Deterministic Dicke state preparation with continuous measurement and control

We characterize the long-time projective behavior of the stochastic master equation describing a continuous, collective spin measurement of an atomic ensemble both analytically and numerically. By adding state based feedback, we show that it is possible to prepare highly entangled Dicke states deterministically.Comment: Additional information is available at http://minty.caltech.edu/Ensemble

Scattering of polarized laser light by an atomic gas in free space: a QSDE approach

We propose a model, based on a quantum stochastic differential equation (QSDE), to describe the scattering of polarized laser light by an atomic gas. The gauge terms in the QSDE account for the direct scattering of the laser light into different field channels. Once the model has been set, we can rigorously derive quantum filtering equations for balanced polarimetry and homodyne detection experiments, study the statistics of output processes and investigate a strong driving, weak coupling limit.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

States for phase estimation in quantum interferometry

Ramsey interferometry allows the estimation of the phase $\phi$ of rotation of the pseudospin vector of an ensemble of two-state quantum systems. For $\phi$ small, the noise-to-signal ratio scales as the spin-squeezing parameter $\xi$, with $\xi<1$ possible for an entangled ensemble. However states with minimum $\xi$ are not optimal for single-shot measurements of an arbitrary phase. We define a phase-squeezing parameter, $\zeta$, which is an appropriate figure-of-merit for this case. We show that (unlike the states that minimize $\xi$), the states that minimize $\zeta$ can be created by evolving an unentangled state (coherent spin state) by the well-known 2-axis counter-twisting Hamiltonian. We analyse these and other states (for example the maximally entangled state, analogous to the optical "NOON" state $|\psi> = (|N,0>+|0,N>)/\sqrt{2}$) using several different properties, including $\xi$, $\zeta$, the coefficients in the pseudo angular momentum basis (in the three primary directions) and the angular Wigner function $W(\theta,\phi)$. Finally we discuss the experimental options for creating phase squeezed states and doing single-shot phase estimation.Comment: 8 pages and 5 figure

Extended emission-line regions in low-redshift quasars: Dependence on nuclear spectral properties

We searched for the presence of extended emission-line regions (EELRs) around low-redshift QSOs. We observed a sample of 20 mainly radio-quiet low-redshift quasars (z<0.3) by means of integral field spectroscopy. After decomposing the extended and nuclear emission components, we constructed [OIII] 5007 narrow-band images of the EELR to measure the total flux. From the same data we obtained high S/N (>50) nuclear spectra to measure properties such as [OIII]/Hbeta flux ratios, FeII equivalent widths and Hbeta line widths. A significant fraction of the quasars (8/20) show a luminous EELR, with detected linear sizes of several kpc. Whether or not a QSO has a luminous EELR is strongly related with nuclear properties, in the sense that an EELR was detected in objects with low FeII equivalent width and large Hbeta FWHM. The EELRs were detected preferentially in QSOs with larger black hole masses. There is no discernible relation, however, between EELR detection and QSO luminosity and Eddington ratio.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&

A comparative HST imaging study of the host galaxies of radio-quiet quasars, radio-loud quasars and radio galaxies: Paper I

We present the first results from a major HST WFPC2 imaging study aimed at providing the first statistically meaningful comparison of the morphologies, luminosities, scalelengths and colours of the host galaxies of radio-quiet quasars, radio-loud quasars, and radio galaxies. We describe the design of this study and present the images which have been obtained for the first half of our 33-source sample. We find that the hosts of all three classes of luminous AGN are massive elliptical galaxies, with scalelengths ~=10 kpc, and R-K colours consistent with mature stellar populations. Most importantly this is the the first unambiguous evidence that, just like radio-loud quasars, essentially all radio-quiet quasars brighter than M_R = -24 reside in massive ellipticals. This result removes the possibility that radio `loudness' is directly linked to host galaxy morphology, but is however in excellent accord with the black-hole/spheroid mass correlation recently highlighted by Magorrian et al. (1998). We apply the relations given by Magorrian et al. to infer the expected Eddington luminosity of the putative black hole at the centre of each of the spheroidal host galaxies we have uncovered. Comparison with the actual nuclear R-band luminosities suggests that the black holes in most of these galaxies are radiating at a few percent of the Eddington luminosity; the brightest host galaxies in our low-z sample are capable of hosting quasars with M_R = -28, comparable to the most luminous quasars at z = 3. Finally we discuss our host-derived black-hole masses in the context of the radio-luminosity:black-hole mass correlation recently uncovered for nearby galaxies by Franceschini et al. (1998), and the resulting implications for the physical origin of radio loudness.Comment: Submitted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, 55 pages of latex, plus 12 postscript figures (Figures 1a-1s (greyscales of images and model fits, and Figures 2a-2g (luminosity profiles and model fits) can be downloaded from http://www.roe.ac.uk/astronomy/html/rjm1.shtml

