Localization or tunneling in asymmetric double-well potentials

An asymmetric double-well potential is considered, assuming that the wells are parabolic around the minima. The WKB wave function of a given energy is constructed inside the barrier between the wells. By matching the WKB function to the exact wave functions of the parabolic wells on both sides of the barrier, for two almost degenerate states, we find a quantization condition for the energy levels which reproduces the known energy splitting formula between the two states. For the other low-lying non-degenerate states, we show that the eigenfunction should be primarily localized in one of the wells with negligible magnitude in the other. Using Dekker’s method (Dekker, 1987), the present analysis generalizes earlier results for weakly biased double-well potentials to systems with arbitrary asymmetry.     

Stationary axisymmetric perfect-fluid metrics with q+3p=const

All Petrov type D stationary axisymmetric rigidly rotating perfect-fluid metrics with an equation of state q+3p=const are explicity obtained. There are two classes of metrics, the general solution of class I is the Wahlquist solution. Class II contains Kramer's metric and any of the solutions in this class can be obtained as a limiting case of Wahlquist's solution. The limiting procedure leading to Kramer's metric is given explicitly.     

Diffusion in a bistable potential

The problem of diffusion of a particle in a bistable potential is studied on the basis of the one-dimensional Smoluchowski equation for the space- and time-dependent probability distribution. The potential is modeled as two parabolic wells separated by a parabolic barrier. For the model potential the Smoluchowski equation is solved exactly by a Laplace transform with respect to time for the initial condition that at time zero the probability distribution is given by a thermal equilibrium distribution in one of the wells. In the limit of a high barrier the rate of transition to the other well is given by an asymptotic result due to Kramers. For a potential barrier of moderate height there are significant corrections to the asymptotic result.     

System size stochastic resonance in a model for opinion formation

We study a model for opinion formation, which incorporates three basic ingredients for the evolution of the opinion held by an individual: imitation, influence of fashion and randomness. We show that in the absence of fashion, the model behaves as a bistable system with random jumps between the two stable states with a distribution of times following Kramer's law. We also demonstrate the existence of system size stochastic resonance, by which there is an optimal value for the number of individuals N for which the average opinion follows better the fashion.     

Intersubband transitions in band gap engineered parabolic potential wells

Intersubband transitions in spike-inserted wide parabolic quantum wells are investigated. A thin potential barrier within the pure parabola devides the electron system in two well separated but strongly coupled layers, which in turn drastically changes the collective excitations scheme. In contrast to a pure parabolic quantum well where according to the generalised Kohn's Theorem only one fixed resonance is observed, the collective intersubband transitions recover the complex coupling and splitting scheme of the single particle states of a strongly coupled system. We interpret our experimental findings in terms of resonant tunnel processes and discuss them using simple model calculations.     

Stationary phase method and delay times for relativistic and non-relativistic tunneling particles

The stationary phase method is frequently adopted for calculating tunneling phase times of analytically-continuous Gaussian or infinite-bandwidth step pulses which collide with a potential barrier. This report deals with the basic concepts on deducing transit times for quantum scattering: the stationary phase method and its relation with delay times for relativistic and non-relativistic tunneling particles. After reexamining the above-barrier diffusion problem, we notice that the applicability of this method is constrained by several subtleties in deriving the phase time that describes the localization of scattered wave packets. Using a recently developed procedure - multiple wave packet decomposition - for some specifical colliding configurations, we demonstrate that the analytical difficulties arising when the stationary phase method is applied for obtaining phase (traversal) times are all overcome. In this case, we also investigate the general relation between phase times and dwell times for quantum tunneling/scattering. Considering a symmetrical collision of two identical wave packets with an one-dimensional barrier, we demonstrate that these two distinct transit time definitions are explicitly connected. The traversal times are obtained for a symmetrized (two identical bosons) and an antisymmetrized (two identical fermions) quantum colliding configuration. Multiple wave packet decomposition shows us that the phase time (group delay) describes the exact position of the scattered particles and, in addition to the exact relation with the dwell time, leads to correct conceptual understanding of both transit time definitions. At last, we extend the non-relativistic formalism to the solutions for the tunneling zone of a one-dimensional electrostatic potential in the relativistic (Dirac to Klein-Gordon) wave equation where the incoming wave packet exhibits the possibility of being almost totally transmitted through the potential barrier. The conditions for the occurrence of accelerated and, eventually, superluminal tunneling transmission probabilities are all quantified and the problematic superluminal interpretation based on the non-relativistic tunneling dynamics is revisited. Lessons concerning the dynamics of relativistic tunneling and the mathematical structure of its solutions suggest revealing insights into mathematically analogous condensed-matter experiments using electrostatic barriers in single- and bi-layer graphene, for which the accelerated tunneling effect deserves a more careful investigation.     

