Towards quantum superpositions of a mirror: an exact open systems analysis

We analyze the recently proposed mirror superposition experiment of Marshall, Simon, Penrose, and Bouwmeester, assuming that the mirror's dynamics contains a nonunitary term of the Lindblad-type proportional to -[q,[q,rho]], with q the position operator for the center of mass of the mirror, and rho the statistical operator. We derive an exact formula for the fringe visibility for this system. We discuss the consequences of our result for tests of environmental decoherence and of collapse models. In particular, we find that with the conventional parameters for the continuous spontaneous localization model of state vector collapse, maintenance of coherence is expected to within an accuracy of at least 1 part in 10(8). Increasing the apparatus coupling to environmental decoherence may lead to observable modifications of the fringe visibility, with time dependence given by our exact result.     

Modal correlation approaches for general second-order systems: Matching mode pairs and an application to Campbell diagrams

Modal correlation is well developed for undamped and proportionally damped vibrating systems. It is less well defined for generally damped linear systems. This paper addresses the fundamental problem of comparing two general second-order linear systems through modal information. It considers precisely the problem of how to achieve matching of modes (mode pairs).There are several possible motivations for modal correlation of which the most important is probably the model updating application. In that application, one set of modes derives from a numerical model and the other from measured data. This paper focuses mainly on a different application—constructing Campbell diagrams for rotating machines. There are two significant differences here: (a) the two sets of modes being compared at any one time are from the same numerical model but for different spin speeds and (b) there is generally a strong distinction between the left and right modes of the system. Without some modal correlation approach, the Campbell diagram is constructed simply as a set of points on the frequency-speed graph. With modal correlation, the eigenvalue problem can be solved at far fewer speeds and the points can be joined meaningfully.A dimensionless (n×n) modal-matching array is produced whose entries indicate which pairs of modes from the first system best correlate with any particular pair of modes from the second system. The presented work is motivated mainly by the application of developing Campbell diagrams for rotating machines by means which are more effective than simply plotting a large set of discrete points. Wider applications of this paper include model updating procedures where mode pairs must be matched initially to ensure convergence towards the exact system.     

The application of SIMS to the study of CO adsorption on polycrystalline metal surfaces

Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) was used to study the adsorption of carbon monoxide on polycrystalline nickel, copper, iron, palladium and tungsten foils. The results demonstrate the ability of SIMS to distinguish, qualitatively, between molecular and dissociative adsorption. A correlation between SIMS results and those obtained by infra-red spectroscopy for molecular adsorption is also suggested.     

On the use of 2D correlation and exchange NMR spectroscopy in organic porous materials

Two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods for the investigation of correlation and exchange have been introduced in recent years and have been applied to a range of different systems. Here, we report on the use of 2D NMR diffusion-diffusion correlation spectroscopy for the investigation of diffusion anisotropy in cellular plant tissues and of diffusion-diffusion exchange spectroscopy for the study of the diffusive exchange of dextran in a dispersion of polyelectrolyte multilayer hollow capsules. Furthermore, diffusion-relaxation correlation spectroscopy was applied to both systems.     

All-electron exact exchange treatment of semiconductors: effect of core-valence interaction on band-gap and d-band position

We present the first all-electron full-potential exact exchange (EXX) Kohn-Sham density functional calculations on a range of semiconductors and insulators (Ge, GaAs, CdS, Si, ZnS, C, BN, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe). We remove one of the main computational obstacles of such calculations by the use of a highly efficient basis for inversion of the response function. We find that the band gaps are not as close to experiment as those obtained from previous pseudopotential EXX calculations. The locations of d bands, determined using the full-potential EXX method, are in excellent agreement with experiment, irrespective of whether these are core, semicore, or valence states. We conclude that the inclusion of the core-valence interaction is necessary for accurate determination of EXX Kohn-Sham band structures and that EXX alone is not a complete answer to the band-gap problem in semiconductors.     

