On universal quantum cloning and state estimation

Both perfect cloning and perfect state estimation of an unknown pure quantum state are impossible, due to principles of quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, they can be performed imperfectly. A link between these two scenarios allows us to derive an upper bound for the fidelity in one of them, given an upper bound is known in the other. Furthermore, it is shown that also a lower bound on cloning is related to an upper bound on state estimation. Received: 15 June 1999 / Revised version: 23 September 1999 / Published online: 10 November 1999     

Structural investigations of laser-deposited Fe/Al multilayers

Fe/Al multilayers are prepared by crossed-beam pulsed laser deposition and investigated by Rutherford backscattering, conversion electron M?ssbauer spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results are compared to purely ballistic simulations of the deposition process using the TRIDYN4.0 code. It is found that the intermixing of adjacent layers must be described in terms of ballistic mixing followed by chemical mixing. The phase formation in the transition layer between adjacent layers follows the non-equilibrium behavior of Fe/Al in analogy to investigations on mechanically alloyed and ion-beam-mixed Fe/Al. In Fe-rich areas a bcc solid solution is formed. In Al-rich environment an amorphous phase is observed. Received: 13 January 1999 / Accepted: 14 January 1999 / Published online: 7 April 1999     

Prerequisites for high-quality magnetic tunnel junctions: XPS and NMR study of Co/Al bilayers

Aluminum films with thicknesses ranging from 1 nm to 12 nm have been sputtered on 20 nm thick Co layers. The properties of the Co/Al bilayers were studied by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Both methods show independently that a 1 nm Al film covers the Co surface completely. XPS and NMR also showed that layers thicker than 1 nm Al are not oxidized completely in ambient air. Similarities to and deviations from niobium with Al overlayers (Nb/Al) are described. Prerequisites for the fabrication of tunneling magnetoresistance devices based on Co or NiFe ferromagnets and an aluminum oxide barrier are discussed. Received: 7 July 1999 / Accepted: 11 November 1999 / Published online: 8 March 2000     

Epitaxial growth of metals with high Ehrlich–Schwoebel barriers and the effect of surfactants

Interlayer diffusion in epitaxial systems with a high energy barrier at the atomic steps – the so-called Ehrlich–Schwoebel (ES) barrier – is strongly reduced. As a consequence of this, a continuous accumulation of roughness takes place during growth. This undesirable effect can be corrected by using surfactant agents. We have studied the influence of the ES barrier on the preparation of epitaxial films on Cu(111), and the surfactant effect of a monolayer of Pb. Received: 21 April 1999 / Accepted: 17 August 1999 / Published online: 6 October 1999     

Interplay of surface morphology, strain relief, and surface stress during surfactant mediated epitaxy of Ge on Si

Lattice-mismatch-induced surface or film stress has significant influence on the morphology of heteroepitaxial films. This is demonstrated using Sb surfactant-mediated epitaxy of Ge on Si(111). The surfactant forces a two-dimensional growth of a continous Ge film instead of islanding. Two qualitatively different growth regimes are observed. Elastic relaxation: Prior to the generation of strain-relieving defects the Ge film grows pseudomorphically with the Si lattice constant and is under strong compressive stress. The Ge film relieves strain by forming a rough surface on a nm scale which allows partial elastic relaxation towards the Ge bulk lattice constant. The unfavorable increase of surface area is outbalanced by the large decrease of strain energy. The change of film stress and surface morphology is monitored in situ during deposition at elevated temperature with surface stress-induced optical deflection and high-resolution spot profile analysis low-energy electron diffraction. Plastic relaxation: After a critical thickness the generation of dislocations is initiated. The rough phase acts as a nucleation center for dislocations. On Si(111) those misfit dislocations are arranged in a threefold quasi periodic array at the interface that accommodate exactly the different lattice constants of Ge and Si. Received: 1 April 1999 / Accepted: 17 August 1999 / Published online: 6 October 1999     

Synthesis of carbon nitride films by low-power inductively coupled plasma-activated transport reactions from a solid carbon source

Thin films of carbon nitride were prepared by low-power inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition from a solid carbon source by utilizing transport reactions. The maximum deposition rate achieved was 10 nm/min and depended mainly on the substrate position in the reactor. The nitrogen fraction in the films was not so sensitive to the process parameters and was at about 0.5 for all experiments as measured by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and elastic recoil detection (ERD) analysis. The chemical bonding structure studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed the presence of triple, double and single bonds between carbon and nitrogen atoms. Received: 12 May 1999 / Accepted: 12 May 1999 / Published online: 24 June 1999     

