32 research outputs found
Testing quantum correlations in a confined atomic cloud by scattering fast atoms
We suggest measuring one-particle density matrix of a trapped ultracold
atomic cloud by scattering fast atoms in a pure momentum state off the cloud.
The lowest-order probability of the inelastic process, resulting in a pair of
outcoming fast atoms for each incoming one, turns out to be given by a Fourier
transform of the density matrix. Accordingly, important information about
quantum correlations can be deduced directly from the differential scattering
cross-section. A possible design of the atomic detector is also discussed.Comment: 5 RevTex pages, no figures, submitted to PR
Barrier effects on the collective excitations of split Bose-Einstein condensates
We investigate the collective excitations of a single-species Bose gas at T=0
in a harmonic trap where the confinement undergoes some splitting along one
spatial direction. We mostly consider onedimensional potentials consisting of
two harmonic wells separated a distance 2 z_0, since they essentially contain
all the barrier effects that one may visualize in the 3D situation. We find,
within a hydrodynamic approximation, that regardless the dimensionality of the
system, pairs of levels in the excitation spectrum, corresponding to
neighbouring even and odd excitations, merge together as one increases the
barrier height up to the current value of the chemical potential. The
excitation spectra computed in the hydrodynamical or Thomas-Fermi limit are
compared with the results of exactly solving the time-dependent
Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We analyze as well the characteristics of the
spatial pattern of excitations of threedimensional boson systems according to
the amount of splitting of the condensate.Comment: RevTeX, 12 pages, 13 ps figure
Mean-field analysis of collapsing and exploding Bose-Einstein condensates
The dynamics of collapsing and exploding trapped Bose-Einstein condensat es
caused by a sudden switch of interactions from repulsive to attractive a re
studied by numerically integrating the Gross-Pitaevskii equation with atomic
loss for an axially symmetric trap. We investigate the decay rate of
condensates and the phenomena of bursts and jets of atoms, and compare our
results with those of the experiments performed by E. A. Donley {\it et al.}
[Nature {\bf 412}, 295 (2001)]. Our study suggests that the condensate decay
and the burst production is due to local intermittent implosions in the
condensate, and that atomic clouds of bursts and jets are coherent. We also
predict nonlinear pattern formation caused by the density instability of
attractive condensates.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, axi-symmetric results are adde
Input-output theory for fermions in an atom cavity
We generalize the quantum optical input-output theory developed for optical
cavities to ultracold fermionic atoms confined in a trapping potential, which
forms an "atom cavity". In order to account for the Pauli exclusion principle,
quantum Langevin equations for all cavity modes are derived. The dissipative
part of these multi-mode Langevin equations includes a coupling between cavity
modes. We also derive a set of boundary conditions for the Fermi field that
relate the output fields to the input fields and the field radiated by the
cavity. Starting from a constant uniform current of fermions incident on one
side of the cavity, we use the boundary conditions to calculate the occupation
numbers and current density for the fermions that are reflected and transmitted
by the cavity
Mean-field description of collapsing and exploding Bose-Einstein condensates
We perform numerical simulation based on the time-dependent mean-field
Gross-Pitaevskii equation to understand some aspects of a recent experiment by
Donley et al. on the dynamics of collapsing and exploding Bose-Einstein
condensates of Rb atoms. They manipulated the atomic interaction by an
external magnetic field via a Feshbach resonance, thus changing the repulsive
condensate into an attractive one and vice versa. In the actual experiment they
changed suddenly the scattering length of atomic interaction from positive to a
large negative value on a pre-formed condensate in an axially symmetric trap.
Consequently, the condensate collapses and ejects atoms via explosion. We find
that the present mean-field analysis can explain some aspects of the dynamics
of the collapsing and exploding Bose-Einstein condensates.Comment: 9 Latex pages, 10 ps and eps files, version accepted in Physical
Review A, minor changes mad
Optimization of evaporative cooling towards a large number of Bose-Einstein condensed atoms
We study the optimization of evaporative cooling in trapped bosonic atoms on
the basis of quantum kinetic theory of a Bose gas. The optimized cooling
trajectory for Rb atoms indicates that the acceleration of evaporative
cooling around the transition point of Bose-Einstein condensation is very
effective against loss of trapped atoms caused by three-body recombination. The
number of condensed atoms is largely enhanced by the optimization, more than
two orders of magnitude in our present calculation using relevant experimental
parameters, as compared with the typical value given by the conventional
evaporative cooling where the frequency of radio-frequency magnetic field is
swept exponentially. In addition to this optimized cooling, it is also shown
that highly efficient evaporative cooling can be achieved by an initial
exponential and then a rapid linear sweep of frequency.Comment: 7 pages, REVTeX, 5 eps figures, Phys. Rev A in press (01 Feburuary
2003
Neutral metallated and meso-substituted porphyrins as antimicrobial agents against Gram-positive pathogens
Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterial pathogen that causes severe infections among humans. The increasing emergence of antibiotic resistance necessitates the development of new strategies to combat the spread of disease. One approach is photodynamic inactivation using porphyrin photosensitizers, which generate superoxide and other radicals in the presence of light, causing cell death via the oxidation of proteins and lipids. In this study, we analyzed a novel library of meso-substituted and metallated porphyrins for activity against multidrug-resistant S. aureus. From a library of 251 compounds, 51 showed antimicrobial activity, in three discrete classes of activity: those that functioned only in light, those that had toxicity only in darkness, and those that displayed activity regardless of illumination. We further demonstrated the broad-spectrum activity of these compounds against a variety of pathogens, including Bacillus anthracis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) analyses of lead compounds (XPZ-263 and XPZ-271) revealed strong activity and killing towards methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. An analysis of mutation frequencies revealed low incidences of resistance to lead compounds by E. coli and MRSA. Finally, an exploration of the underlying mechanism of action suggests that these compounds do not depend solely upon light-induced radical generation for toxicity, highlighting their potential for clinical applications
Novel method for identifying the cause of inherent ageing in Electron Multiplying Charge Coupled Devices
The charge multiplication process used in the Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) is subject to an ageing effect in which the gain achieved at particular avalanche potentials, gradually decreases during operation. To utilise these devices for both space and terrestrial applications where recalibration of the gain is not feasible, a comprehensive understanding of the ageing process is required.
A custom automated test equipment (ATE) has been produced and used to develop the techniques required for investigating the ageing process alongside the verification of simulation work on the subject. Simulation work carried out by e2v technologies has suggested hole build-up at the Si/Si02 interface below one of the transfer gates. This build up of holes has now been linked with a reduction in avalanche potential in the device. A novel experimental technique has therefore been developed to determine the actual potentials within the device and thereby determine the validity of this prediction. The initial results tend to support simulation as an increase in the potential beneath one of the phases is observed