Review of photorefractive materials: an application to laser beam cleanup

Nonlinear photorefractive materials are well suited to record dynamic volume holograms using the wave mixing of coherent laser beams. The photo-induced index modulation is due to a space charge field which modulates the crystal refractive index. The basic phenomena and beam interactions are reviewed for different types of materials operating in the visible and near infrared. In particular, we outline their ability to amplify a low intensity signal beam due to the intensity transfer of a spatially multimode pump beam. We apply this interaction to the cleanup of a multimode large core fiber amplifier. This class of nonlinear materials contribute to extending the performances of laser sources for advanced applications of photonics. To cite this article: L. Lombard et al., C. R. Physique 8 (2007).     

CO2 laser-induced micro-plume treatment of silicon: technique and application

Optical and Quantum Electronics - We propose a scheme to realize all-optical temporal differentiation calculation to input pulse in an inverse Y-type four-level atomic system driven by a strong...     

A simplified treatment of exchange and correlation in semiconducting surface inversion layers

Many-body calculations of subband structure which treat the electron-electron correlations beyond the Hartree approximation as a perturbation suffer from the shortcoming that the perturbation to the subband energies is large. We propose a new approach to calculating the subband structure which corrects this defect.     

Triple-quantum dynamics in multiple-spin systems undergoing magic-angle spinning: application to 13C homonuclear correlation spectroscopy

We analyze the multiple-quantum dynamics governed by a new homonuclear recoupling strategy effecting an average dipolar Hamiltonian comprising three-spin triple-quantum operators (e.g., S(p)+S(q)+S(r)+) under magic-angle spinning conditions. Analytical expressions are presented for polarization transfer processes in systems of three and four coupled spins-1/2 subject to triple-quantum filtration (3QF), and high-order multiple-quantum excitation is investigated numerically in moderately large clusters, comprising up to seven spins. This recoupling approach gives highly efficient excitation of triple-quantum coherences: ideally, up to 67% of the initial polarization may be recovered by 3QF in three-spin systems in polycrystalline powders. Two homonuclear 2D correlation strategies are demonstrated experimentally on powders of uniformly 13C-labeled alanine and tyrosine: the first correlates the single-quantum spectrum in the first dimension with the corresponding 3QF spectrum along the other. The second protocol correlates triple-quantum coherences with their corresponding single-quantum coherences within triplets of coupled spins.     

Quantum transport in one-dimensional systems via a master equation approach: Numerics and an exact solution

We discuss recent findings about properties of quantum nonequilibrium steady states. In particular we focus on transport properties. It is shown that the time-dependent density matrix renormalization method can be used successfully to find a stationary solution of Lindblad master equation. Furthermore, for a specific model an exact solution is presented.     

Kronecker products of matrices and an application to Fermi systems

An identity for the trace of an exponential function of Kronecker products of matrices is proved. This identity plays an important role for the calculation of the grand potential of interacting Fermi systems. For the HamiltonianH= _i n _i n _i wheren _i =c _i ⁺ n _i (c _i ⁺ : Fermi creation operator at the ith site with spin) we calculate the specific heat for different numbers of electrons per lattice site. Finally, we extend our calculations to find approximative solutions of the Hubbard model.     

Invariant exchange perturbation theory for multicenter systems and its application to the calculation of magnetic chains in manganites

The formalism of exchange perturbation theory is presented with regard to the general principles of constructing an antisymmetric vector with the use of the Young diagrams and tableaux in which the coordinate and spin parts are not separated. The form of the energy and wave function corrections coincides with earlier obtained expressions, which are reduced in the present paper to a simpler form of a symmetry-adapted perturbation operator, which preserves all intercenter exchange contributions. The exchange perturbation theory (EPT) formalism itself is presented in the standard form of invariant perturbation theory that takes into account intercenter electron permutations between overlapping nonorthogonal states. As an example of application of the formalism of invariant perturbation theory, we consider the magnetic properties of perovskite manganites La_1/3Ca_2/3MnO₃ that are associated with the charge and spin ordering in magnetic chains of manganese. We try to interpret the experimental results obtained from the study of the effect of doping the above alloys by the model of superexchange interaction in manganite chains that is constructed on the basis of the exchange perturbation theory (EPT) formalism. The model proposed makes it possible to carry out a quantitative analysis of the effect of substitution of manganese atoms by doping elements with different electron configurations on the electronic structure and short-range order in a magnetic chain of manganites.     

