270 research outputs found
Vibronic spectroscopy of an artificial molecule
With advanced fabrication techniques it is possible to make nanoscale
electronic structures that have discrete energy levels. Such structures are
called artificial atoms because of analogy with true atoms. Examples of such
atoms are quantum dots in semiconductor heterostructures and Josephson-junction
qubits. It is also possible to have artificial atoms interacting with each
other. This is an artificial molecule in the sense that the electronic states
are analogous to the ones in a molecule. In this letter we present a different
type of artificial molecule that, in addition to electronic states, also
includes the analog of nuclear vibrations in a diatomic molecule. Some of the
earlier experiments could be interpreted using this analogy, including qubits
coupled to oscillators and qubits driven by an intense field. In our case the
electronic states of the molecule are represented by a Josephson-junction
qubit, and the nuclear separation corresponds to the magnetic flux in a loop
containing the qubit and an LC oscillator. We probe the vibronic transitions,
where both the electronic and vibrational states change simultaneously, and
find that they are analogous to true molecules. The vibronic transitions could
be used for sideband cooling of the oscillator, and we see damping up to
sidebands of order 10.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Direct Wigner tomography of a superconducting anharmonic oscillator
The analysis of wave-packet dynamics may be greatly simplified when viewed in
phase-space. While harmonic oscillators are often used as a convenient platform
to study wave-packets, arbitrary state preparation in these systems is more
challenging. Here, we demonstrate a direct measurement of the Wigner
distribution of complex photon states in an anharmonic oscillator - a
superconducting phase circuit, biased in the small anharmonicity regime. We
test our method on both non-classical states composed of two energy eigenstates
and on the dynamics of a phase-locked wavepacket. This method requires a simple
calibration, and is easily applicable in our system out to the fifth level.Comment: 5 figures, 1 table and supplementary materia
Sub-Planck scale structures in the P{\"o}schl-Teller potential and their sensitivity to perturbations
We find the existence of sub-Planck scale structures in the P{\"o}schl-Teller
potential, which is an exactly solvable potential with both symmetric and
asymmetric features. We analyze these structures in both cases by looking at
the Wigner distribution of the state evolved from an initial coherent state up
to various fractional revival times. We also investigate the sensitivity to
perturbations of the P{\"o}schl-Teller potential and we verify that, similar to
the harmonic oscillator, the presence of sub-Planck structure in phase space is
responsible for a high sensitivity to phase-space displacements.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, replaced with revised version. Accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev.
Robustness Analysis of Pin Joining
The trend towards lightweight design, driven by increasingly stringent emission targets, poses challenges to conventional joining processes due to the different mechanical properties of the joining partners used to manufacture multi-material systems. For this reason, new versatile joining processes are in demand for joining dissimilar materials. In this regard, pin joining with cold extruded pin structures is a relatively new, two-stage joining process for joining materials such as high-strength steel and aluminium as well as steel and fibre-reinforced plastic to multi-material systems, without the need for auxiliary elements. Due to the novelty of the process, there are currently only a few studies on the robustness of this joining process available. Thus, limited statements on the stability of the joining process considering uncertain process conditions, such as varying material properties or friction values, can be provided. Motivated by this, the presented work investigates the influence of different uncertain process parameters on the pin extrusion as well as on the joining process itself, carrying out a systematic robustness analysis. Therefore, the methodical approach covers the complete process chain of pin joining, including the load-bearing capacity of the joint by means of numerical simulation and data-driven methods. Thereby, a deeper understanding of the pin joining process is generated and the versatility of the novel joining process is increased. Additionally, the provision of manufacturing recommendations for the forming of pin joints leads to a significant decrease in the failure probability caused by ploughing or buckling effects
Generating entangled superpositions of macroscopically distinguishable states within a parametric oscillator
