Quantum Typicality and Initial Conditions

If the state of a quantum system is sampled out of a suitable ensemble, the measurement of some observables will yield (almost) always the same result. This leads us to the notion of quantum typicality: for some quantities the initial conditions are immaterial. We discuss this problem in the framework of Bose-Einstein condensates.Comment: 8 page

Long-lived entanglement of two multilevel atoms in a waveguide

We study the presence of nontrivial bound states of two multilevel quantum emitters and the photons propagating in a linear waveguide. We characterize the conditions for the existence of such states and determine their general properties, focusing in particular on the entanglement between the two emitters, that increases with the number of excitations. We discuss the relevance of the results for entanglement preservation and generation by spontaneous relaxation processes.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur

Typical observables in a two-mode Bose system

A class of k-particle observables in a two-mode system of Bose particles is characterized by typicality: if the state of the system is sampled out of a suitable ensemble, an experimental measurement of that observable yields (almost) always the same result. We investigate the general features of typical observables, the criteria to determine typicality and finally focus on the case of density correlation functions, which are related to spatial distribution of particles and interference.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Phase Transitions in ZnZ_{n} Gauge Models: Towards Quantum Simulations of the Schwinger-Weyl QED

We study the ground-state properties of a class of $\mathbb{Z}_n$ lattice gauge theories in 1 + 1 dimensions, in which the gauge fields are coupled to spinless fermionic matter. These models, stemming from discrete representations of the Weyl commutator for the $\mathrm{U}(1)$ group, preserve the unitary character of the minimal coupling, and have therefore the property of formally approximating lattice quantum electrodynamics in one spatial dimension in the large-$n$ limit. The numerical study of such approximated theories is important to determine their effectiveness in reproducing the main features and phenomenology of the target theory, in view of implementations of cold-atom quantum simulators of QED. In this paper we study the cases $n = 2 \div 8$ by means of a DMRG code that exactly implements Gauss' law. We perform a careful scaling analysis, and show that, in absence of a background field, all $\mathbb{Z}_n$ models exhibit a phase transition which falls in the Ising universality class, with spontaneous symmetry breaking of the $CP$ symmetry. We then perform the large-$n$ limit and find that the asymptotic values of the critical parameters approach the ones obtained for the known phase transition the zero-charge sector of the massive Schwinger model, which occurs at negative mass.Comment: 15 pages, 18 figure

Tricriticalities and Quantum Phases in Spin-Orbit-Coupled Spin-11 Bose Gases

We study the zero-temperature phase diagram of a spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate of spin $1$, with equally weighted Rashba and Dresselhaus couplings. Depending on the antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic nature of the interactions, we find three kinds of striped phases with qualitatively different behaviors in the modulations of the density profiles. Phase transitions to the zero-momentum and the plane-wave phases can be induced in experiments by independently varying the Raman coupling strength and the quadratic Zeeman field. The properties of these transitions are investigated in detail, and the emergence of tricritical points, which are the direct consequence of the spin-dependent interactions, is explicitly discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures + Supplemental Material. Revised version, published in PR

Split and overlapped binary solitons in optical lattices

We analyze the energetic and dynamical properties of bright-bright (BB) soliton pairs in a binary mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates subjected to the action of a combined optical lattice, acting as an external potential for the first species, while modulating the intraspecies coupling constant of the second. In particular, we use a variational approach and direct numerical integrations to investigate the existence and stability of BB solitons in which the two species are either spatially separated (split soliton) or located at the same optical lattice site (overlapped soliton). The dependence of these solitons on the interspecies interaction parameter is explicitly investigated. For repulsive interspecies interaction we show the existence of a series of critical values at which transitions from an initially overlapped soliton to split solitons occur. For attractive interspecies interaction only single direct transitions from split to overlapped BB solitons are found. The possibility to use split solitons for indirect measurements of scattering lengths is also suggested.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Discrete Abelian Gauge Theories for Quantum Simulations of QED

We study a lattice gauge theory in Wilson's Hamiltonian formalism. In view of the realization of a quantum simulator for QED in one dimension, we introduce an Abelian model with a discrete gauge symmetry $\mathbb{Z}_n$, approximating the $U(1)$ theory for large $n$. We analyze the role of the finiteness of the gauge fields and the properties of physical states, that satisfy a generalized Gauss's law. We finally discuss a possible implementation strategy, that involves an effective dynamics in physical space.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Unearthing wave-function renormalization effects in the time evolution of a Bose-Einstein condensate

We study the time evolution of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an accelerated optical lattice. When the condensate has a narrow quasimomentum distribution and the optical lattice is shallow, the survival probability in the ground band exhibits a steplike structure. In this regime we establish a connection between the wave-function renormalization parameter $Z$ and the phenomenon of resonantly enhanced tunneling.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1201.628

Contagions

A hundred years separate two of the most successful masterpieces of English Gothic Fiction: The Monk (1796) by Matthew Gregory Lewis and Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker. The significance of this circumstance goes beyond the mere chronological coincidence and is revealing of a close connection linking the two texts. Such a connection, made up of a network of allusions, echoes, anticipations and cross-references, derives from a specific set of narrative situations that The Monk presents and Dracula redefines in order to reflect new and different axiologies. These situations are centred on the motif of the Sleeping Beauty and its variations, a narrative topos whose morbid connotations both novels emphasize in a typically Gothic manner. The analysis of the ways in which Lewis and Stoker develop this motif sheds light on the dialectical relationship connecting the two texts, and, with specific reference to Dracula, provides a new interpretative perspective based on a metaliterary reading of Stoker’s novel, of the dark desires and evil pleasures it evokes one hundred years after Lewis’s The Monk

Sipari gotici. Lo strano caso del Dr. Boaden e Mr. Lewis

Starting from the remarkable intellectual bond linking James Boaden and Matthew Gregory Lewis, this paper investigates the nature of the relationship that, at the end of the eighteenth century, came to be established between the theatrical adaptations of the most popular Gothic novels and Gothic “original” plays. The fact that most authors adapting Gothic novels for the theatre make a show of constructing a “gothicising” kind of drama, conveying a certain cultural and social respectability, is interpreted here as a deliberate attempt at defusing a genre, both narrative and theatrical, that was perceived as subversive and anti-nationalistic. In this effort towards normalization, one can see the reflections of a question of identity that runs through the society of the time and that goes beyond the field of literature, even while involving it