Quantum Dynamics of Multiferroic Helimagnets: a Schwinger-Boson Approach

We study the quantum dynamics/fluctuation of the cycloidal helical magnet in terms of the Schwinger boson approach. In sharp contrast to the classical fluctuation, the quantum fluctuation is collinear in nature which gives rise to the collinear spin density wave state slightly above the helical cycloidal state as the temperature is lowered. Physical properties such as the reduced elliptic ratio of the spiral, the neutron scattering and infrared absorption spectra are discussed from this viewpoint with the possible relevance to the quasi-one dimensional LiCu$_2$O$_2$ and LiCuVO$_4$.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Analysis of an experimental quantum logic gate by complementary classical operations

Quantum logic gates can perform calculations much more efficiently than their classical counterparts. However, the level of control needed to obtain a reliable quantum operation is correspondingly higher. In order to evaluate the performance of experimental quantum gates, it is therefore necessary to identify the essential features that indicate quantum coherent operation. In this paper, we show that an efficient characterization of an experimental device can be obtained by investigating the classical logic operations on a pair of complementary basis sets. It is then possible to obtain reliable predictions about the quantum coherent operations of the gate such as entanglement generation and Bell state discrimination even without performing these operations directly.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure, 3 tables, Brief Review for Modern Physics Letters A, includes a more detailed analysis of the experimental data in Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 210506 (2005) (quant-ph/0506263). v2 has minor corrections in layou

Quantum phase gate for photonic qubits using only beam splitters and post-selection

We show that a beam splitter of reflectivity one-third can be used to realize a quantum phase gate operation if only the outputs conserving the number of photons on each side are post-selected.Comment: 6 pages RevTex, including one figur

Topological nature of polarization and charge pumping in ferroelectrics

Electric polarization or transferred charge due to an adiabatic change of external parameters $\vec{Q}$ is expressed in terms of a vector field defined in the $\vec{Q}$ space. This vector field is characterized by strings, i.e., trajectories of band-crossing points. In particular, the transverse component is given by the Biot-Savart law in a nonlocal way. For a cyclic change of $\vec{Q}$ along a loop C, the linking number between this string and C represents the amount of the pumped charge, which is quantized to be an integer as discussed by Thouless.Comment: 5 pages including 4 figure

Enhanced dielectric response by disordered nanoscale/mesoscopic insulators

Enhancement of the dielectric response of insulators by disorder is theoretically proposed, where the quantum interference of electronic waves through the nanoscale/mesoscopic system and its change due to external perturbations control the polarization. In the disordered case with all the states being localized, the resonant tunneling, which is topologically protected, plays a crucial role, and enhances the dielectric response by a factor 30~40 compared with the pure case. Realization of this idea with accessible materials/structures is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages including 3 figures; minor revision; a high-resolution figure available at http://appi.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~sonoda/papers.htm

Immersion Anomaly of Dirac Operator on Surface in R^3

In previous report (J. Phys. A (1997) 30 4019-4029), I showed that the Dirac field confined in a surface immersed in $R^3$ by means of a mass type potential is governed by the Konopelchenko-Kenmotsu-Weierstrass-Enneper equation. In this article, I quantized the Dirac field and calculated the gauge transformation which exhibits the gauge freedom of the parameterization of the surface. Then using the Ward-Takahashi identity, I showed that the expectation value of the action of the Dirac field is expressed by the Willmore functional and area of the surface.Comment: AMS-Tex Us

Similar dissection of sets

In 1994, Martin Gardner stated a set of questions concerning the dissection of a square or an equilateral triangle in three similar parts. Meanwhile, Gardner's questions have been generalized and some of them are already solved. In the present paper, we solve more of his questions and treat them in a much more general context. Let $D\subset \mathbb{R}^d$ be a given set and let $f_1,...,f_k$ be injective continuous mappings. Does there exist a set $X$ such that $D = X \cup f_1(X) \cup ... \cup f_k(X)$ is satisfied with a non-overlapping union? We prove that such a set $X$ exists for certain choices of $D$ and $\{f_1,...,f_k\}$. The solutions $X$ often turn out to be attractors of iterated function systems with condensation in the sense of Barnsley. Coming back to Gardner's setting, we use our theory to prove that an equilateral triangle can be dissected in three similar copies whose areas have ratio $1:1:a$ for $a \ge (3+\sqrt{5})/2$

Nonexponential decay of an unstable quantum system: Small-QQ-value s-wave decay

We study the decay process of an unstable quantum system, especially the deviation from the exponential decay law. We show that the exponential period no longer exists in the case of the s-wave decay with small $Q$ value, where the $Q$ value is the difference between the energy of the initially prepared state and the minimum energy of the continuous eigenstates in the system. We also derive the quantitative condition that this kind of decay process takes place and discuss what kind of system is suitable to observe the decay.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure

The Synaptic Vesicle Cycle Revisited:New Insights into the Modes and Mechanisms

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Journal of Neuroscience 39(42), (2019): 8209-8216, doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1158-19.2019.Neurotransmission is sustained by endocytosis and refilling of synaptic vesicles (SVs) locally within the presynapse. Until recently, a consensus formed that after exocytosis, SVs are recovered by either fusion pore closure (kiss-and-run) or clathrin-mediated endocytosis directly from the plasma membrane. However, recent data have revealed that SV formation is more complex than previously envisaged. For example, two additional recycling pathways have been discovered, ultrafast endocytosis and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis, in which SVs are regenerated from the internalized membrane and synaptic endosomes. Furthermore, these diverse modes of endocytosis appear to influence both the molecular composition and subsequent physiological role of individual SVs. In addition, previously unknown complexity in SV refilling and reclustering has been revealed. This review presents a modern view of the SV life cycle and discusses how neuronal subtype, physiological temperature, and individual activity patterns can recruit different endocytic modes to generate new SVs and sculpt subsequent presynaptic performance.This work was supported by: Schram-Stiftung T287/25457 and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Emmy Noether Young Investigator Award MI-1702/1 to I.M.); the Wellcome Trust (204954/Z/16/Z to M.A.C.); the National Science Foundation (1727260 to S.W.), the National Institutes of Health (NINDS DP2 NS111133 and R01 NS105810 to S.W.); the McKnight Foundation (S.W.); the Sloan Foundation (S.W.); and the National Institutes of Health (NINDS/NIA R01 NS078165 to J.R.M. and NIMH R01 MH066198 to Dr. Ege Kavalali, which supports N.L.C.). We thank Dragomir Milovanovic for helpful comments on this manuscript.2020-04-1