Dynamics and stability of nanostructures on metal surfaces

Ultrathin metal films consisting of two-dimensional clusters are typically unstable: the cluster ensemble has the tendency to reduce its total free energy via Ostwald ripening or dynamic coalescence of mobile clusters. In this paper we give an overview of recent model experiments addressing these coarsening mechanisms. The experiments have been performed using STM on ensembles consisting of adatom or vacancy clusters with typical diameters in the nanometer range on fcc(111)-metal surfaces. Agreement with and deviations from conventional theories are discussed. Received: 29 March 1999 / Accepted: 17 August 1999 / Published online: 30 September 1999     

Quantum key distribution: theory for application

Quantum key distribution bears the promise to set new standards in secure communication. However, on the way from the theoretical principles to the practical implementation we find many obstacles that need to be taken care of. In this article I show how to obtain a key with a realistic setup such that the security of this key can be proven for an important restricted class of eavesdropping attacks, namely the individual attacks. Received: 15 June 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

Effects of boundary reflection on photoacoustic spectrum of porous silicon

Photoacoustic (PA) amplitude and phase spectra are studied on porous silicon (PS) samples. For the sample with a thinner PS layer and a rough interface observed by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), PA amplitude decays rapidly at short wavelengths but stays at a higher level above 650 nm compared with a sample with a thicker PS layer and a smooth interface. In this latter long-wavelength region, phase delay for the former sample is smaller. A model calculation for the two-layer model taking account of scattering of light in the porous media and interface reflection of light gives at least a qualitative explanation of these differences. Received: 30 June 1999 / Accepted: 11 October 1999 / Published online: 23 February 2000     

Structural, electrical, and surface characteristics of La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 thin films prepared by pulsed-laser deposition

A parametric study of the growth of La_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ (LSCO) thin films on (100) MgO substrates by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) is reported. Films are grown under a wide range of substrate temperature (450–800 °C), oxygen pressure (0.1–0.9 mbar), and incident laser fluence (0.8–2.6 J/cm²). The optimum ranges of temperature, oxygen pressure, and laser fluence to produce c-axis oriented films with smooth surface morphology and high metallic conductivity are identified. Films deposited at low temperature (500 °C) and post-annealed in situ at higher temperatures (600–800 °C) are also investigated with respect to their structure, surface morphology, and electrical conductivity. Received: 20 November 1998 / Accepted: 6 July 1999 / Published online: 21 October 1999     

Ratchet-like topological structures for the control of microdrops

The concepts of ‘force-free’ motion can be applied to liquid microdrops confined in asymmetrically structured geometries to set them into motion. We illustrate this idea with several experiments in which fluctuations in the drop shape and wetting properties are triggered by different physical means either by acting transversally to the motion with an on/off electric field, or along this motion with a low-frequency electric field of zero mean value or by vibrating the substrate. These findings can find natural applications in the field of integrated analysis systems. Received: 25 October 2001 / Accepted: 14 January 2002 / Published online: 22 April 2002     

Film structure and ferroelectric properties of in situ grown SrBi2Ta2O9 films

Ferroelectric SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) films were grown by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) at different substrate temperatures and fluences. A correlation between film structure and ferroelectric properties is established. The dielectric function ε^′ of thin SBT films shows a Curie–Weiss behavior well below the peak temperature T_max and relaxor-like behavior in the vicinity of T_max. Domain walls have a strong influence on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties and on the polarization fatigue of SBT films below 100 °C. The formation of ferroelectric phases is favored at lower substrate temperatures by incorporating Bi₂O₃ template layers into the structure. Received: 18 March 1999 / Accepted: 19 March 1999 / Published online: 5 May 1999     

Molecular beam epitaxy of GaN on a substrate of MoS2 layered compound

The feasibility of MoS₂ layered compound as a substrate for GaN growth was investigated. GaN films were successfully grown on MoS₂ by plasma-enhanced molecular beam epitaxy and the crystal quality of GaN on MoS₂ was compared with that on Al₂O₃. For GaN grown on MoS₂ substrate, it was found that the surface flatness observed by atomic force microscopy, stress in the film measured by Raman spectroscopy, optical properties measured by photoluminescence spectroscopy, and threading dislocation density observed by transmission electron microscopy show superior properties compared with that grown on Al₂O₃. These results suggest the layered compound such as MoS₂, which has no dangling bonds on the surface and has lattice mismatching of 0.9% to GaN, has high potential for a substrate of GaN growth. Received: 1 March 1999 / Accepted: 8 March 1999 / Published online: 26 May 1999     

Fatigue-free Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films on indium tin oxide coated substrates by a sol-gel process

