73 research outputs found
Eigenfunctions and matrix elements for a class of eigenvalue problems with staggered ladder spectra
We present an alternate solution to an eigenvalue problem which arises in the study of the Fokker-Planck equation for generalized Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. We obtain the staggered ladder spectra found previously but in addition we obtain the normalized eigenfunctions in terms of associated Laguerre polynomials. The representation of the eigenfunctions in this form greatly simplifies the evaluation of matrix elements required in calculating ensemble averages and correlation coefficients for various observables. The solution to the eigenvalue problem is given in the generic and general cases
Explicit schemes for time propagating many-body wavefunctions
Accurate theoretical data on many time-dependent processes in atomic and
molecular physics and in chemistry require the direct numerical solution of the
time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation, thereby motivating the development of
very efficient time propagators. These usually involve the solution of very
large systems of first order differential equations that are characterized by a
high degree of stiffness. We analyze and compare the performance of the
explicit one-step algorithms of Fatunla and Arnoldi. Both algorithms have
exactly the same stability function, therefore sharing the same stability
properties that turn out to be optimum. Their respective accuracy however
differs significantly and depends on the physical situation involved. In order
to test this accuracy, we use a predictor-corrector scheme in which the
predictor is either Fatunla's or Arnoldi's algorithm and the corrector, a fully
implicit four-stage Radau IIA method of order 7. We consider two physical
processes. The first one is the ionization of an atomic system by a short and
intense electromagnetic pulse; the atomic systems include a one-dimensional
Gaussian model potential as well as atomic hydrogen and helium, both in full
dimensionality. The second process is the decoherence of two-electron quantum
states when a time independent perturbation is applied to a planar two-electron
quantum dot where both electrons are confined in an anharmonic potential. Even
though the Hamiltonian of this system is time independent the corresponding
differential equation shows a striking stiffness. For the one-dimensional
Gaussian potential we discuss in detail the possibility of monitoring the time
step for both explicit algorithms. In the other physical situations that are
much more demanding in term of computations, we show that the accuracy of both
algorithms depends strongly on the degree of stiffness of the problem.Comment: 24 pages, 14 Figure
Multiresolution schemes for time-scaled propagation of wave packets
We present a detailed analysis of the time scaled coordinate approach and its
implementation for solving the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation describing
the interaction of atoms or molecules with radiation pulses. We investigate and
discuss the performance of multi-resolution schemes for the treatment of the
squeezing around the origin of the bound part of the scaled wave packet. When
the wave packet is expressed in terms of B-splines, we consider two different
types of breakpoint sequences: an exponential sequence with a constant density
and an initially uniform sequence with a density of points around the origin
that increases with time. These two multi-resolution schemes are tested in the
case of a one-dimensional gaussian potential and for atomic hydrogen. In the
latter case, we also use Sturmian functions to describe the scaled wave packet
and discuss a multi-resolution scheme which consists in working in a sturmian
basis characterized by a set of non-linear parameters. Regarding the continuum
part of the scaled wave packet, we show explicitly that, for large times, the
group velocity of each ionized wave packet goes to zero while its dispersion is
suppressed thereby explaining why, eventually, the scaled wave packet
associated to the ejected electrons becomes stationary. Finally, we show that
only the lowest scaled bound states can be removed from the total scaled wave
packet once the interaction with the pulse has ceased
Reformulation of the strong-field approximation for light-matter interactions
We consider the interaction of hydrogen-like atoms with a strong laser field
and show that the strong field approximation and all its variants may be
grouped into a set of families of approximation schemes. This is done by
introducing an ansatz describing the electron wave packet as the sum of the
initial state wave function times a phase factor and a function which is the
perturbative solution in the Coulomb potential of an inhomogeneous
time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. It is the phase factor that
characterizes a given family. In each of these families, the velocity and
length gauge version of the approximation scheme lead to the same results at
each order in the Coulomb potential. By contrast, irrespective of the gauge,
approximation schemes belonging to different families give different results.
Furthermore, this new formulation of the strong field approximations allows us
to gain deeper insight into the validity of the strong field approximation
schemes. In particular, we address two important questions: the role of the
Coulomb potential in the output channel and the convergence of the perturbative
series in the Coulomb potential. In all the physical situations we consider
here, our results are compared to those obtained by solving numerically the
time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, submitted for publicatio
Continuous stochastic Schrodinger equations and localization
The set of continuous norm-preserving stochastic Schrodinger equations
associated with the Lindblad master equation is introduced. This set is used to
describe the localization properties of the state vector toward eigenstates of
the environment operator. Particular focus is placed on determining the
stochastic equation which exhibits the highest rate of localization for wide
open systems. An equation having such a property is proposed in the case of a
single non-hermitian environment operator. This result is relevant to numerical
simulations of quantum trajectories where localization properties are used to
reduce the number of basis states needed to represent the system state, and
thereby increase the speed of calculation.Comment: 18 pages in LaTeX + 6 figures (postscript), uses ioplppt.sty. To
appear in J. Phys.
Sturmian bases for two-electron systems in hyperspherical coordinates
We give a detailed account of an spectral approach
for the calculation of energy spectra of two active electron atoms in a system
of hyperspherical coordinates. In this system of coordinates, the Hamiltonian
has the same structure as the one of atomic hydrogen with the Coulomb potential
expressed in terms of a hyperradius and the nuclear charge replaced by an angle
dependent effective charge. The simplest spectral approach consists in
expanding the hyperangular wave function in a basis of hyperspherical
harmonics. This expansion however, is known to be very slowly converging.
Instead, we introduce new hyperangular sturmian functions. These functions do
not have an analytical expression but they treat the first term of the
multipole expansion of the electron-electron interaction potential, namely the
radial electron correlation, exactly. The properties of these new functions are
discussed in detail. For the basis functions of the hyperradius, several
choices are possible. In the present case, we use Coulomb sturmian functions of
half integer angular momentum. We show that, in the case of H, the accuracy
of the energy and the width of the resonance states obtained through a single
diagonalization of the Hamiltonian, is comparable to the values given by
state-of-the-art methods while using a much smaller basis set. In addition, we
show that precise values of the electric-dipole oscillator strengths for
transitions in helium are obtained thereby confirming the
accuracy of the bound state wave functions generated with the present method.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figure
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