1,173 research outputs found
Characterization of high finesse mirrors: loss, phase shifts and mode structure in an optical cavity
An extensive characterization of high finesse optical cavities used in cavity
QED experiments is described. Different techniques in the measurement of the
loss and phase shifts associated with the mirror coatings are discussed and
their agreement shown. Issues of cavity field mode structure supported by the
dielectric coatings are related to our effort to achieve the strongest possible
coupling between an atom and the cavity.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
A pulsed, low-temperature beam of supersonically cooled free radical OH molecules
An improved system for creating a pulsed, low-temperature molecular beam of
OH radicals has been developed. We use a pulsed discharge to create OH from
HO seeded in Xe during a supersonic expansion, where the high-voltage pulse
duration is significantly shorter than the width of the gas pulse. The pulsed
discharge allows for control of the mean speed of the molecular packet as well
as maintains a low temperature supersonic expansion. A hot filament is placed
in the source chamber to initiate the discharge for shorter durations and at
lower voltages, resulting in a translationally and rotationally colder packet
of OH molecules
Quantum Efficiency of Charge Qubit Measurements Using a Single Electron Transistor
The quantum efficiency, which characterizes the quality of information gain
against information loss, is an important figure of merit for any realistic
quantum detectors in the gradual process of collapsing the state being
measured. In this work we consider the problem of solid-state charge qubit
measurements with a single-electron-transistor (SET). We analyze two models:
one corresponds to a strong response SET, and the other is a tunable one in
response strength. We find that the response strength would essentially bound
the quantum efficiency, making the detector non-quantum-limited. Quantum
limited measurements, however, can be achieved in the limits of strong response
and asymmetric tunneling. The present study is also associated with appropriate
justifications for the measurement and backaction-dephasing rates, which were
usually evaluated in controversial methods.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Cryo-EM structure of the polyphosphate polymerase VTC reveals coupling of polymer synthesis to membrane transit.
The eukaryotic vacuolar transporter chaperone (VTC) complex acts as a polyphosphate (polyP) polymerase that synthesizes polyP from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and translocates polyP across the vacuolar membrane to maintain an intracellular phosphate (P <sub>i</sub> ) homeostasis. To discover how the VTC complex performs its function, we determined a cryo-electron microscopy structure of an endogenous VTC complex (Vtc4/Vtc3/Vtc1) purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 3.1 Å resolution. The structure reveals a heteropentameric architecture of one Vtc4, one Vtc3, and three Vtc1 subunits. The transmembrane region forms a polyP-selective channel, likely adopting a resting state conformation, in which a latch-like, horizontal helix of Vtc4 limits the entrance. The catalytic Vtc4 central domain is located on top of the pseudo-symmetric polyP channel, creating a strongly electropositive pathway for nascent polyP that can couple synthesis to translocation. The SPX domain of the catalytic Vtc4 subunit positively regulates polyP synthesis by the VTC complex. The noncatalytic Vtc3 regulates VTC through a phosphorylatable loop. Our findings, along with the functional data, allow us to propose a mechanism of polyP channel gating and VTC complex activation
Efficient scheme for one-way quantum computing in thermal cavities
We propose a practical scheme for one-way quantum computing based on
efficient generation of 2D cluster state in thermal cavities. We achieve a
controlled-phase gate that is neither sensitive to cavity decay nor to thermal
field by adding a strong classical field to the two-level atoms. We show that a
2D cluster state can be generated directly by making every two atoms collide in
an array of cavities, with numerically calculated parameters and appropriate
operation sequence that can be easily achieved in practical Cavity QED
experiments. Based on a generated cluster state in Box configuration,
we then implement Grover's search algorithm for four database elements in a
very simple way as an example of one-way quantum computing.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Kondo effect in crossed Luttinger liquids
We study the Kondo effect in two crossed Luttinger liquids, using Boundary
Conformal Field Theory. We predict two types of critical behaviors: either a
two-channel Kondo fixed point with a nonuniversal Wilson ratio, or a new theory
with an anomalous response identical to that found by Furusaki and Nagaosa (for
the Kondo effect in a single Luttinger liquid). Moreover, we discuss the
relevance of perturbations like channel anisotropy, and we make links with the
Kondo effect in a two-band Hubbard system modeled by a channel-dependent
Luttinger Hamiltonian. The suppression of backscattering off the impurity
produces a model similar to the four-channel Kondo theory.Comment: 7 pages, RevteX, to be published in Physical Review
Sensitivity to measurement perturbation of single atom dynamics in cavity QED
We consider continuous observation of the nonlinear dynamics of single atom
trapped in an optical cavity by a standing wave with intensity modulation. The
motion of the atom changes the phase of the field which is then monitored by
homodyne detection of the output field. We show that the conditional Hilbert
space dynamics of this system, subject to measurement induced perturbations,
depends strongly on whether the corresponding classical dynamics is regular or
chaotic. If the classical dynamics is chaotic the distribution of conditional
Hilbert space vectors corresponding to different observation records tends to
be orthogonal. This is a characteristic feature of hypersensitivity to
perturbation for quantum chaotic systems.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Trapping of Single Atoms with Single Photons in Cavity QED
Two recent experiments have reported the trapping of individual atoms inside
optical resonators by the mechanical forces associated with single photons
[Hood et al., Science 287, 1447 (2000) and Pinkse et al., Nature 404, 365
(2000)]. Here we analyze the trapping dynamics in these settings, focusing on
two points of interest. Firstly, we investigate the extent to which
light-induced forces in these experiments are distinct from their free-space
counterparts. Secondly, we explore the quantitative features of the resulting
atomic motion and how these dynamics are mapped onto variations of the
intracavity field. Not surprisingly, qualitatively distinct atomic dynamics
arise as the coupling and dissipative rates are varied. For the experiment of
Hood et al., we show that atomic motion is largely conservative and is
predominantly in radial orbits transverse to the cavity axis. A comparison with
the free-space theory demonstrates that the fluctuations of the dipole force
are suppressed by an order of magnitude. This effect is based upon the
Jaynes-Cummings eigenstates of the atom-cavity system and represents
qualitatively new physics for optical forces at the single-photon level. By
contrast, even in a regime of strong coupling in the experiment of Pinkse et
al., there are only small quantitative distinctions between the free-space
theory and the quantum theory, so it is not clear that description of this
experiment as a novel single-quantum trapping effect is necessary. The atomic
motion is strongly diffusive, leading to an average localization time
comparable to the time for an atom to transit freely through the cavity and to
a reduction in the ability to infer aspects of the atomic motion from the
intracavity photon number.Comment: 19 pages, 22 figure files, REVTEX, corrected spelling, LaTeX now
produces postscript which includes figures, minor changes to figures. Final
version to be published in Physical Review A, expanded summary of results in
introduction, minor changes to figures and tex
Determinisitic Optical Fock State Generation
We present a scheme for the deterministic generation of N-photon Fock states
from N three-level atoms in a high-finesse optical cavity. The method applies
an external laser pulsethat generates an -photon output state while
adiabatically keeping the atom-cavity system within a subspace of optically
dark states. We present analytical estimates of the error due to amplitude
leakage from these dark states for general N, and compare it with explicit
results of numerical simulations for N \leq 5. The method is shown to provide a
robust source of N-photon states under a variety of experimental conditions and
is suitable for experimental implementation using a cloud of cold atoms
magnetically trapped in a cavity. The resulting N-photon states have potential
applications in fundamental studies of non-classical states and in quantum
information processing.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure
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