Quantum Fluctuations in Josephson Junction Comparators

We have developed a method for calculation of quantum fluctuation effects, in particular of the uncertainty zone developing at the potential curvature sign inversion, for a damped harmonic oscillator with arbitrary time dependence of frequency and for arbitrary temperature, within the Caldeira-Leggett model. The method has been applied to the calculation of the gray zone width Delta Ix of Josephson-junction balanced comparators driven by a specially designed low-impedance RSFQ circuit. The calculated temperature dependence of Delta Ix in the range 1.5 to 4.2K is in a virtually perfect agreement with experimental data for Nb-trilayer comparators with critical current densities of 1.0 and 5.5 kA/cm^2, without any fitting parameters.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Algebraic Model for scattering in three-s-cluster systems. I. Theoretical Background

A framework to calculate two-particle matrix elements for fully antisymmetrized three-cluster configurations is presented. The theory is developed for a scattering situation described in terms of the Algebraic Model. This means that the nuclear many-particle state and its asymptotic behaviour are expanded in terms of oscillator states of the intra-cluster coordinates. The Generating Function technique is used to optimize the calculation of matrix elements. In order to derive the dynamical equations, a multichannel version of the Algebraic Model is presented.Comment: 20 pages, 1 postscript figure, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Magnetic properties and magnetostructural phase transitions in Ni2+xMn1-xGa shape memory alloys

A systematic study of magnetic properties of Ni2+xMn1-xGa (0 \le x \le 0.19) Heusler alloys undergoing structural martensite-austenite transformations while in ferromagnetic state has been performed. From measurements of spontaneous magnetization, Ms(T), jumps \Delta M at structural phase transitions were determined. Virtual Curie temperatures of the martensite were estimated from the comparison of magnetization in martensitic and austenitic phases. Both saturation magnetic moments in ferromagnetic state and effective magnetic moments in paramagnetic state of Mn and Ni atoms were estimated and the influence of delocalization effects on magnetism in these alloys was discussed. The experimental results obtained show that the shift of martensitic transition temperature depends weakly on composition. The values of this shift are in good correspondence with Clapeyron-Clausius formalism taking into account the experimental data on latent heat at martensite-austenite transformations.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Measuring microwave quantum states: tomogram and moments

Two measurable characteristics of microwave one-mode photon states are discussed: a rotated quadrature distribution (tomogram) and normally/antinormally ordered moments of photon creation and annihilation operators. Extraction of these characteristics from amplified microwave signal is presented. Relations between the tomogram and the moments are found and can be used as a cross check of experiments. Formalism of the ordered moments is developed. The state purity and generalized uncertainty relations are considered in terms of moments. Unitary and non-unitary time evolution of moments is obtained in the form of linear differential equations in contrast to partial differential equations for quasidistributions. Time evolution is specified for the cases of a harmonic oscillator and a damped harmonic oscillator, which describe noiseless and decoherence processes, respectively.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Growth and Segregation of Intermenallic Phases in Zirconium Alloys

Relations between the processes of growth of intermetallic inclusions and their surface segregation in binary and ternary alloys of zirconium are presented. An increased surface concentration of iron atoms was observed, and is associated with intermetallic inclusion growth with increased annealing temperature of the deformed alloys. Modelling the asymmetric growth of these intermetallic inclusions, leading to their migration, have enabled the determination of the diffusion coefficient of iron in these intermetallics. Keywords: Zirconium alloys, Iron state, Mössbauer effec