Quenching across quantum critical points: role of topological patterns

We introduce a one-dimensional version of the Kitaev model consisting of spins on a two-legged ladder and characterized by Z_2 invariants on the plaquettes of the ladder. We map the model to a fermionic system and identify the topological sectors associated with different Z_2 patterns in terms of fermion occupation numbers. Within these different sectors, we investigate the effect of a linear quench across a quantum critical point. We study the dominant behavior of the system by employing a Landau-Zener-type analysis of the effective Hamiltonian in the low-energy subspace for which the effective quenching can sometimes be non-linear. We show that the quenching leads to a residual energy which scales as a power of the quenching rate, and that the power depends on the topological sectors and their symmetry properties in a non-trivial way. This behavior is consistent with the general theory of quantum quenching, but with the correlation length exponent \nu being different in different sectors.Comment: 5 pages including 2 figures; this is the published versio

Probabilistic teleportation of unknown two-particle state via POVM

We propose a scheme for probabilistic teleportation of unknown two-particle state with partly entangled four-particle state via POVM. In this scheme the teleportation of unknown two-particle state can be realized with certain probability by performing two Bell state measurements, a proper POVM and a unitary transformation.Comment: 5 pages, no figur

Dynamics of an inhomogeneous quantum phase transition

We argue that in a second order quantum phase transition driven by an inhomogeneous quench density of quasiparticle excitations is suppressed when velocity at which a critical point propagates across a system falls below a threshold velocity equal to the Kibble-Zurek correlation length times the energy gap at freeze-out divided by $\hbar$. This general prediction is supported by an analytic solution in the quantum Ising chain. Our results suggest, in particular, that adiabatic quantum computers can be made more adiabatic when operated in an "inhomogeneous" way.Comment: 7 pages; version to appear in a special issue of New J. Phy

Adiabatic dynamics of an inhomogeneous quantum phase transition: the case of z > 1 dynamical exponent

We consider an inhomogeneous quantum phase transition across a multicritical point of the XY quantum spin chain. This is an example of a Lifshitz transition with a dynamical exponent z = 2. Just like in the case z = 1 considered in New J. Phys. 12, 055007 (2010) when a critical front propagates much faster than the maximal group velocity of quasiparticles vq, then the transition is effectively homogeneous: density of excitations obeys a generalized Kibble-Zurek mechanism and scales with the sixth root of the transition rate. However, unlike for z = 1, the inhomogeneous transition becomes adiabatic not below vq but a lower threshold velocity v', proportional to inhomogeneity of the transition, where the excitations are suppressed exponentially. Interestingly, the adiabatic threshold v' is nonzero despite vanishing minimal group velocity of low energy quasiparticles. In the adiabatic regime below v' the inhomogeneous transition can be used for efficient adiabatic quantum state preparation in a quantum simulator: the time required for the critical front to sweep across a chain of N spins adiabatically is merely linear in N, while the corresponding time for a homogeneous transition across the multicritical point scales with the sixth power of N. What is more, excitations after the adiabatic inhomogeneous transition, if any, are brushed away by the critical front to the end of the spin chain.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, improved version accepted in NJ

Quench dynamics of topological quantum phase transition in Wen-plaquette model

We study the quench dynamics of the topological quantum phase transition in the two-dimensional transverse Wen-plaquette model, which has a phase transition from a Z2 topologically ordered to a spin-polarized state. By mapping the Wen-plaquette model onto a one-dimensional quantum Ising model, we calculate the expectation value of the plaquette operator Fi during a slowly quenching process from a topologically ordered state. A logarithmic scaling law of quench dynamics near the quantum phase transition is found, which is analogous to the well-known static critical behavior of the specific heat in the one-dimensional quantum Ising model.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures,add new conten

The oxygen abundance calibrations and N/O abundance ratios of ~40,000 SDSS star-forming galaxies

Using a large sample of 38,478 star-forming galaxies selected from the Second Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database (SDSS-DR2), we derive analytical calibrations for oxygen abundances from several metallicity-sensitive emission-line ratios: [N II]/H_alpha, [O III]/[N II], [N II]/[O II], [N II]/[S II], [S II]/H_alpha, and [O III]/H_beta. This consistent set of strong-line oxygen abundance calibrations will be useful for future abundance studies. Among these calibrations, [N II]/[O II] is the best for metal-rich galaxies due to its independence on ionization parameter and low scatter. Dust extinction must be considered properly at first. These calibrations are more suitable for metal-rich galaxies (8.4<12+log(O/H)<9.3), and for the nuclear regions of galaxies. The observed relations are consistent with those expected from the photoionization models of Kewley & Dopita (2002). However, most of the observational data spread in a range of ionization parameter q from 1*10^7 to 8*10^7 cm s^{-1}, corresponding to logU= -3.5 to -2.5, narrower than that suggested by the models. We also estimate the (N/O) abundance ratios of this large sample of galaxies, and these are consistent with the combination of a "primary" and a dominant "secondary" components of nitrogen.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, 1 table. ApJ in pres

Efficient electronic entanglement concentration assisted with single mobile electron

We present an efficient entanglement concentration protocol (ECP) for mobile electrons with charge detection. This protocol is quite different from other ECPs for one can obtain a maximally entangled pair from a pair of less-entangled state and a single mobile electron with a certain probability. With the help of charge detection, it can be repeated to reach a higher success probability. It also does not need to know the coefficient of the original less-entangled states. All these advantages may make this protocol useful in current distributed quantum information processing.Comment: 6pages, 3figure

Switching Mechanism in Single-Layer Molybdenum Disulfide Transistors: an Insight into Current Flow across Schottky Barriers

In this article, we study the properties of metal contacts to single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) crystals, revealing the nature of switching mechanism in MoS2 transistors. On investigating transistor behavior as contact length changes, we find that the contact resistivity for metal/MoS2 junctions is defined by contact area instead of contact width. The minimum gate dependent transfer length is ~0.63 {\mu}m in the on-state for metal (Ti) contacted single-layer MoS2. These results reveal that MoS2 transistors are Schottky barrier transistors, where the on/off states are switched by the tuning the Schottky barriers at contacts. The effective barrier heights for source and drain barriers are primarily controlled by gate and drain biases, respectively. We discuss the drain induced barrier narrowing effect for short channel devices, which may reduce the influence of large contact resistance for MoS2 Schottky barrier transistors at the channel length scaling limit.Comment: ACS Nano, ASAP (2013