Localization of Macroscopic Object Induced by the Factorization of Internal Adiabatic Motion

To account for the phenomenon of quantum decoherence of a macroscopic object, such as the localization and disappearance of interference, we invoke the adiabatic quantum entanglement between its collective states(such as that of the center-of-mass (C.M)) and its inner states based on our recent investigation. Under the adiabatic limit that motion of C.M dose not excite the transition of inner states, it is shown that the wave function of the macroscopic object can be written as an entangled state with correlation between adiabatic inner states and quasi-classical motion configurations of the C.M. Since the adiabatic inner states are factorized with respect to each parts composing the macroscopic object, this adiabatic separation can induce the quantum decoherence. This observation thus provides us with a possible solution to the Schroedinger cat paradoxComment: Revtex4,23 pages,1figur

Quantum Thermalization With Couplings

We study the role of the system-bath coupling for the generalized canonical thermalization [S. Popescu, et al., Nature Physics 2,754(2006) and S. Goldstein et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 050403(2006)] that reduces almost all the pure states of the "universe" [formed by a system S plus its surrounding heat bath $B$] to a canonical equilibrium state of S. We present an exactly solvable, but universal model for this kinematic thermalization with an explicit consideration about the energy shell deformation due to the interaction between S and B. By calculating the state numbers of the "universe" and its subsystems S and B in various deformed energy shells, it is found that, for the overwhelming majority of the "universe" states (they are entangled at least), the diagonal canonical typicality remains robust with respect to finite interactions between S and B. Particularly, the kinematic decoherence is utilized here to account for the vanishing of the off-diagonal elements of the reduced density matrix of S. It is pointed out that the non-vanishing off-diagonal elements due to the finiteness of bath and the stronger system-bath interaction might offer more novelties of the quantum thermalization.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001): More than just honeycombs

The potential of graphene to impact the development of the next generation of electronics has renewed interest in its growth and structure. The graphitization of hexagonal SiC surfaces provides a viable alternative for the synthesis of graphene, with wafer-size epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) now possible. Despite this recent progress, the exact nature of the graphene-SiC interface and whether the graphene even has a semiconducting gap remain controversial. Using scanning tunneling microscopy with functionalized tips and density functional theory calculations, here we show that the interface is a warped carbon sheet consisting of three-fold hexagon-pentagon-heptagon complexes periodically inserted into the honeycomb lattice. These defects relieve the strain between the graphene layer and the SiC substrate, while still retaining the three-fold coordination for each carbon atom. Moreover, these defects break the six-fold symmetry of the honeycomb, thereby naturally inducing a gap: the calculated band structure of the interface is semiconducting and there are two localized states near K below the Fermi level, explaining the photoemission and carbon core-level data. Nonlinear dispersion and a 33 meV gap are found at the Dirac point for the next layer of graphene, providing insights into the debate over the origin of the gap in epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001). These results indicate that the interface of the epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) is more than a dead buffer layer, but actively impacts the physical and electronic properties of the subsequent graphene layers

An SU(4) Model of High-Temperature Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism

We present an SU(4) model of high-temperature superconductivity having many similarities to dynamical symmetries known to play an important role in microscopic nuclear structure physics and in elementary particle physics. Analytical solutions in three dynamical symmetry limits of this model are found: an SO(4) limit associated with antiferromagnetic order; an SU(2) X SO(3) limit that may be interpreted as a d-wave pairing condensate; and an SO(5) limit that may be interpreted as a doorway state between the antiferromagnetic order and the superconducting order. The model suggests a phase diagram in qualitative agreement with that observed in the cuprate superconductors. The relationship between the present model and the SO(5) unification of superconductivity and antiferromagnetic order proposed by Zhang is discussed.Comment: A long paper extended from the early version cond-mat/9903150; accepted by Phys. Rev.