1,070 research outputs found
Quantum state preparation and control of single molecular ions
Preparing molecules at rest and in a highly pure quantum state is a long
standing dream in chemistry and physics, so far achieved only for a select set
of molecules in dedicated experimental setups. Here, a quantum-limited
combination of mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy is proposed that should
be applicable to a wide range of molecular ions. Excitation of electrons in the
molecule followed by uncontrolled decay and branching into several lower energy
states is avoided. Instead, the molecule is always connected to rotational
states within the electronic and vibrational ground-state manifold, while a
co-trapped atomic ion provides efficient entropy removal and allows for
extraction of information on the molecule. The outlined techniques might enable
preparation, manipulation and measurement of a large multitude of molecular ion
species with the same instrument, with applications including, but not limited
to, precise determination of molecular properties and fundamental tests of
physics.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, reformatted for resubmissio
Dissipative production of a maximally entangled steady state
Entangled states are a key resource in fundamental quantum physics, quantum
cryp-tography, and quantum computation [1].To date, controlled unitary
interactions applied to a quantum system, so-called "quantum gates", have been
the most widely used method to deterministically create entanglement [2]. These
processes require high-fidelity state preparation as well as minimizing the
decoherence that inevitably arises from coupling between the system and the
environment and imperfect control of the system parameters. Here, on the
contrary, we combine unitary processes with engineered dissipation to
deterministically produce and stabilize an approximate Bell state of two
trapped-ion qubits independent of their initial state. While previous works
along this line involved the application of sequences of multiple
time-dependent gates [3] or generated entanglement of atomic ensembles
dissipatively but relied on a measurement record for steady-state entanglement
[4], we implement the process in a continuous time-independent fashion,
analogous to optical pumping of atomic states. By continuously driving the
system towards steady-state, the entanglement is stabilized even in the
presence of experimental noise and decoherence. Our demonstration of an
entangled steady state of two qubits represents a step towards dissipative
state engineering, dissipative quantum computation, and dissipative phase
transitions [5-7]. Following this approach, engineered coupling to the
environment may be applied to a broad range of experimental systems to achieve
desired quantum dynamics or steady states. Indeed, concurrently with this work,
an entangled steady state of two superconducting qubits was demonstrated using
dissipation [8].Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure
Does the European Union have a reverse gear? Policy dismantling in a hyperconsensual polity
The financial crisis has triggered demands to halt and even reverse the expansion of European Union (EU) policies. But have these and previous demands actually resulted in policy dismantling? The existing literature has charted the rise of dismantling discourses such as subsidiarity and better regulation, but has not examined the net effect on the acquis. For the first time, this contribution addresses this gap in the literature through an empirical study of policy change between 1992 and 2014. It is guided by a coding framework which captures the direction of policy change. It reveals that, despite its disposition towards consensualism, the EU has become a new locus of policy dismantling. However, not all policies targeted have been cut; many have stayed the same and some have even expanded. It concludes by identifying new directions for research on a topic that has continually fallen into the analytical blind spot of EU scholars
Trapped-Ion Quantum Logic Utilizing Position-Dependent ac Stark Shifts
We present a scheme utilizing position-dependent ac Stark shifts for doing
quantum logic with trapped ions. By a proper choice of direction, position and
size, as well as power and frequency of a far-off-resonant Gaussian laser beam,
specific ac Stark shifts can be assigned to the individual ions, making them
distinguishable in frequency-space. In contrast to previous all-optical based
quantum gates with trapped ions, the present scheme enables individual
addressing of single ions and selective addressing of any pair of ions for
two-ion quantum gates, without using tightly focused laser beams. Furthermore,
the decoherence rate due to off-resonant excitations can be made negligible as
compared with other sources of decoherence.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letter
Overvoltage characteristics in symmetrical monopolar HB MMC-HVDC configuration comprising long cable systems
This contribution focuses on high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems comprising modular multilevel converters (MMC) equipped with half-bridge (HB) submodules and analyses cable voltage stresses during various station internal as well as dc side faults. In order to examine relevant overvoltage characteristics affecting HVDC cable systems, a systematic approach to evaluate overvoltage stresses is presented and an extensive set of time-domain simulations is analysed for schemes operating in symmetrical monopolar configuration. Obtained results are relevant for considerations on insulation co-ordination of HVDC cable systems and for a comprehensive definition of high voltage testing requirements
Experiments towards quantum information with trapped Calcium ions
Ground state cooling and coherent manipulation of ions in an rf-(Paul) trap
is the prerequisite for quantum information experiments with trapped ions. With
resolved sideband cooling on the optical S1/2 - D5/2 quadrupole transition we
have cooled one and two 40Ca+ ions to the ground state of vibration with up to
99.9% probability. With a novel cooling scheme utilizing electromagnetically
induced transparency on the S1/2 - P1/2 manifold we have achieved simultaneous
ground state cooling of two motional sidebands 1.7 MHz apart. Starting from the
motional ground state we have demonstrated coherent quantum state manipulation
on the S1/2 - D5/2 quadrupole transition at 729 nm. Up to 30 Rabi oscillations
within 1.4 ms have been observed in the motional ground state and in the n=1
Fock state. In the linear quadrupole rf-trap with 700 kHz trap frequency along
the symmetry axis (2 MHz in radial direction) the minimum ion spacing is more
than 5 micron for up to 4 ions. We are able to cool two ions to the ground
state in the trap and individually address the ions with laser pulses through a
special optical addressing channel.Comment: Proceedings of the ICAP 2000, Firenz
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