Entanglement and decoherence of N atoms and a mesoscopic field in a cavity

We investigate the behavior of N atoms resonantly coupled to a single electromagnetic field mode sustained by a high quality cavity, containing a mesoscopic coherent field. We show with a simple effective Hamiltonian model that the strong coupling between the cavity and the atoms produces an atom-field entangled state, involving N+1 nearly coherent components slowly rotating at different paces in the phase plane. The periodic overlap of these components results in a complex collapse and revival pattern for the Rabi oscillation. We study the influence of decoherence due to the finite cavity quality factor. We propose a simple analytical model, based on the Monte Carlo approach to relaxation. We compare its predictions with exact calculations and show that these interesting effects could realistically be observed on a two or three atoms sample in a 15 photon field with circular Rydberg atoms and superconducting cavities.Kavli Institute of NanoscienceApplied Science

If the Past Teaches, What Does the Future Learn?: Ancient Urban Regions and the Durable Future

How can we transform urban environments to encourage durability and mediate the social price of myriad risks and vulnerability? Our work here is to build a bridge from archaeology to mainstream architectural and design theory. The study of places, landscapes, and regions links the two fields. Architecture can be shaped and enhanced by the long-term cultural and geographic perspective afforded by archaeology; architecture can offer archaeology a ride into the future. The bridge unites three domains: material, social, and aesthetic. We look to the past to find material technologies—new engineering and conceptual solutions to an array of problems—and the past obliges with many examples.Landscape Architectur