The Uphill Turtle Race; On Short Time Nucleation Probabilities

The short time behavior of nucleation probabilities is studied by representing nucleation as a diffusion process in a potential well with escape over a barrier. If initially all growing nuclei start at the bottom of the well, the first nucleation time on average is larger than the inverse nucleation frequency. Explicit expressions are obtained for the short time probability of first nucleation. For very short times these become independent of the shape of the potential well. They agree well with numerical results from an exact enumeration scheme. For a large number N of growing nuclei the average first nucleation time scales as 1/log N in contrast to the long-time nucleation frequency, which scales as 1/N. For linear potential wells closed form expressions are given for all times.     

On the theory of activation: Kramers' reaction rate in bistable systems

Kramers' model for equilibrium via noise activated escape over a potential barrier is considered as an eigenvalue problem. Using Rayleigh's identity for the pertinent eigenvalue, the escape rate is obtained for a bistable system with a smooth parabolic barrier.     

Dipole-allowed optical absorption in a parabolic quantum dot with two electrons

Dipole-allowed optical absorption in a parabolic quantum dot with two electrons are studied by using the exact diagonalization techniques and the compact density-matrix approach. Numerical results are presented for typical GaAs parabolic quantum dots. The results show that the total optical absorption coefficient of two electrons in quantum dot is about five times smaller than that of one electron in quantum dot.     

A new method for weak fault feature extraction based on piecewise mixed stochastic resonance

In a continuous bistable system, when the input signal is continuously increased, the output signal tends to be stable and no longer increases. At this time, the weak signal under strong background noise is difficult to be extracted, which means saturation occurs. Aiming at the saturation characteristics of stochastic resonance (SR), the proposed piecewise nonlinear bistable system (PNBSR) model has achieved certain results. However, the potential barrier in the middle of the PNBSR method still completely uses the potential function of classical bistable stochastic resonance (CBSR). There is no fundamental solution to the fourth-order limitation. This paper explores an improved piecewise mixed stochastic resonance (PMSR) potential model. The fourth-order potential function that restricts particle motion in CBSR is improved to a piecewise second-order potential function. This potential function subverts the shape of the traditional potential function and presents a symmetrical double-hook shape. Based on PMSR model, this paper uses particle swarm optimization (PSO) to select system parameters and elaborates the characteristics of the potential function curve in detail. Under the same conditions, the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) curve of the improved system is generally higher than that of the CBSR and PNBSR systems. Experiments on bearings and gears show that the proposed method can accurately extract weak fault features, and the effect is better than the PNBSR method.     

The exact correspondence between phase times and dwell times in a symmetrical quantum tunneling configuration

The general and explicit relation between phase times and dwell times for quantum tunneling or scattering is investigated. Considering two identical propagating wave packets symmetrically impinging a one-dimensional barrier, here we demonstrate that these two distinct transit time definitions give connected results where, for such a colliding configuration, the phase time (group delay) accurately describes the exact position of the scattered particles. The analytical difficulties that arise when the stationary phase method is employed for obtaining the phase (traversal) times are all overcome, since the multiple wave packet decomposition allows us to recover the exact position of the reflected and transmitted waves. In addition to the exact relation between the phase time and the dwell time, this leads to the right interpretation for both of them. PACS 03.65.Xp     

New approach to the quantum tunneling process: Characteristic times for transmission and reflection

In [1] we have demonstrated that scattering of a quantum particle on a one-dimensional potential barrier should be considered as a combined process involving two alternative elementary transmission and reflection processes. For symmetric potential barriers, we have found solutions of the Schrödinger equation which describe the transmission and reflection processes in all stages of scattering. The present work studies time aspects of both processes. The local and asymptotic group tunneling times, dwell time, and Larmor tunneling time are determined for each process. Among these time characteristics, the group tunneling times should be considered as auxiliary. As to the dwell and Larmor tunneling times, they are the best estimates (of the expected values) of times the quantum particle in stationary and localized nonstationary states dwells in the barrier region. Moreover, the Larmor time is simply the dwell time averaged over the corresponding ensemble of particles. This characteristic can be measured experimentally and hence the suggested model of scattering can be verified.     

