Quantum dissipative dynamics of a bistable system in the sub-Ohmic to super-Ohmic regime

We investigate the quantum dynamics of a multilevel bistable system coupled to a bosonic heat bath beyond the perturbative regime. We consider different spectral densities of the bath, in the transition from sub-Ohmic to super-Ohmic dissipation, and different cutoff frequencies. The study is carried out by using the real-time path integral approach of the Feynman-Vernon influence functional. We find that, in the crossover dynamical regime characterized by damped \emph{intrawell} oscillations and incoherent tunneling, the short time behavior and the time scales of the relaxation starting from a nonequilibrium initial condition depend nontrivially on the spectral properties of the heat bath.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Quantum resonant activation

Quantum resonant activation is investigated for the archetype setup of an externally driven two-state (spin-boson) system subjected to strong dissipation by means of both analytical and extensive numerical calculations. The phenomenon of resonant activation emerges in the presence of either randomly fluctuating or deterministic periodically varying driving fields. Addressing the incoherent regime, a characteristic minimum emerges in the mean first passage time to reach an absorbing neighboring state whenever the intrinsic time scale of the modulation matches the characteristic time scale of the system dynamics. For the case of deterministic periodic driving, the first passage time probability density function (pdf) displays a complex, multi-peaked behavior, which depends crucially on the details of initial phase, frequency, and strength of the driving. As an interesting feature we find that the mean first passage time enters the resonant activation regime at a critical frequency $\nu^*$ which depends very weakly on the strength of the driving. Moreover, we provide the relation between the first passage time pdf and the statistics of residence times.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure

Feynman-Vernon influence functional approach to quantum transport in interacting nanojunctions: An analytical hierarchical study

We present a nonperturbative and formally exact approach for the charge transport in interacting nanojunctions based on a real-time path-integral formulation of the reduced system dynamics. For reservoirs of noninteracting fermions, the exact trace over the leads' degrees of freedom results in the time-nonlocal Feynman-Vernon influence functional, a functional of the Grassmann-valued paths of the nanojunction, which induces correlations among the tunneling transitions in and out of the nanojunction. An expansion of the influence functional in terms of the number of tunneling transitions, and integration of the Grassmann variables between the tunneling times, allows us to obtain a still exact generalized master equation for the populations of the reduced density matrix in the occupation-number representation, as well as a formally exact expression for the current. By borrowing the nomenclature of the famous spin-boson model, we parametrize the two-state dynamics of each single-particle fermionic degree of freedom, in the occupation-number representation, in terms of blips and sojourns. We apply our formalism to the exactly solvable resonant level model (RLM) and to the single-impurity Anderson model (SIAM), the latter being a prototype system for studying strong correlations. For both systems, we demonstrate a hierarchical diagrammatic structure. While the hierarchy closes at the second tier for the RLM, this is not the case for the interacting SIAM. Upon inspection of the current kernel, known results from various perturbative and nonperturbative approximation schemes to quantum transport in the SIAM are recovered. Finally, a noncrossing approximation for the hierarchical kernel is developed, which enables us to systematically decrease temperature at each next level of the approximation. Analytical results for a simplified fourth-tier scheme are presented both in equilibrium and nonequilibrium and with an applied magnetic field

Transmission spectra of an ultrastrongly coupled qubit-dissipative resonator system

We calculate the transmission spectra of a flux qubit coupled to a dissipative resonator in the ultrastrong coupling regime. Such a qubit-oscillator system constitutes the building block of superconducting circuit QED platforms. The calculated transmission of a weak probe field quantifies the response of the qubit, in frequency domain, under the sole influence of the oscillator and of its dissipative environment, an Ohmic heat bath. We find the distinctive features of the qubit-resonator system, namely two-dip structures in the calculated transmission, modified by the presence of the dissipative environment. The relative magnitude, positions, and broadening of the dips are determined by the interplay among qubit-oscillator detuning, the strength of their coupling, and the interaction with the heat bath

First Measurements of a Prototype of a New Generation Pixel Readout ASIC in 65 nm CMOS for Extreme Rate HEP Detectors at HL-LHC