Characterizing the entanglement of symmetric many-particle spin-1/2 systems

Analyzing the properties of entanglement in many-particle spin-1/2 systems is generally difficult because the system's Hilbert space grows exponentially with the number of constituent particles, $N$. Fortunately, it is still possible to investigate many-particle entanglement when the state of the system possesses sufficient symmetry. In this paper, we present a practical method for efficiently computing various bipartite entanglement measures for states in the symmetric subspace and perform these calculations for $N\sim 10^3$. By considering all possible bipartite splits, we construct a picture of the multiscale entanglement in large symmetric systems. In particular, we characterize dynamically generated spin-squeezed states by comparing them to known reference states (e.g., GHZ and Dicke states) and new families of states with near-maximal bipartite entropy. We quantify the trade-off between the degree of entanglement and its robustness to particle loss, emphasizing that substantial entanglement need not be fragile.Comment: Updated version reflects changes made in January 200

Recognition, assessment and treatment of social anxiety disorder: summary of NICE guidance

Social anxiety disorder is one of the most persistent and common of the anxiety disorders, with lifetime prevalence rates in Europe of 6.7% (range 3.9-13.7%).1 It often coexists with depression, substance use disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.2 It can severely impair a person’s daily functioning by impeding the formation of relationships, reducing quality of life, and negatively affecting performance at work or school. Despite this, and the fact that effective treatments exist, only about half of people with this condition seek treatment, many after waiting 10-15 years.3 Although about 40% of those who develop the condition in childhood or adolescence recover before adulthood,4 for many the disorder persists into adulthood, with the chance of spontaneous recovery then limited compared with other mental health problems. This article summarises the most recent recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on recognising, assessing, and treating social anxiety disorder in children, young people, and adults.

Mapping the ionised gas around the luminous QSO HE 1029-1401: Evidence for minor merger events?

We present VIMOS integral field spectroscopy of the brightest radio-quiet QSO on the southern sky HE 1029-1401 at a redshift of z=0.086. Standard decomposition techniques for broad-band imaging are extended to integral field data in order to deblend the QSO and host emission. We perform a tentative analysis of the stellar continuum finding a young stellar population (<100Myr) or a featureless continuum embedded in an old stellar population (10Gyr) typical for a massive elliptical galaxy. The stellar velocity dispersion of sigma_*=320\pm90 km/s and the estimated black hole mass log(M_BH/M_sun)=8.7\pm0.3 are consistent with the local M_BH-sigma_* relation within the errors. For the first time we map the two-dimensional ionised gas distribution and the gas velocity field around HE 1029-1401. While the stellar host morphology is purely elliptical we find a highly structured distribution of ionised gas out to 16 kpc from the QSO. The gas is highly ionised solely by the QSO radiation and has a significantly lower metallicity than would be expected for the stellar mass of the host, indicating an external origin of the gas most likely due to minor mergers. We find a rotating gas disc around the QSO and a dispersion-dominated non-rotating gas component within the central 3 kpc. At larger distances the velocity field is heavily disturbed, which could be interpreted as another signature of past minor merger events. Alternatively, the arc-like structure seen in the ionised gas might also be indicative of a large-scale expanding bubble, centred on and possibly driven by the active nucleus.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in A&

Entanglement Sharing in the Two-Atom Tavis-Cummings Model

Individual members of an ensemble of identical systems coupled to a common probe can become entangled with one another, even when they do not interact directly. We investigate how this type of multipartite entanglement is generated in the context of a system consisting of two two-level atoms resonantly coupled to a single mode of the electromagnetic field. The dynamical evolution is studied in terms of the entanglements in the different bipartite partitions of the system, as quantified by the I-tangle. We also propose a generalization of the so-called residual tangle that quantifies the inherent three-body correlations in our tripartite system. This enables us to completely characterize the phenomenon of entanglement sharing in the case of the two-atom Tavis-Cummings model, a system of both theoretical and experimental interest.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PRA, v3 contains corrections to small error

Reverse quantum state engineering using electronic feedback loops

We propose an all-electronic technique to manipulate and control interacting quantum systems by unitary single-jump feedback conditioned on the outcome of a capacitively coupled electrometer and in particular a single-electron transistor. We provide a general scheme to stabilize pure states in the quantum system and employ an effective Hamiltonian method for the quantum master equation to elaborate on the nature of stabilizable states and the conditions under which state purification can be achieved. The state engineering within the quantum feedback scheme is shown to be linked with the solution of an inverse eigenvalue problem. Two applications of the feedback scheme are presented in detail: (i) stabilization of delocalized pure states in a single charge qubit and (ii) entanglement stabilization in two coupled charge qubits. In the latter example we demonstrate the stabilization of a maximally entangled Bell state for certain detector positions and local feedback operations.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, to be published by New Journal of Physics (2013