A quantum delayed choice experiment

Quantum systems exhibit particle-like or wave-like behaviour depending on the experimental apparatus they are confronted by. This wave-particle duality is at the heart of quantum mechanics, and is fully captured in Wheeler's famous delayed choice gedanken experiment. In this variant of the double slit experiment, the observer chooses to test either the particle or wave nature of a photon after it has passed through the slits. Here we report on a quantum delayed choice experiment, based on a quantum controlled beam-splitter, in which both particle and wave behaviours can be investigated simultaneously. The genuinely quantum nature of the photon's behaviour is tested via a Bell inequality, which here replaces the delayed choice of the observer. We observe strong Bell inequality violations, thus showing that no model in which the photon knows in advance what type of experiment it will be confronted by, hence behaving either as a particle or as wave, can account for the experimental data

Some remarks on the spectral functions of the Abelian Higgs Model

We consider the unitary Abelian Higgs model and investigate its spectral functions at one-loop order. This analysis allows to disentangle what is physical and what is not at the level of the elementary particle propagators, in conjunction with the Nielsen identities. We highlight the role of the tadpole graphs and the gauge choices to get sensible results. We also introduce an Abelian Curci-Ferrari action coupled to a scalar field to model a massive photon which, like the non-Abelian Curci-Ferarri model, is left invariant by a modified non-nilpotent BRST symmetry. We clearly illustrate its non-unitary nature directly from the spectral function viewpoint. This provides a functional analogue of the Ojima observation in the canonical formalism: there are ghost states with nonzero norm in the BRST-invariant states of the Curci-Ferrari model.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figure

The nonrelativistic limit of the Majorana equation and its simulation in trapped ions

We analyze the Majorana equation in the limit where the particle is at rest. We show that several counterintuitive features, absent in the rest limit of the Dirac equation, do appear. Among them, Dirac-like positive energy solutions that turn into negative energy ones by free evolution, or nonstandard oscillations and interference between real and imaginary spinor components for complex solutions. We also study the ultrarelativistic limit, showing that the Majorana and Dirac equations mutually converge. Furthermore, we propose a physical implementation in trapped ions.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure. Proceedings of 18th Central European Workshop on Quantum Optics (CEWQO 2011), Madrid, Spai

Quality assurance for CMS Tracker LV and HV Power Supplies

This work describes the quality assurance measurements that have been carried out on about 2000 Power Supply Units produced in CAEN technology for the CMS Silicon Tracker Detector. The automate procedure and the characteristics of the dedicated Test Fixture developed for this activity are described in details. Magnetic field tolerance and radiation hardness of Tracker power supply units is also discussed at length

Design of the new electromagnetic measurement system for RFX-mod upgrade

A major modification of the RFX-mod toroidal load assembly has been decided in order to improve passive MHD control and to minimize the braking torque on the plasma, thus extending the operational space in both RFP and Tokamak configurations. With the removal of the vacuum vessel, the support structure will be modified in order to obtain a new vacuum-tight chamber and the first wall tiles will be directly in front of the passive stabilizing shell inside of it, so increasing both the poloidal cross section and the plasma-shell proximity. This implies the design of a new vacuum fit electromagnetic measurement system. The new local probes will be installed in vacuum onto the copper shell, behind the graphite tiles, and shall operate up to a maximum temperature of 180\ub0C to allow for baking cycles for first wall conditioning. Because of the reduced room available, tri-axial pickup probes have been designed, with the additional advantage of allowing the minimization of alignment errors. The paper describes the detailed design of the new probe set, in particular highlighting advantages and effectiveness of different probe solutions. Preliminary tests carried out on local probe prototypes to characterize their electromagnetic behaviour are also reported

Experimental Setup and Measuring System to Study SolitaryWave Interaction with Rigid Emergent Vegetation

The aim of this study is to present a peculiar experimental setup, designed to investigate the interaction between solitary waves and rigid emergent vegetation. Flow rate changes due to the opening and closing of a software-controlled electro-valve generate a solitary wave. The complexity of the problem required the combined use of different measurement systems of water level and velocity. Preliminary results of the experimental investigation, which allow us to point out the effect of the vegetation on the propagation of a solitary wave and the effectiveness of the measuring system, are also presented. In particular, water level and velocity field changes due to the interaction of the wave with rigid vegetation are investigated in detail

Coherent Time Evolution and Boundary Conditions of Two-Photon Quantum Walks

Multi-photon quantum walks in integrated optics are an attractive controlled quantum system, that can mimic less readily accessible quantum systems and exhibit behavior that cannot in general be accurately replicated by classical light without an exponential overhead in resources. The ability to observe time evolution of such systems is important for characterising multi-particle quantum dynamics---notably this includes the effects of boundary conditions for walks in spaces of finite size. Here we demonstrate the coherent evolution of quantum walks of two indistinguishable photons using planar arrays of 21 evanescently coupled waveguides fabricated in silicon oxynitride technology. We compare three time evolutions, that follow closely a model assuming unitary evolution, corresponding to three different lengths of the array---in each case we observe quantum interference features that violate classical predictions. The longest array includes reflecting boundary conditions.Comment: 7 pages,7 figure

Small-scale characterization of vine plant root water uptake via 3-D electrical resistivity tomography and mise-à-la-masse method

The investigation of plant roots is inherently difficult and often neglected. Being out of sight, roots are often out of mind. Nevertheless, roots play a key role in the exchange of mass and energy between soil and the atmosphere, in addition to the many practical applications in agriculture. In this paper, we propose a method for roots imaging based on the joint use of two electrical noninvasive methods: electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and mise-à-la-masse (MALM). The approach is based on the key assumption that the plant root system acts as an electrically conductive body, so that injecting electrical current into the plant stem will ultimately result in the injection of current into the subsoil through the root system, and particularly through the root terminations via hair roots. Evidence from field data, showing that voltage distribution is very different whether current is injected into the tree stem or in the ground, strongly supports this hypothesis. The proposed procedure involves a stepwise inversion of both ERT and MALM data that ultimately leads to the identification of electrical resistivity (ER) distribution and of the current injection root distribution in the three-dimensional soil space. This, in turn, is a proxy to the active (hair) root density in the ground. We tested the proposed procedure on synthetic data and, more importantly, on field data collected in a vineyard, where the estimated depth of the root zone proved to be in agreement with literature on similar crops. The proposed noninvasive approach is a step forward towards a better quantification of root structure and functioning.</p