We suggest a variant of the recently proposed experiment for the generation
of a new kind of Schroedinger-cat states, using two coupled parametric
down-converter nonlinear crystals [F. De Martini, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 2842
(1998)]. We study the parametric oscillator case and find that an entangled
Schroedinger-cat type state of two cavities, whose mirrors are placed along the
output beams of the nonlinear crystals, can be realized under suitable
conditions.Comment: RevTeX 17 pages, 9 eps files for 7 figures. Submitted to Physical
Review
Europe’s electricity regime: restoration or thorough transition
Concerns about climate change, diminishing social acceptance of traditional fuels, and technological innovations have led several countries to pursue energy transition strategies, typically by massive diffusion of renewable electricity supplies. The German ‘Energiewende’ has been successful so far in terms of deploying renewable power, mainly by applying particular feed-in tariffs, and by bundling public, academic, industrial and political support. So far though, only few EU member states proceed with a similar transition. In March 2014 CEOs of Europe’s major energy companies publicly opposed a fast and thorough transformation of electricity supplies to become fully renewable. In April 2014 the European Commission published new state aid guidelines, generally mandating renewable energy support mechanisms (premiums, tenders) of lesser performance than regularly adjusted, specific feed-in tariffs. The new guidelines are likely to be pernicious for the fast deployment of renewable electricity supplies.In light of these challenges, this position paper highlights two implications of power sector transitions. First, the engineering-economics theory of power generation systems needs fundamental revision, mainly since a growing share of power sources no longer function on command. Second, and based on the experience in Germany, the paper sketches out a strategy for a thorough transition of the power sector, which, in the end, also entails normative judgements. Deep changes in energy systems and associated ways of living require societal consensus building based on ethical considerations
Quantum Gas Mixtures and Dual-Species Atom Interferometry in Space
The capability to reach ultracold atomic temperatures in compact instruments
has recently been extended into space. Ultracold temperatures amplify quantum
effects, while free-fall allows further cooling and longer interactions time
with gravity - the final force without a quantum description. On Earth, these
devices have produced macroscopic quantum phenomena such as Bose-Einstein
condensation (BECs), superfluidity, and strongly interacting quantum gases.
Quantum sensors interfering the superposition of two ultracold atomic isotopes
have tested the Universality of Free Fall (UFF), a core tenet of Einstein's
classical gravitational theory, at the level. In space, cooling the
elements needed to explore the rich physics of strong interactions and
preparing the multiple species required for quantum tests of the UFF has
remained elusive. Here, utilizing upgraded capabilities of the multi-user Cold
Atom Lab (CAL) instrument within the International Space Station (ISS), we
report the first simultaneous production of a dual species Bose-Einstein
condensate in space (formed from Rb and K), observation of
interspecies interactions, as well as the production of K ultracold
gases. We have further achieved the first space-borne demonstration of
simultaneous atom interferometry with two atomic species (Rb and
K). These results are an important step towards quantum tests of UFF in
space, and will allow scientists to investigate aspects of few-body physics,
quantum chemistry, and fundamental physics in novel regimes without the
perturbing asymmetry of gravity
Opposite-side flavour tagging of B mesons at the LHCb experiment
The calibration and performance of the oppositeside
flavour tagging algorithms used for the measurements
of time-dependent asymmetries at the LHCb experiment
are described. The algorithms have been developed using
simulated events and optimized and calibrated with
B
+ →J/ψK
+, B0 →J/ψK
∗0 and B0 →D
∗−
μ
+
νμ decay
modes with 0.37 fb−1 of data collected in pp collisions
at
√
s = 7 TeV during the 2011 physics run. The oppositeside
tagging power is determined in the B
+ → J/ψK
+
channel to be (2.10 ± 0.08 ± 0.24) %, where the first uncertainty
is statistical and the second is systematic
Measurement of the branching fraction
The branching fraction is measured in a data sample
corresponding to 0.41 of integrated luminosity collected with the LHCb
detector at the LHC. This channel is sensitive to the penguin contributions
affecting the sin2 measurement from The
time-integrated branching fraction is measured to be . This is the most precise measurement to
date
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