8,201 research outputs found
A simple derivation of the electromagnetic field of an arbitrarily moving charge
The expression for the electromagnetic field of a charge moving along an
arbitrary trajectory is obtained in a direct, elegant, and Lorentz invariant
manner without resorting to more complicated procedures such as differentiation
of the Lienard-Wiechert potentials. The derivation uses arguments based on
Lorentz invariance and a physically transparent expression originally due to
J.J.Thomson for the field of a charge that experiences an impulsive
acceleration.Comment: The following article has been accepted by the American Journal of
Physics. After it is published, it will be found at
http://scitation.aip.org/ajp; 12 pages, 1 figur
Resonator-Aided Single-Atom Detection on a Microfabricated Chip
We use an optical cavity to detect single atoms magnetically trapped on an
atom chip. We implement the detection using both fluorescence into the cavity
and reduction in cavity transmission due to the presence of atoms. In
fluorescence, we register 2.0(2) photon counts per atom, which allows us to
detect single atoms with 75% efficiency in 250 microseconds. In absorption, we
measure transmission attenuation of 3.3(3)% per atom, which allows us to count
small numbers of atoms with a resolution of about 1 atom.Comment: 4.1 pages, 5 figures, and submitted to Physical Review Letter
Importance of an Astrophysical Perspective for Textbook Relativity
The importance of a teaching a clear definition of the ``observer'' in
special relativity is highlighted using a simple astrophysical example from the
exciting current research area of ``Gamma-Ray Burst'' astrophysics. The example
shows that a source moving relativistically toward a single observer at rest
exhibits a time ``contraction'' rather than a ``dilation'' because the light
travel time between the source and observer decreases with time. Astrophysical
applications of special relativity complement idealized examples with real
applications and very effectively exemplify the role of a finite light travel
time.Comment: 5 pages TeX, European Journal of Physics, in pres
Is the electrostatic force between a point charge and a neutral metallic object always attractive?
We give an example of a geometry in which the electrostatic force between a
point charge and a neutral metallic object is repulsive. The example consists
of a point charge centered above a thin metallic hemisphere, positioned concave
up. We show that this geometry has a repulsive regime using both a simple
analytical argument and an exact calculation for an analogous two-dimensional
geometry. Analogues of this geometry-induced repulsion can appear in many other
contexts, including Casimir systems.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Squeezed single-atom laser in a photonic crystal
We study non-classical and spectral properties of a strongly driven
single-atom laser engineered within a photonic crystal that facilitates a
frequency-dependent reservoir. In these studies, we apply a dressed atom model
approach to derive the master equation of the system and study the properties
of the dressed laser under the frequency dependent transition rates. By going
beyond the secular approximation in the dressed-atom cavity field interaction,
we find that if, in addition, the non-secular terms are included into the
dynamics of the system, then non-linear processes can occur that lead to
interesting new aspects of cavity field behavior. We calculate variances of the
quadrature phase amplitudes and the incoherent part of the spectrum of the
cavity field and show that they differ qualitatively from those observed under
the secular approximation. In particular, it is found that the non-linear
processes lead to squeezing of the fluctuations of the cavity field below the
quantum shot noise limit. The squeezing depends on the relative population of
the dressed states of the system and is found only if there is no population
inversion between the dressed states. Furthermore, we find a linewidth
narrowing below the quantum limit in the spectrum of the cavity field that is
achieved only when the secular approximation is not made. An interpretation of
the linewidth narrowing is provided in terms of two phase dependent noise
(squeezing) spectra that make up the incoherent spectrum. We establish that the
linewidth narrowing is due squeezing of the fluctuations in one quadrature
phase components of the cavity field.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Resonant Metalenses for Breaking the Diffraction Barrier
We introduce the resonant metalens, a cluster of coupled subwavelength
resonators. Dispersion allows the conversion of subwavelength wavefields into
temporal signatures while the Purcell effect permits an efficient radiation of
this information in the far-field. The study of an array of resonant wires
using microwaves provides a physical understanding of the underlying mechanism.
We experimentally demonstrate imaging and focusing from the far-field with
resolutions far below the diffraction limit. This concept is realizable at any
frequency where subwavelength resonators can be designed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Electrostatic internal energy using the method of images
For several configurations of charges in the presence of conductors, the
method of images permits us to obtain some observables associated with such a
configuration by replacing the conductors with some image charges. However,
simple inspection shows that the potential energy associated with both systems
does not coincide. Nevertheless, it can be shown that for a system of a
grounded or neutral conductor and a distribution of charges outside, the
external potential energy associated with the real charge distribution embedded
in the field generated by the set of image charges is twice the value of the
internal potential energy associated with the original system. This assertion
is valid for any size and shape of the conductor, and regardless of the
configuration of images required. In addition, even in the case in which the
conductor is not grounded nor neutral, it is still possible to calculate the
internal potential energy of the original configuration through the method of
images. These results show that the method of images could also be useful for
calculations of the internal potential energy of the original system.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. New discussions added. Minor change
Recent Extreme Ultraviolet Solar Spectra and Spectroheliograms
Extreme ultraviolet solar spectra and spectroheliogram analyse
Improved qubit bifurcation readout in the straddling regime of circuit QED
We study bifurcation measurement of a multi-level superconducting qubit using
a nonlinear resonator biased in the straddling regime, where the resonator
frequency sits between two qubit transition frequencies. We find that
high-fidelity bifurcation measurements are possible because of the enhanced
qubit-state-dependent pull of the resonator frequency, the behavior of
qubit-induced nonlinearities and the reduced Purcell decay rate of the qubit
that can be realized in this regime. Numerical simulations find up to a
threefold improvement in qubit readout fidelity when operating in, rather than
outside of, the straddling regime. High-fidelity measurements can be obtained
at much smaller qubit-resonator couplings than current typical experimental
realizations, reducing spectral crowding and potentially simplifying the
implementation of multi-qubit devices.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Surface-induced heating of cold polar molecules
We study the rotational and vibrational heating of diatomic molecules placed
near a surface at finite temperature on the basis of macroscopic quantum
electrodynamics. The internal molecular evolution is governed by transition
rates that depend on both temperature and position. Analytical and numerical
methods are used to investigate the heating of several relevant molecules near
various surfaces. We determine the critical distances at which the surface
itself becomes the dominant source of heating and we investigate the transition
between the long-range and short-range behaviour of the heating rates. A simple
formula is presented that can be used to estimate the surface-induced heating
rates of other molecules of interest. We also consider how the heating depends
on the thickness and composition of the surface.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
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