1,042 research outputs found
Inert states of spin-S systems
We present a simple but efficient geometrical method for determining the
inert states of spin-S systems. It can be used if the system is described by a
spin vector of a spin-S particle and its energy is invariant in spin rotations
and phase changes. Our method is applicable to an arbitrary S and it is based
on the representation of a pure spin state of a spin-S particle in terms of 2S
points on the surface of a sphere. We use this method to find candidates for
some of the ground states of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, minor changes, references added, typos correcte
Atomic dynamics in evaporative cooling of trapped alkali atoms in strong magnetic fields
We investigate how the nonlinearity of the Zeeman shift for strong magnetic
fields affects the dynamics of rf field induced evaporative cooling in magnetic
traps. We demonstrate for the 87-Rb and 23-Na F=2 trapping states with wave
packet simulations how the cooling stops when the rf field frequency goes below
a certain limit (for the 85-Rb F=2 trapping state the problem does not appear).
We examine the applicability of semiclassical models for the strong field case
as an extension of our previous work [Phys. Rev. A 58, 3983 (1998)]. Our
results verify many of the aspects observed in a recent Rb experiment
[Phys. Rev. A 60, R1759 (1999)].Comment: 9 pages, RevTex, eps figures embedde
Non-Markovian waiting time distribution
Simulation methods based on stochastic realizations of state vector
evolutions are commonly used tools to solve open quantum system dynamics, both
in the Markovian and non-Markovian regime. Here, we address the question of
waiting time distribution (WTD) of quantum jumps for non-Markovian systems. We
generalize Markovian quantum trajectory methods in the sense of deriving an
exact analytical WTD for non-Markovian quantum dynamics and show explicitly how
to construct this distribution for certain commonly used quantum optical
systems.Comment: journal versio
Center of mass rotation and vortices in an attractive Bose gas
The rotational properties of an attractively interacting Bose gas are studied
using analytical and numerical methods. We study perturbatively the ground
state phase space for weak interactions, and find that in an anharmonic trap
the rotational ground states are vortex or center of mass rotational states;
the crossover line separating these two phases is calculated. We further show
that the Gross-Pitaevskii equation is a valid description of such a gas in the
rotating frame and calculate numerically the phase space structure using this
equation. It is found that the transition between vortex and center of mass
rotation is gradual; furthermore the perturbative approach is valid only in an
exceedingly small portion of phase space. We also present an intuitive picture
of the physics involved in terms of correlated successive measurements for the
center of mass state.Comment: version2, 17 pages, 5 figures (3 eps and 2 jpg
Zeno and anti-Zeno effects for quantum Brownian motion
In this paper we investigate the occurrence of the Zeno and anti-Zeno effects
for quantum Brownian motion. We single out the parameters of both the system
and the reservoir governing the crossover between Zeno and anti-Zeno dynamics.
We demonstrate that, for high reservoir temperatures, the short time behaviour
of environment induced decoherence is the ultimate responsible for the
occurrence of either the Zeno or the anti-Zeno effect. Finally we suggest a way
to manipulate the decay rate of the system and to observe a controlled
continuous passage from decay suppression to decay acceleration using
engineered reservoirs in the trapped ion context .Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. v2: Replaced with the published version. Minor
modifications in the text and titl
Environment-dependent dissipation in quantum Brownian motion
The dissipative dynamics of a quantum Brownian particle is studied for
different types of environment. We derive analytic results for the time
evolution of the mean energy of the system for Ohmic, sub-Ohmic and super-Ohmic
environments, without performing the Markovian approximation. Our results allow
to establish a direct link between the form of the environmental spectrum and
the thermalization dynamics. This in turn leads to a natural explanation of the
microscopic physical processes ruling the system time evolution both in the
short-time non-Markovian region and in the long-time Markovian one. Our
comparative study of thermalization for different environments sheds light on
the physical contexts in which non-Markovian dissipation effects are dominant.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, v2: added new references and paragraph
The short-term effect of dark chocolate flavanols on cognition in older adults: A randomized controlled trial (FlaSeCo)
Background Cocoa flavanols in the diet have had positive effects on cognition, blood lipid levels, and glucose metabolism. Methods Cognitively healthy older adults aged 65–75 years were recruited for an eight-week randomized, double-blind controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of cocoa flavanols on cognitive functions. At baseline, nutrient and polyphenol intakes from diet were assessed with three-day food diaries. The intervention group received 50 g dark chocolate containing 410 mg of flavanols per day, and the control group 50 g dark chocolate containing 86 mg of flavanols per day, for eight weeks. Cognition was assessed with Verbal Fluency (VF) and the Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B as the main outcome measures. Changes in blood lipids and glucose were also measured. Results The older adults participating numbered 100 (63% women), mean 69 y (range 65 to 74). They were highly educated with a mean 14.9 years of education (SD 3.6). No differences in changes in cognition were seen between groups. The mean change (± SEs) in the time to complete the TMT A and B in the intervention group was −4.6 s (−7.1 to −2.1) and −16.1 s (−29.1 to −3.1), and in the controls −4.4 s (−7.0 to −1.9) and −12.5 s (−22.8 to −2.1)(TMT A p = 0.93; TMT B p = 0.66). No difference was apparent in the changes in blood lipids, glucose levels, or body weight between the groups. Conclusions The healthy older adults showed no effect from the eight-week intake of dark chocolate flavanols on cognition.Peer reviewe
Population trapping due to cavity losses
In population trapping the occupation of a decaying quantum level keeps a
constant non-zero value. We show that an atom-cavity system interacting with an
environment characterized by a non-flat spectrum, in the non-Markovian limit,
exhibits such a behavior, effectively realizing the preservation of
nonclassical states against dissipation. Our results allow to understand the
role of cavity losses in hybrid solid state systems and pave the way to the
proper description of leakage in the recently developed cavity quantum
electrodynamic systems.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, version accepted for publication on Phys. Rev.
Superconducting, Insulating, and Anomalous Metallic Regimes in a Gated Two-Dimensional Semiconductor-Superconductor Array
The superconductor-insulator transition in two dimensions has been widely
investigated as a paradigmatic quantum phase transition. The topic remains
controversial, however, because many experiments exhibit a metallic regime with
saturating low-temperature resistance, at odds with conventional theory. Here,
we explore this transition in a novel, highly controllable system, a
semiconductor heterostructure with epitaxial Al, patterned to form a regular
array of superconducting islands connected by a gateable quantum well. Spanning
nine orders of magnitude in resistance, the system exhibits regimes of
superconducting, metallic, and insulating behavior, along with signatures of
flux commensurability and vortex penetration. An in-plane magnetic field
eliminates the metallic regime, restoring the direct superconductor-insulator
transition, and improves scaling, while strongly altering the scaling exponent
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