Uniform semiclassical approximation in quantum statistical mechanics

We present a simple method to deal with caustics in the semiclassical approximation to the partition function of a one-dimensional quantum system. The procedure, which makes use of complex trajectories, is applied to the quartic double-well potential.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, Latex. Contribution to the Proceedings of the XXI Brazilian National Meeting on Particles and Fields (Sao Lourenco, October 23-27, 2000

Driving-dependent damping of Rabi oscillations in two-level semiconductor systems

We propose a mechanism to explain the nature of the damping of Rabi oscillations with increasing driving-pulse area in localized semiconductor systems, and have suggested a general approach which describes a coherently driven two-level system interacting with a dephasing reservoir. Present calculations show that the non-Markovian character of the reservoir leads to the dependence of the dephasing rate on the driving-field intensity, as observed experimentally. Moreover, we have shown that the damping of Rabi oscillations might occur as a result of different dephasing mechanisms for both stationary and non-stationary effects due to coupling to the environment. Present calculated results are found in quite good agreement with available experimental measurements

Some new results concerning the vacuum in Dirac Hole Theory

In Dirac's hole theory the vacuum state is generally believed to be the state of minimum energy. It will be shown that this is not, in fact, the case and that there must exist states in hole theory with less energy than the vacuum state. It will be shown that energy can be extracted from the hole theory vacuum state through the application of an electric field.Comment: Accepted by Physica Scripta, 19 page

Anomalous electron trapping by localized magnetic fields

We consider an electron with an anomalous magnetic moment g>2 confined to a plane and interacting with a nonzero magnetic field B perpendicular to the plane. We show that if B has compact support and the magnetic flux in the natural units is F\ge 0, the corresponding Pauli Hamiltonian has at least 1+[F] bound states, without making any assumptions about the field profile. Furthermore, in the zero-flux case there is a pair of bound states with opposite spin orientations. Using a Birman-Schwinger technique, we extend the last claim to a weak rotationally symmetric field with B(r) = O(r^{-2-\delta}) correcting thus a recent result. Finally, we show that under mild regularity assumptions the existence can be proved for non-symmetric fields with tails as well.Comment: A LaTeX file, 12 pages; to appear in J. Phys. A: Math. Ge

Quantum Structure of Space Near a Black Hole Horizon

We describe a midi-superspace quantization scheme for generic single horizon black holes in which only the spatial diffeomorphisms are fixed. The remaining Hamiltonian constraint yields an infinite set of decoupled eigenvalue equations: one at each spatial point. The corresponding operator at each point is the product of the outgoing and ingoing null convergences, and describes the scale invariant quantum mechanics of a particle moving in an attractive $1/X^2$ potential. The variable $X$ that is analoguous to particle position is the square root of the conformal mode of the metric. We quantize the theory via Bohr quantization, which by construction turns the Hamiltonian constraint eigenvalue equation into a finite difference equation. The resulting spectrum gives rise to a discrete spatial topology exterior to the horizon. The spectrum approaches the continuum in the asymptotic region.Comment: References added and typos corrected. 21 pages, 1 figur

Suppression of Anderson localization of light and Brewster anomalies in disordered superlattices containing a dispersive metamaterial

Light propagation through 1D disordered structures composed of alternating layers, with random thicknesses, of air and a dispersive metamaterial is theoretically investigated. Both normal and oblique incidences are considered. By means of numerical simulations and an analytical theory, we have established that Anderson localization of light may be suppressed: (i) in the long wavelength limit, for a finite angle of incidence which depends on the parameters of the dispersive metamaterial; (ii) for isolated frequencies and for specific angles of incidence, corresponding to Brewster anomalies in both positive- and negative-refraction regimes of the dispersive metamaterial. These results suggest that Anderson localization of light could be explored to control and tune light propagation in disordered metamaterials.Comment: 4 two-column pages, 3 figure

Multipartite quantum nonlocality under local decoherence

We study the nonlocal properties of two-qubit maximally-entangled and N-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states under local decoherence. We show that the (non)resilience of entanglement under local depolarization or dephasing is not necessarily equivalent to the (non)resilience of Bell-inequality violations. Apart from entanglement and Bell-inequality violations, we consider also nonlocality as quantified by the nonlocal content of correlations, and provide several examples of anomalous behaviors, both in the bipartite and multipartite cases. In addition, we study the practical implications of these anomalies on the usefulness of noisy Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states as resources for nonlocality-based physical protocols given by communication complexity problems. There, we provide examples of quantum gains improving with the number of particles that coexist with exponentially-decaying entanglement and non-local contents.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

On the Time-Dependent Analysis of Gamow Decay

Gamow's explanation of the exponential decay law uses complex "eigenvalues" and exponentially growing "eigenfunctions". This raises the question, how Gamow's description fits into the quantum mechanical description of nature, which is based on real eigenvalues and square integrable wave functions. Observing that the time evolution of any wave function is given by its expansion in generalized eigenfunctions, we shall answer this question in the most straightforward manner, which at the same time is accessible to graduate students and specialists. Moreover the presentation can well be used in physics lectures to students.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures; heuristic argument simplified, different example discussed, calculation of decay rate adde