Fatigue-free Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) ferroelectric thin films were successfully prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates using the sol-gel method combined with a rapid thermal annealing process (RTA). The films post-annealed at a temperature of 700 °C for 2 min by RTA process formed (110)-oriented Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ thin films with pure perovskite structure, and had a good morphology as well. The good ferroelectricity of the prepared PZT films was confirmed by P–E hysteresis loop measurements. Fatigue characteristics showed stable behavior. Degradation in polarization was not found while the repeating cycles were up to 10¹¹, and a low leakage current density of 10⁻⁸ A/cm² was also obtained from the highly fatigue-resisted PZT thin films on ITO/glass substrates. Received: 19 October 1998 / Accepted: 29 March 1999 / Published online: 26 May 1999     

Computation of energy exchanges by combining information theory and a key thermodynamic relation: Physical applications

By considering a simple thermodynamic system, in thermal equilibrium at a temperature T and in the presence of an external parameter A, we focus our attention on the particular thermodynamic (macroscopic) relation . Using standard axioms from information theory and the fact that the microscopic energy levels depend upon the external parameter A, we show that all usual results of statistical mechanics for reversible processes follow straightforwardly, without invoking the Maximum Entropy principle. For the simple system considered herein, two distinct forms of heat contributions appear naturally in the Clausius definition of entropy, . We give a special attention to the amount of heat , associated with an infinitesimal variation at fixed temperature, for which a “generalized heat capacity”, , may be defined. The usefulness of these results is illustrated by considering some simple thermodynamic cycles.     

SQUID ratchets: basics and experiments

Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are very well suited for experimental investigations of ratchet effects. This is due to the periodicity of the Josephson coupling energy with respect to the phase difference δ of the superconducting macroscopic wave function across a Josephson junction. We show first that, within the resistively and capacitively shunted junction model, the equation of motion for δ is equivalent to the motion of a particle in the so-called tilted washboard potential, and we derive the conditions which have to be satisfied to build a ratchet potential based on asymmetric dc SQUIDs. We then present results from numerical simulations and experimental investigations of dc SQUID ratchets with critical-current asymmetry under harmonic excitation (periodically rocking ratchets). We discuss the impact of important properties like damping or thermal noise on the operation of SQUID ratchets in various regimes, such as adiabatically slow or fast nonadiabatic excitation. Received: 22 November 2001 / Accepted: 14 January 2002 / Published online: 22 April 2002     

Universality of level spacing distributions in classical chaos

We suggest that random matrix theory applied to a matrix of lengths of classical trajectories can be used in classical billiards to distinguish chaotic from non-chaotic behavior. We consider in 2D the integrable circular and rectangular billiard, the chaotic cardioid, Sinai and stadium billiard as well as mixed billiards from the Limaçon/Robnik family. From the spectrum of the length matrix we compute the level spacing distribution, the spectral auto-correlation and spectral rigidity. We observe non-generic (Dirac comb) behavior in the integrable case and Wignerian behavior in the chaotic case. For the Robnik billiard close to the circle the distribution approaches a Poissonian distribution. The length matrix elements of chaotic billiards display approximate GOE behavior. Our findings provide evidence for universality of level fluctuations—known from quantum chaos—to hold also in classical physics.     

Characterization of heat-treated CN films fabricated by dual-facing-target sputtering for soft X-ray multilayer mirrors

The structural characterization of heat-treated CN films fabricated by dual-facing-target sputtering for soft X-ray multilayer mirrors was performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD analyses indicate a graphization process in the CN films during thermal annealing. The Raman analyses imply that the primary bonding in the CN films is sp². In other words, the formation of the sp³ bonding in the CN films can be suppressed effectively by doping with N atoms, and thus the thickness expansion resulting from the changes in the density of CN films during annealing can be decreased considerably. This result is also clarified by the increased conductivity measured. The XPS results give the information of the existence of the strong covalent bonding between N and C atoms, which can slow down the tendency of the structural relaxation during annealing. These results suggest that CN films suitable for soft X-ray multilayers used at high-temperature environments can be obtained by reactive dual-facing-target sputtering. With the low-angle X-ray diffraction measurements, we do observe the enhanced thermal stability of CoN/CN multilayers. Received: 2 October 1998 / Accepted: 21 April 1999 / Published online: 23 September 1999     

How the on-ramp inflow causes bottleneck

We study traffic dynamics in a simple system with three open boundaries. Traffic patterns in steady states are mainly controlled by boundary conditions. There are three distinct phases in the entire parameter space. We construct a phase diagram and develop a mean-field theory to derive the phase regimes. The influences of speed limit are also discussed. We identify three kinds of on-ramp bottleneck: localized bottleneck in free flow, severe bottleneck in congestion, and extended bottleneck in rush hours. The first two are steady and the third is dynamical. The on-ramp bottleneck can be enhanced significantly by the dynamical effects of rush hours.