Doppler cooling of calcium ions using a dipole-forbidden transition

Doppler cooling of calcium ions has been experimentally demonstrated using the S1/2 to D5/2 dipole-forbidden transition. Scattering forces and fluorescence levels a factor of 5 smaller than for usual Doppler cooling on the dipole allowed S1/2 to P1/2 transition have been achieved. Since the light scattered from the ions can be monitored at (violet) wavelengths that are very different from the excitation wavelengths, single ions can be detected with an essentially zero background level. This, as well as other features of the cooling scheme, can be extremely valuable for ion trap based quantum information processing.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, minor changes to commentary and reference

Bogoliubov theory of entanglement in a Bose-Einstein condensate

We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate which is illuminated by a short resonant light pulse that coherently couples two internal states of the atoms. We show that the subsequent time evolution prepares the atoms in an interesting entangled state called a spin squeezed state. This evolution is analysed in detail by developing a Bogoliubov theory which describes the entanglement of the atoms. Our calculation is a consistent expansion in $1/\sqrt{N}$, where $N$ is the number of particles in the condensate, and our theory predict that it is possible to produce spin squeezing by at least a factor of $1/\sqrt{N}$. Within the Bogoliubov approximation this result is independent of temperature.Comment: 14 pages, including 5 figures, minor changes in the presentatio

Scalable Quantum Networks based on Few-Qubit Registers

We describe and analyze a hybrid approach to scalable quantum computation based on an optically connected network of few-qubit quantum registers. We show that probabilistically connected five-qubit quantum registers suffice for deterministic, fault-tolerant quantum computation even when state preparation, measurement, and entanglement generation all have substantial errors. We discuss requirements for achieving fault-tolerant operation for two specific implementations of our approach.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (new figures 1 and 3

Efficient qubit detection using alkali earth metal ions and a double STIRAP process

We present a scheme for robust and efficient projection measurement of a qubit consisting of the two magnetic sublevels in the electronic ground state of alkali earth metal ions. The scheme is based on two stimulated Raman adiabatic passages (STIRAP) involving four partially coherent laser fields. We show how the efficiency depends on experimentally relevant parameters: Rabi frequencies, pulse widths, laser linewidths, one- and two-photon detunings, residual laser power, laser polarization and ion motion.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figure

Spin Squeezing in the Ising Model

We analyze the collective spin noise in interacting spin systems. General expressions are derived for the short time behaviour of spin systems with general spin-spin interactions, and we suggest optimum experimental conditions for the detection of spin squeezing. For Ising models with site dependent nearest neighbour interactions general expressions are presented for the spin squeezing parameter for all times. The reduction of collective spin noise can be used to verify the entangling powers of quantum computer architectures based on interacting spins.Comment: 7 pages, including 3 figure

Structure of boson systems beyond the mean-field

We investigate systems of identical bosons with the focus on two-body correlations. We use the hyperspherical adiabatic method and a decomposition of the wave function in two-body amplitudes. An analytic parametrization is used for the adiabatic effective radial potential. We discuss the structure of a condensate for arbitrary scattering length. Stability and time scales for various decay processes are estimated. The previously predicted Efimov-like states are found to be very narrow. We discuss the validity conditions and formal connections between the zero- and finite-range mean-field approximations, Faddeev-Yakubovskii formulation, Jastrow ansatz, and the present method. We compare numerical results from present work with mean-field calculations and discuss qualitatively the connection with measurements.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, submitted to J. Phys. B. Ver. 2 is 28 pages with modified figures and discussion

Antiferromagnetic noise correlations in optical lattices

We analyze how noise correlations probed by time-of-flight (TOF) experiments reveal antiferromagnetic (AF) correlations of fermionic atoms in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) optical lattices. Combining analytical and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations using experimentally realistic parameters, we show that AF correlations can be detected for temperatures above and below the critical temperature for AF ordering. It is demonstrated that spin-resolved noise correlations yield important information about the spin ordering. Finally, we show how to extract the spin correlation length and the related critical exponent of the AF transition from the noise.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Dual Geometric Worm Algorithm for Two-Dimensional Discrete Classical Lattice Models

We present a dual geometrical worm algorithm for two-dimensional Ising models. The existence of such dual algorithms was first pointed out by Prokof'ev and Svistunov \cite{ProkofevClassical}. The algorithm is defined on the dual lattice and is formulated in terms of bond-variables and can therefore be generalized to other two-dimensional models that can be formulated in terms of bond-variables. We also discuss two related algorithms formulated on the direct lattice, applicable in any dimension. These latter algorithms turn out to be less efficient but of considerable intrinsic interest. We show how such algorithms quite generally can be "directed" by minimizing the probability for the worms to erase themselves. Explicit proofs of detailed balance are given for all the algorithms. In terms of computational efficiency the dual geometrical worm algorithm is comparable to well known cluster algorithms such as the Swendsen-Wang and Wolff algorithms, however, it is quite different in structure and allows for a very simple and efficient implementation. The dual algorithm also allows for a very elegant way of calculating the domain wall free energy.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, Revtex

Electronic structure and dimerization of a single monatomic gold wire

The electronic structure of a single monatomic gold wire is presented for the first time. It has been obtained with state-of-the-art ab-initio full-potential density-functional (DFT) LMTO (linearized muffin-tin orbital) calculations taking into account relativistic effects. For stretched structures in the experimentally accessible range the conduction band is exactly half-filled, whereas the band structures are more complex for the optimized structure. By studying the total energy as a function of unit-cell length and of a possible bond-length alternation we find that the system can lower its total energy by letting the bond lengths alternate leading to a structure containing separated dimers with bond lengths of about 2.5 \AA, largely independent of the stretching. However, first for fairly large unit cells (above roughly 7 \AA), is the total-energy gain upon this dimerization comparable with the energy costs upon stretching. We propose that this together with band-structure effects is the reason for the larger interatomic distances observed in recent experiments. We find also that although spin-orbit couplings lead to significant effects on the band structure, the overall conclusions are not altered, and that finite Au_2, Au_4, and Au_6 chains possess electronic properties very similar to those of the infinite chain.Comment: (14 pages, 5 figures; Elsevier Preprint style elsart.sty