A first prototype of a readout ASIC in CMOS 65nm for a pixel detector at High Luminosity LHC is described. The pixel cell area is 50x50 um2 and the matrix consists of 64x64 pixels. The chip was designed to guarantee high efficiency at extreme data rates for very low signals and with low power consumption. Two different analogue front-end designs, one synchronous and one asynchronous, were implemented, both occupying an area of 35x35 um2. ENC value is below 100e- for an input capacitance of 50 fF and in-time threshold below 1000e-. Leakage current compensation up to 50 nA with power consumption below 5 uW. A ToT technique is used to perform charge digitization with 5-bit precision using either a 40 MHz clock or a local Fast Oscillator up to 800 MHz. Internal 10-bit DAC's are used for biasing, while monitoring is provided by a 12-bit ADC. A novel digital architecture has been developed to ensure above 99.5% hit efficiency at pixel hit rates up to 3 GHz/cm2, trigger rates up to 1 MHz and trigger latency of 12.5 us. The total power consumption per pixel is below 5uW. Analogue dead-time is below 1%. Data are sent via a serializer connected to a CMOS-to-SLVS transmitter working at 320 MHz. All IP-blocks and front-ends used are silicon-proven and tested after exposure to ionizing radiation levels of 500-800 Mrad. The chip was designed as part of the Italian INFN CHIPIX65 project and in close synergy with the international CERN RD53 and was submitted in July 2016 for production. Early test results for both front-ends regarding minimum threshold, auto-zeroing and low-noise performance are high encouraging and will be presented in this paper

Hyades Member K2-136c:The Smallest Planet in an Open Cluster with a Precisely Measured Mass

International audienceK2-136 is a late-K dwarf (0.742 ± 0.039 M ⊙) in the Hyades open cluster with three known, transiting planets and an age of 650 ± 70 Myr. Analyzing K2 photometry, we found that planets K2-136b, c, and d have periods of 8.0, 17.3, and 25.6 days and radii of 1.014 ± 0.050 R ⊕, 3.00 ± 0.13 R ⊕, and 1.565 ± 0.077 R ⊕, respectively. We collected 93 radial velocity (RV) measurements with the High-Accuracy Radial-velocity Planet Searcher for the Northern hemisphere (HARPS-N) spectrograph (Telescopio Nazionale Galileo) and 22 RVs with the Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (ESPRESSO) spectrograph (Very Large Telescope). Analyzing HARPS-N and ESPRESSO data jointly, we found that K2-136c induced a semi-amplitude of 5.49 ± 0.53 m s-1, corresponding to a mass of 18.1 ± 1.9 M ⊕. We also placed 95% upper mass limits on K2-136b and d of 4.3 and 3.0 M ⊕, respectively. Further, we analyzed Hubble Space Telescope and XMM-Newton observations to establish the planetary high-energy environment and investigate possible atmospheric loss. K2-136c is now the smallest planet to have a measured mass in an open cluster and one of the youngest planets ever with a mass measurement. K2-136c has ~75% the radius of Neptune but is similar in mass, yielding a density of ${3.69}_{-0.56}^{+0.67}$ g cm-3 (~2-3 times denser than Neptune). Mass estimates for K2-136b (and possibly d) may be feasible with more RV observations, and insights into all three planets' atmospheres through transmission spectroscopy would be challenging but potentially fruitful. This research and future mass measurements of young planets are critical for investigating the compositions and characteristics of small exoplanets at very early stages of their lives and providing insights into how exoplanets evolve with time

Roadmap for Optical Tweezers 2023

Optical tweezers are tools made of light that enable contactless pushing, trapping, and manipulation of objects ranging from atoms to space light sails. Since the pioneering work by Arthur Ashkin in the 1970s, optical tweezers have evolved into sophisticated instruments and have been employed in a broad range of applications in life sciences, physics, and engineering. These include accurate force and torque measurement at the femtonewton level, microrheology of complex fluids, single micro- and nanoparticle spectroscopy, single-cell analysis, and statistical-physics experiments. This roadmap provides insights into current investigations involving optical forces and optical tweezers from their theoretical foundations to designs and setups. It also offers perspectives for applications to a wide range of research fields, from biophysics to space exploration