Confinement effects in a guided-wave interferometer with millimeter-scale arm separation

Guided-wave atom interferometers measure interference effects using atoms held in a confining potential. In one common implementation, the confinement is primarily two-dimensional, and the atoms move along the nearly free dimension under the influence of an off-resonant standing wave laser beam. In this configuration, residual confinement along the nominally free axis can introduce a phase gradient to the atoms that limits the arm separation of the interferometer. We experimentally investigate this effect in detail, and show that it can be alleviated by having the atoms undergo a more symmetric motion in the guide. This can be achieved by either using additional laser pulses or by allowing the atoms to freely oscillate in the potential. Using these techniques, we demonstrate interferometer measurement times up to 72 ms and arm separations up to 0.42 mm with a well controlled phase, or times of 0.91 s and separations of 1.7 mm with an uncontrolled phase.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Transition amplitudes and sewing properties for bosons on the Riemann sphere

We consider scalar quantum fields on the sphere, both massive and massless. In the massive case we show that the correlation functions define amplitudes which are trace class operators between tensor products of a fixed Hilbert space. We also establish certain sewing properties between these operators. In the massless case we consider exponential fields and have a conformal field theory. In this case the amplitudes are only bilinear forms but still we establish sewing properties. Our results are obtained in a functional integral framework.Comment: 33 page

Birkhoff strata of the Grassmannian Gr(2)\mathrm{^{(2)}}: Algebraic curves

Algebraic varieties and curves arising in Birkhoff strata of the Sato Grassmannian Gr${^{(2)}}$ are studied. It is shown that the big cell $\Sigma_0$ contains the tower of families of the normal rational curves of all odd orders. Strata $\Sigma_{2n}$, $n=1,2,3,...$ contain hyperelliptic curves of genus $n$ and their coordinate rings. Strata $\Sigma_{2n+1}$, $n=0,1,2,3,...$ contain $(2m+1,2m+3)-$plane curves for $n=2m,2m-1$ $(m \geq 2)$ and $(3,4)$ and $(3,5)$ curves in $\Sigma_3$, $\Sigma_5$ respectively. Curves in the strata $\Sigma_{2n+1}$ have zero genus.Comment: 14 pages, no figures, improved some definitions, typos correcte

Hepatitis B and C virus infections and liver function in AIDS patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg

Background: Impaired liver function tests and co-infection with hepatitis viruses in AIDS patients are common in western countries.Objective: To assess liver function and prevalence of co-infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses in AIDS patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.Design: A prospective study.Setting: Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.Patients: One hundred consecutive patients with AIDS admitted to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.Results: There were 52 males and 48 females aged 16 to 54 years (mean + SD: 34.6 + 7.5 years). The results of laboratory test were as follows: LFTs: bilirubin 11.8 (+15.6) ìmol/ l; AST: 79.6 (±116.6) iu/L; alkaline phosphatase: 204.3 (±237.4) iì/L; albumin: 23.9 (±6.2) g/l; CD4+ Iymphocytes: 141.5 (±168.6) ìl; CD8+: 666.9 (±618.3) ìl; HBV - HbsAg: 6 (6%); HbsAg + eAg: 3 (3%); previous disease (Anti HBs and/or anti HBc): 35%, HCV: 1(1%).Conclusion: Liver function tests were impaired in the majority of patients with AIDS (93%) in our setting. Evidence of previous and present HBV infection was present in 41%. This is different from what is observed in western countries (90-95%). The results also suggest that patients here acquired HBV infection while still immuno competent. HCV infectionwas rare

The H\"older Inequality for KMS States

We prove a H\"older inequality for KMS States, which generalises a well-known trace-inequality. Our results are based on the theory of non-commutative $L_p$-spaces.Comment: 10 page

Equivalences between GIT quotients of Landau-Ginzburg B-models

We define the category of B-branes in a (not necessarily affine) Landau-Ginzburg B-model, incorporating the notion of R-charge. Our definition is a direct generalization of the category of perfect complexes. We then consider pairs of Landau-Ginzburg B-models that arise as different GIT quotients of a vector space by a one-dimensional torus, and show that for each such pair the two categories of B-branes are quasi-equivalent. In fact we produce a whole set of quasi-equivalences indexed by the integers, and show that the resulting auto-equivalences are all spherical twists.Comment: v3: Added two references. Final version, to appear in Comm. Math. Phy

Scanning SQUID Susceptometry of a paramagnetic superconductor

Scanning SQUID susceptometry images the local magnetization and susceptibility of a sample. By accurately modeling the SQUID signal we can determine the physical properties such as the penetration depth and permeability of superconducting samples. We calculate the scanning SQUID susceptometry signal for a superconducting slab of arbitrary thickness with isotropic London penetration depth, on a non-superconducting substrate, where both slab and substrate can have a paramagnetic response that is linear in the applied field. We derive analytical approximations to our general expression in a number of limits. Using our results, we fit experimental susceptibility data as a function of the sample-sensor spacing for three samples: 1) delta-doped SrTiO3, which has a predominantly diamagnetic response, 2) a thin film of LaNiO3, which has a predominantly paramagnetic response, and 3) a two-dimensional electron layer (2-DEL) at a SrTiO3/AlAlO3 interface, which exhibits both types of response. These formulas will allow the determination of the concentrations of paramagnetic spins and superconducting carriers from fits to scanning SQUID susceptibility measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure

Heat flux operator, current conservation and the formal Fourier's law

By revisiting previous definitions of the heat current operator, we show that one can define a heat current operator that satisfies the continuity equation for a general Hamiltonian in one dimension. This expression is useful for studying electronic, phononic and photonic energy flow in linear systems and in hybrid structures. The definition allows us to deduce the necessary conditions that result in current conservation for general-statistics systems. The discrete form of the Fourier's Law of heat conduction naturally emerges in the present definition

Rigorous Dynamics and Radiation Theory for a Pauli-Fierz Model in the Ultraviolet Limit

The present paper is devoted to the detailed study of quantization and evolution of the point limit of the Pauli-Fierz model for a charged oscillator interacting with the electromagnetic field in dipole approximation. In particular, a well defined dynamics is constructed for the classical model, which is subsequently quantized according to the Segal scheme. To this end, the classical model in the point limit is reformulated as a second order abstract wave equation, and a consistent quantum evolution is given. This allows a study of the behaviour of the survival and transition amplitudes for the process of decay of the excited states of the charged particle, and the emission of photons in the decay process. In particular, for the survival amplitude the exact time behaviour is found. This is completely determined by the resonances of the systems plus a tail term prevailing in the asymptotic, long time regime. Moreover, the survival amplitude exhibites in a fairly clear way the Lamb shift correction to the unperturbed frequencies of the oscillator.Comment: Shortened version. To appear in J. Math. Phy