Nonlocal density approximation to exchange and correlation in self-consistent bandstructure calculations: Application to Cu

Results of a self-consistent first-principles energy band calculation for Cu using an exchange-potential, which is nonlocal in the electronic density, are reported. The results are very close to recent experimental photoemission data and provide a justification for those empirical xc-parameters α between 0.7 and 0.8 which are commonly used for Cu in band calculations within the local density theory.     

LR-CAHSQC: an application of a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill-type sequence to heteronuclear multiple bond correlation spectroscopy

A new pulse sequence, long-range CPMG-adjusted heteronuclear single quantum coherence (LR-CAHSQC), is proposed for the determination of long-range JCH coupling constants from a long-range 1H-13C correlation experiment. The long-range heteronuclear coupling constants can be directly extracted from COSY-type antiphase peak patterns. The current approach utilizes CPMG-sequences for polarization transfer, and thus avoids the evolution of homonuclear JHH couplings, which normally may introduce abnormalities into the cross peak pattern. The differences between LR-CAHSQC and normal LR-HSQC are discussed.     

Application of the correlation method to analyze deformations in transparent materials

The scheme of elastic stress visualization in transparent materials (Plexiglas) by a change in optical path is proposed. The optical path gradient was measured using the correlation method. A model experiment was performed at various configurations of transverse static loads on a Plexiglas beam. It was shown that the displacement field of the background structure corresponds to stress diagram at a given beam load scheme. For the process of point heating of quartz glass, the correlation method is compared to the method based on the photoelasticity effect.     

Structural studies of clean and overlayered surfaces with an application to xe adsorption on Ag

Low-energy electrons have a particularly important role in many of the techniques of surface science. In some experiments, such as low-energy electron diffraction and characteristic loss spectroscopy, they are scattered either elastically or inelastically; in others, such as electron-stimulated desorption, they are used to produce excitations of the surface; and in still others, the resident electrons are excited to energies where they may escape from the material, as in photoemission, Auger, and ion neutralization spectroscopy. The reason for this central role is that, of all the physical probes, the electron is the simplest one that interacts strongly enough to be sensitive to the last few layers of atoms.     

Electron correlation in two-dimensional systems: CHNC approach to finite-temperature and spin-polarization effects

Applying the classical-map hypernetted-chain method (CHNC) developed recently by Dharma-wardana and Perrot, we have studied the temperature and spin-polarization effects on electron correlation in the uniform quantum two-dimensional gas (2DEG) over a wide range of temperature T and spin-polarization ζ. The quantum fluid at the temperature T is mapped to a classical fluid at the temperature T_cf given by T_cf²=T²+T_q², where the quantum temperature T_q is determined by comparing the calculated correlation energy to that of Monte Carlo results for the fully spin-polarized quantum system at zero temperature. By the iterative solution of the modified HNC equation and the Ornstein-Zernike equation, we have obtained the pair distribution function (PDF) and correlation energy for the two-component classical 2DEG with a classical fluid temperature T_cf. The anti-parallel bridge function B₁₂(r) appearing in the modified HNC equation is determined by using the Monte Carlo correlation energy at T=0 or STLS (Singwi-Tosi-Land-Sjölander) result at T>0 and the numerical solution to the Percus-Yevick (PY) equation for the system of hard disks. By calculating the Pauli potential, the bridge function, PDFs, structure factors and correlation energy, we have shown that in some cases, the properties of the uniform quantum 2DEG depend remarkably on the temperature and spin-polarization.