achieved.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Strong valence fluctuation in the quantum critical heavy fermion superconductor beta-YbAlB4: A hard x-ray photoemission study
Electronic structures of the quantum critical superconductor beta-YbAlB4 and
its polymorph alpha-YbAlB4 are investigated by using bulk-sensitive hard x-ray
photoemission spectroscopy. From the Yb 3d core level spectra, the values of
the Yb valence are estimated to be ~2.73 and ~2.75 for alpha- and beta-YbAlB4,
respectively, thus providing clear evidence for valence fluctuations. The
valence band spectra of these compounds also show Yb2+ peaks at the Fermi
level. These observations establish an unambiguous case of a strong mixed
valence at quantum criticality for the first time among heavy fermion systems,
calling for a novel scheme for a quantum critical model beyond the conventional
Doniach picture in beta-YbAlB4.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, revised version accepted for publication in PR
Light transport in cold atoms: the fate of coherent backscattering in the weak localization regime
The recent observation of coherent backscattering (CBS) of light by atoms has
emphasized the key role of the velocity spread and of the quantum internal
structure of the atoms. Firstly, using highly resonant scatterers imposes very
low temperatures of the disordered medium in order to keep the full contrast of
the CBS interference. This criterion is usually achieved with standard laser
cooling techniques. Secondly, a non trivial internal atomic structure leads to
a dramatic decrease of the CBS contrast. Experiments with Rubidium atoms (with
a non trivial internal structure) and with Strontium (with the simplest
possible internal structure) show this behaviour and confirm theoretical
calculations
Observation of coherent backscattering of light by cold atoms
Coherent backscattering (CBS) of light waves by a random medium is a
signature of interference effects in multiple scattering. This effect has been
studied in many systems ranging from white paint to biological tissues.
Recently, we have observed CBS from a sample of laser-cooled atoms, a
scattering medium with interesting new properties. In this paper we discuss
various effects, which have to be taken into account for a quantitative study
of coherent backscattering of light by cold atoms.Comment: 25 pages LaTex2e, 17 figures, submitted to J. Opt. B: Quant. Semicl.
Op
Nitrogen transport in the orchid mycorrhizal symbiosis - further evidence for a mutualistic association.
Mycorrhizas are symbioses integral to the health of plant-based ecosystems (Smith & Read, 2008). In a typical mycorrhizal association, fungi in, or on, plant roots pass soil-acquired inorganic nutrients and water to the plant host. In return, the host transfers excess photosynthate to the fungus
New high-efficiency source of photon pairs for engineering quantum entanglement
We have constructed an efficient source of photon pairs using a
waveguide-type nonlinear device and performed a two-photon interference
experiment with an unbalanced Michelson interferometer. Parametric
down-converted photons from the nonlinear device are detected by two detectors
located at the output ports of the interferometer. Because the interferometer
is constructed with two optical paths of different length, photons from the
shorter path arrive at the detector earlier than those from the longer path. We
find that the difference of arrival time and the time window of the coincidence
counter are important parameters which determine the boundary between the
classical and quantum regime. When the time window of the coincidence counter
is smaller than the arrival time difference, fringes of high visibility
(80 10%) were observed. This result is only explained by quantum theory
and is clear evidence for quantum entanglement of the interferometer's optical
paths.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, IQEC200
Mach-Zehnder Bragg interferometer for a Bose-Einstein Condensate
We construct a Mach-Zehnder interferometer using Bose-Einstein condensed
rubidium atoms and optical Bragg diffraction. In contrast to interferometers
based on normal diffraction, where only a small percentage of the atoms
contribute to the signal, our Bragg diffraction interferometer uses all the
condensate atoms. The condensate coherence properties and high phase-space
density result in an interference pattern of nearly 100% contrast. In
principle, the enclosed area of the interferometer may be arbitrarily large,
making it an ideal tool that could be used in the detection of vortices, or
possibly even gravitational waves.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference
1999, Postdeadline papers QPD12-
Multiple light scattering in nematic liquid crystals
We present a rigorous treatment of the diffusion approximation for multiple
light scattering in anisotropic random media, and apply it to director
fluctuations in a nematic liquid crystal. For a typical nematic material, 5CB,
we give numerical values of the diffusion constants and .
We also calculate the temporal autocorrelation function measured in Diffusing
Wave Spectroscopy.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX, 1 postscript figure, to be published in Phys. Rev. E
(Rapid Communication
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