Presence of temporal dynamical instabilities in topological insulator lasers

Topological insulator lasers are a newly introduced kind of lasers in which light snakes around a cavity without scattering. Like for an electron current in a topological insulator material, a topologically protected lasing mode travels along the cavity edge, steering neatly around corners and imperfections without scattering or leaking out. In a recent experiment, topological insulator lasers have been demonstrated using a square lattice of coupled semiconductor microring resonators with a synthetic magnetic field. However, laser arrays with slow population dynamics are likely to show dynamical instabilities in a wide range of parameter space corresponding to realistic experimental conditions, thus preventing stable laser operation. While topological insulator lasers provide an interesting mean for combating disorder and help collective oscillation of lasers at the edge of the lattice, it is not clear whether chiral edge states are immune to dynamical instabilities. In this work we consider a realistic model of semiconductor class-B topological insulator laser and show that chiral edge states are not immune to dynamical instabilities.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Quantum Zeno Effect Explains Magnetic-Sensitive Radical-Ion-Pair Reactions

Chemical reactions involving radical-ion pairs are ubiquitous in biology, since not only are they at the basis of the photosynthetic reaction chain, but are also assumed to underlie the biochemical magnetic compass used by avian species for navigation. Recent experiments with magnetic-sensitive radical-ion pair reactions provided strong evidence for the radical-ion-pair magnetoreception mechanism, verifying the expected magnetic sensitivities and chemical product yield changes. It is here shown that the theoretical description of radical-ion-pair reactions used since the 70's cannot explain the observed data, because it is based on phenomenological equations masking quantum coherence effects. The fundamental density matrix equation derived here from basic quantum measurement theory considerations naturally incorporates the quantum Zeno effect and readily explains recent experimental observations on low- and high-magnetic-field radical-ion-pair reactions.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Anomalous diffusion in a symbolic model

We address this work to investigate some statistical properties of symbolic sequences generated by a numerical procedure in which the symbols are repeated following a power law probability density. In this analysis, we consider that the sum of n symbols represents the position of a particle in erratic movement. This approach revealed a rich diffusive scenario characterized by non-Gaussian distributions and, depending on the power law exponent and also on the procedure used to build the walker, we may have superdiffusion, subdiffusion or usual diffusion. Additionally, we use the continuous-time random walk framework to compare with the numerical data, finding a good agreement. Because of its simplicity and flexibility, this model can be a candidate to describe real systems governed by power laws probabilities densities.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physica Script

Observation of two-dimensional lattice interface solitons

We report on the experimental observation of two-dimensional solitons at the interface between square and hexagonal waveguide arrays. In addition to the different symmetry of the lattices, the influence of a varying refractive index modulation depth is investigated. Such variation strongly affects the properties of surface solitons residing at different sides of the interface.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Optics Letter

Scalars from Top-condensation Models at Hadron Colliders

We study the production and decay of neutral scalars and pseudo-scalars at hadron colliders, in theories where the top-quark mass is the result of a $t\bar t$ condensate. We show that the dominant decay channel for masses below the $t\bar t$ threshold is the flavor changing mode $tc$. This is a consequence of the non-universal nature of the underlying interactions in all top-condensation models and provides a model-independent signature of these scenarios. We show that an upgraded Tevatron is sensitive to a sizeable region of the interesting parameter space and that the LHC will highly constrain these models through this flavor violating channel.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Minor changes in figures for readibility. final version to appear in PR

Interaction-based quantum metrology showing scaling beyond the Heisenberg limit

Quantum metrology studies the use of entanglement and other quantum resources to improve precision measurement. An interferometer using N independent particles to measure a parameter X can achieve at best the "standard quantum limit" (SQL) of sensitivity {\delta}X \propto N^{-1/2}. The same interferometer using N entangled particles can achieve in principle the "Heisenberg limit" {\delta}X \propto N^{-1}, using exotic states. Recent theoretical work argues that interactions among particles may be a valuable resource for quantum metrology, allowing scaling beyond the Heisenberg limit. Specifically, a k-particle interaction will produce sensitivity {\delta}X \propto N^{-k} with appropriate entangled states and {\delta}X \propto N^{-(k-1/2)} even without entanglement. Here we demonstrate this "super-Heisenberg" scaling in a nonlinear, non-destructive measurement of the magnetisation of an atomic ensemble. We use fast optical nonlinearities to generate a pairwise photon-photon interaction (k = 2) while preserving quantum-noise-limited performance, to produce {\delta}X \propto N^{-3/2}. We observe super-Heisenberg scaling over two orders of magnitude in N, limited at large N by higher-order nonlinear effects, in good agreement with theory. For a measurement of limited duration, super-Heisenberg scaling allows the nonlinear measurement to overtake in sensitivity a comparable linear measurement with the same number of photons. In other scenarios, however, higher-order nonlinearities prevent this crossover from occurring, reflecting the subtle relationship of scaling to sensitivity in nonlinear systems. This work shows that inter-particle interactions can improve sensitivity in a quantum-limited measurement, and introduces a fundamentally new resource for quantum metrology

Pseudo-Goldstone Boson Effects in Top-Antitop Productions at High Energy Hadron Colliders and Testing Technicolor Models

We study the top quark pair production process p+p(anti-p)-->top+antitop in various kinds of technicolor (TC) models at the Fermilab Tevatron Run II and the CERN LHC. The s-channel neutral pseudo-Goldstone bosons (PGB's) contribute dominately to the production amplitudes from its coupling to the gluons through the triangle loops of techniquarks and the top quark. Cross sections in different TC models with s-channel PGB contributions are calculated. It is shown that the PGB effects can be experimentally tested and different TC models under consideration can be distinguished at the LHC. Therefore, the p+p-->top+antitop process at the LHC provides feasible tests of the TC models.Comment: 10 pages in RevTex and 4 PS-files for the figures. Paramemter range is changed, and some references are added. Version for publication in Phys. Rev.

A large sample study of spin relaxation and magnetometric sensitivity of paraffin-coated Cs vapor cells

We have manufactured more than 250 nominally identical paraffin-coated Cs vapor cells (30 mm diameter bulbs) for multi-channel atomic magnetometer applications. We describe our dedicated cell characterization apparatus. For each cell we have determined the intrinsic longitudinal, \sGamma{01}, and transverse, \sGamma{02}, relaxation rates. Our best cell shows \sGamma{01}/2\pi\approx 0.5 Hz, and \sGamma{02}/2\pi\approx 2 Hz. We find a strong correlation of both relaxation rates which we explain in terms of reservoir and spin exchange relaxation. For each cell we have determined the optimal combination of rf and laser powers which yield the highest sensitivity to magnetic field changes. Out of all produced cells, 90% are found to have magnetometric sensitivities in the range of 9 to 30 fTHz. Noise analysis shows that the magnetometers operated with such cells have a sensitivity close to the fundamental photon shot noise limit