施加电场的半抛物量子阱中的电光效应

利用量子力学中的紧致密度矩阵方法，研究了施加电场的半抛物量子阱中的电光效应。通过位移谐振子变换，得到了系统中的电子态的精确解。对典型的GaAs材料进行数值计算的结果表明，随着电场强度的增加，电光效应系数几乎线性随之增加；但是随着半抛物量子阱受限势频率的增加，电光效应系数单调地减小；而且在同样的电场强度及抛物束缚势频率作用下，半抛物量子阱模型中的电光效应系数比抛物量子阱模型中的值大两个数量级，这是由于我们所选模型本身的非对称性以及电场进一步使这种非对称性增强的缘故。     

Nonautonomous deformed solitons in a Bose-Einstein condensate

We study exact single-soliton solutions of an attractive Bose-Einstein condensate governed by a one-dimensional nonautonomous Gross-Pitaevskii system. For several different forms of time-dependent atom-atom interaction and external parabolic potential which satisfy the exact integrability scenario, we construct a set of new analytical nonautonomous deformed-soliton solutions, including the macroscopic wave function and the position of soliton＇s center of mass. The soliton characteristics are modulated by the external field parameters and deformation factors related to the number of the condensed atoms and the initial conditions. The results suggest a simple and effective method for experimentally generating matter-wave deformed solitons and manipulating their motions.     

The reflection and transmission group delay times in an asymmetric single quantum barrier

The reflection and transmission group delay times are systematically investigated in an asymmetric single quantum barrier. It is reported that the reflection times in both evanescent and propagating cases can be either negative or positive, depending on the relative height of the potential energies on the two sides of the barrier. In the evanescent case where the energy of incident particles is less than the height of the barrier, the reflection and transmission times in the opaque limit are both independent of the barrier’s thickness, showing superluminality. On the other hand, in the propagating case where the energy of incident particles is larger than the height of the barrier, the reflection and transmission times as the periodical function of the barrier’s thickness can be greatly enhanced by the transmission resonance. It is also shown that the transmission time and the reflection times for the two propagation directions in the same asymmetric configuration satisfy the reciprocal relation, as consequence of time reversal invariance in quantum mechanics. These phenomena may lead to novel applications in electronic devices.     

Alternating Direction Implicit Orthogonal Spline Collocation on Non-Rectangular Regions

The alternating direction implicit (ADI) method is a highly efficient technique for solving multi-dimensional time dependent initial-boundary value problems on rectangles. When the ADI technique is coupled with orthogonal spline collocation (OSC) for discretization in space, we not only obtain the global solution efficiently, but the discretization error with respect to space variables can be of an arbitrarily high order. In [2], we used a Crank Nicolson ADI OSC method for solving general nonlinear parabolic problems with Robin's boundary conditions on rectangular polygons and demonstrated numerically the accuracy in various norms. A natural question that arises is: Does this method have an extension to non-rectangular regions? In this paper, we present a simple idea of how the ADI OSC technique can be extended to some such regions. Our approach depends on the transfer of Dirichlet boundary conditions in the solution of a two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP). We illustrate our idea for the solution of the heat equation on the unit disc using piecewise Hermite cubics.     

A general solution to the Schrödinger–Poisson equation for a charged hard wall: Application to potential profile of an AlN/GaN barrier structure

A general, system-independent, formulation of the parabolic Schrödinger–Poisson equation is presented for a charged hard wall in the limit of complete screening by the ground state. It is solved numerically using iteration and asymptotic boundary conditions. The solution gives a simple relation between the band bending and sheet charge density at an interface. Approximative analytical expressions for the potential profile and wave function are developed based on properties of the exact solution. Specific tests of the validity of the assumptions leading to the general solution are made. The assumption of complete screening by the ground state is found be a limitation; however, the general solution provides a fair approximate account of the potential profile when the bulk is doped. The general solution is further used in a simple model for the potential profile of an AlN/GaN barrier structure. The result compares well with the solution of the full Schrödinger–Poisson equation.     

Non-Markovian Diffusion Over a Saddle with a Generalized Langevin Equation

The diffusion over a simple parabolic barrier is exactly solved with a non-Markovian Generalized Langevin Equation. For a short relaxation time, the problem is shown to be similar to a Markovian one, with a smaller effective friction. But for longer relaxation time, the average trajectory starts to oscillate and the system can have a very fast first passage over the barrier. For very long relaxation times, the solution tends to a zero-friction limit. PACS: 02.50.EY, 05.40.−a, 25.70.Jj