1,206 research outputs found
A new class of trapped light filaments
New class light filament identified in Raman radiation of intense ruby laser bea
A terahertz grid frequency doubler
We present a 144-element terahertz quasi-optical grid frequency doubler. The grid is a planar structure with bow-tie antennas as a unit cell, each loaded with a planar Schottky diode. The maximum output power measured for this grid is 24 mW at 1 THz for 3.1-ÎŒs 500-GHz input pulses with a peak input power of 47 W. An efficiency of 0.17% for an input power of 6.3 W and output power of 10.8 mW is measured. To date, this is the largest recorded output power for a multiplier at terahertz frequencies. Input and output tuning curves are presented and an output pattern is measured and compared to theory
Signal velocity, causality, and quantum noise in superluminal light pulse propagation
We consider pulse propagation in a linear anomalously dispersive medium where
the group velocity exceeds the speed of light in vacuum (c) or even becomes
negative. A signal velocity is defined operationally based on the optical
signal-to-noise ratio, and is computed for cases appropriate to the recent
experiment where such a negative group velocity was observed. It is found that
quantum fluctuations limit the signal velocity to values less than c.Comment: 4 Journal pages, 3 figure
Cultureâgene coevolution of individualismâcollectivism and the serotonin transporter gene
Cultureâgene coevolutionary theory posits that cultural values have evolved, are adaptive and influence the social and physical environments under which genetic selection operates. Here, we examined the association between cultural values of individualismâcollectivism and allelic frequency of the serotonin transporter functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) as well as the role this cultureâgene association may play in explaining global variability in prevalence of pathogens and affective disorders. We found evidence that collectivistic cultures were significantly more likely to comprise individuals carrying the short (S) allele of the 5-HTTLPR across 29 nations. Results further show that historical pathogen prevalence predicts cultural variability in individualismâcollectivism owing to genetic selection of the S allele. Additionally, cultural values and frequency of S allele carriers negatively predict global prevalence of anxiety and mood disorder. Finally, mediation analyses further indicate that increased frequency of S allele carriers predicted decreased anxiety and mood disorder prevalence owing to increased collectivistic cultural values. Taken together, our findings suggest cultureâgene coevolution between allelic frequency of 5-HTTLPR and cultural values of individualismâcollectivism and support the notion that cultural values buffer genetically susceptible populations from increased prevalence of affective disorders. Implications of the current findings for understanding cultureâgene coevolution of human brain and behaviour as well as how this coevolutionary process may contribute to global variation in pathogen prevalence and epidemiology of affective disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are discussed
The Electron Spectral Function in Two-Dimensional Fractionalized Phases
We study the electron spectral function of various zero-temperature
spin-charge separated phases in two dimensions. In these phases, the electron
is not a fundamental excitation of the system, but rather ``decays'' into a
spin-1/2 chargeless fermion (the spinon) and a spinless charge e boson (the
chargon). Using low-energy effective theories for the spinons (d-wave pairing
plus possible N\'{e}el order), and the chargons (condensed or quantum
disordered bosons), we explore three phases of possible relevance to the
cuprate superconductors: 1) AF*, a fractionalized antiferromagnet where the
spinons are paired into a state with long-ranged N\'{e}el order and the
chargons are 1/2-filled and (Mott) insulating, 2) the nodal liquid, a
fractionalized insulator where the spinons are d-wave paired and the chargons
are uncondensed, and 3) the d-wave superconductor, where the chargons are
condensed and the spinons retain a d-wave gap. Working within the gauge
theory of such fractionalized phases, our results should be valid at scales
below the vison gap. However, on a phenomenological level, our results should
apply to any spin-charge separated system where the excitations have these
low-energy effective forms. Comparison with ARPES data in the undoped,
pseudogapped, and superconducting regions is made.Comment: 10 page
Fast light, slow light, and phase singularities: a connection to generalized weak values
We demonstrate that Aharonov-Albert-Vaidman (AAV) weak values have a direct
relationship with the response function of a system, and have a much wider
range of applicability in both the classical and quantum domains than
previously thought. Using this idea, we have built an optical system, based on
a birefringent photonic crystal, with an infinite number of weak values. In
this system, the propagation speed of a polarized light pulse displays both
superluminal and slow light behavior with a sharp transition between the two
regimes. We show that this system's response possesses two-dimensional,
vortex-antivortex phase singularities. Important consequences for optical
signal processing are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted in Physical Review Letters (2003
Multibarrier tunneling
We study the tunneling through an arbitrary number of finite rectangular
opaque barriers and generalize earlier results by showing that the total
tunneling phase time depends neither on the barrier thickness nor on the
inter-barrier separation. We also predict two novel peculiar features of the
system considered, namely the independence of the transit time (for non
resonant tunneling) and the resonant frequency on the number of barriers
crossed, which can be directly tested in photonic experiments. A thorough
analysis of the role played by inter-barrier multiple reflections and a
physical interpretation of the results obtained is reported, showing that
multibarrier tunneling is a highly non-local phenomenon.Comment: RevTex, 7 pages, 1 eps figur
Theory of vortex lattice effects on STM spectra in d-wave superconductors
Theory of scanning tunneling spectroscopy of low energy quasiparticle (QP)
states in vortex lattices of d-wave superconductors is developed taking account
of the effects caused by an extremely large extension of QP wavefunctions in
the nodal directions and the band structure in the QP spectrum. The oscillatory
structures in STM spectra, which correspond to van Hove singularities are
analysed. Theoretical calculations carried out for finite temperatures and
scattering rates are compared with recent experimental data for high
temperature cuprates.Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures, M2S-HTSC-VI conference paper, using Elsevier
style espcrc2.st
- âŠ