Collective firing regularity of a scale-free Hodgkin–Huxley neuronal network in response to a subthreshold signal

We consider a scale-free network of stochastic HH neurons driven by a subthreshold periodic stimulus and investigate how the collective spiking regularity or the collective temporal coherence changes with the stimulus frequency, the intrinsic noise (or the cell size), the network average degree and the coupling strength. We show that the best temporal coherence is obtained for a certain level of the intrinsic noise when the frequencies of the external stimulus and the subthreshold oscillations of the network elements match. We also find that the collective regularity exhibits a resonance-like behavior depending on both the coupling strength and the network average degree at the optimal values of the stimulus frequency and the cell size, indicating that the best temporal coherence also requires an optimal coupling strength and an optimal average degree of the connectivity.     

Multiple coherence resonance induced by time-periodic coupling in stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley neuronal networks

In this paper, we study the effect of time-periodic coupling strength (TPCS) on the spiking coherence of Newman-Watts small-world networks of stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neurons and investigate the relations between the coupling strength and channel noise when coherence resonance (CR) occurs. It is found that, when the amplitude of TPCS is varied, the spiking induced by channel noise can exhibit CR and coherence bi-resonance (CBR), and the CR moves to a smaller patch area (bigger channel noise) when the amplitude increases; when the frequency of TPCS is varied, the intrinsic spiking can exhibit CBR and multiple CR, and the CR always occurs when the frequency is equal to or multiple of the spiking period, manifesting as the locking between the frequencies of the intrinsic spiking and the coupling strength. These results show that TPCS can greatly enhance and optimize the intrinsic spiking coherence, and favors the spiking with bigger channel noise to exhibit CR. This implies that, compared to constant coupling strength, TPCS may play a more efficient role for improving the time precision of the information processing in stochastic neuronal networks.     

Synchronization and coherence resonance in chaotic neural networks

Synchronization and coherence of chaotic Morris--Lecar (ML) neural networks have been investigated by numerical methods. The synchronization of the neurons can be enhanced by increasing the number of the shortcuts, even though all neurons are chaotic when uncoupled. Moreover, the coherence of the neurons exhibits a non-monotonic dependence on the density of shortcuts. There is an optimal number of shortcuts at which the neurons' motion is most ordered, i.e. the order parameter (the characteristic correlation time) that is introduced to measure the coherence of the neurons has a maximum. These phenomena imply that stochastic shortcuts can tame spatiotemporal chaos. The effects of the coupling strength have also been studied. The value of the optimal number of shortcuts goes down as the coupling strength increases.     

Heat Modulation on Target Thermal Bath via Coherent Auxiliary Bath

We study a scheme of thermal management where a three-qubit system assisted with a coherent auxiliary bath (CAB) is employed to implement heat management on a target thermal bath (TTB). We consider the CAB/TTB being ensemble of coherent/thermal two-level atoms (TLAs), and within the framework of collision model investigate the characteristics of steady heat current (also called target heat current (THC)) between the system and the TTB. It demonstrates that with the help of the quantum coherence of ancillae the magnitude and direction of heat current can be controlled only by adjusting the coupling strength of system-CAB. Meanwhile, we also show that the influences of quantum coherence of ancillae on the heat current strongly depend on the coupling strength of system—CAB, and the THC becomes positively/negatively correlated with the coherence magnitude of ancillae when the coupling strength below/over some critical value. Besides, the system with the CAB could serve as a multifunctional device integrating the thermal functions of heat amplifier, suppressor, switcher and refrigerator, while with thermal auxiliary bath it can only work as a thermal suppressor. Our work provides a new perspective for the design of multifunctional thermal device utilizing the resource of quantum coherence from the CAB.     

Quantum Transfer Energy and Nonlocal Correlation in a Dimer with Time-Dependent Coupling Effect

The presence of coherence phenomenon due to the interference of probability amplitude terms, is one of the most important features of quantum mechanics theory. Recent experiments show the presence of quantum processes whose coherence provided over suddenly large interval-time. In particular, photosynthetic mechanisms in light-harvesting complexes provide oscillatory behaviors in quantum mechanics due to quantum coherence. In this work, we investigate the coherent quantum transfer energy for a single-excitation and nonlocal correlation in a dimer system modelled by a two-level atom system with and without time-dependent coupling effect. We analyze and explore the required conditions that are feasible with real experimental realization for optimal transfer of quantum energy and generation of nonlocal quantum correlation. We show that the enhancement of the probability for a single-excitation transfer energy is greatly benefits from the combination of the energy detuning and time-dependent coupling effect. We investigate the presence of quantum correlations in the dimer using the entanglement of formation. We also find that the entanglement between the donor and acceptor is very sensitive to the physical parameters and it can be generated during the coherent energy transfer. On the other hand, we study the dynamical behavior of the quantum variance when performing a measurement on an observable of the density matrix operator. Finally, an interesting relationship between the transfer probability, entanglement and quantum variance is explored during the time evolution in terms of the physical parameters.     

A single-point measurement scheme for quantum work based on the squeezing state

To investigate the role of initial quantum coherence in work-probability distribution, it is necessary to consider an incomplete or partial measurement, in which the energy cannot be fully discriminated by the detector. In this paper, we use a harmonic oscillator with a coherent or squeezing state to realize this incomplete or partial measurement, and propose a unified framework of quantum work statistics for a closed system with an arbitrary initial state. We find that work is proportional to the change of the real part of the coherent state parameter, i.e., quantum work can be estimated by the coherent state parameter. The resulting work-probability distribution includes the initial quantum coherence, and can be reduced to the result of the traditional two projective energy measurement scheme(TPM) by squeezing the state of the harmonic oscillator. Our measurement scheme reveals the fundamental connections between measurement error and coherent work. By introducing a ‘coherent work-to-noise ratio', we find the optimal measurement error, which is determined by the energy difference between the superposed energy levels. As an application, we consider a driven two-level system and investigate the effects of driving velocity on work statistics. We find that only when the driving velocity matches the transition frequency of the system can initial quantum coherence play an important role.     

相干布居数拍频信号与基态超精细子能级相干性关系的研究

相干布居数拍频(coherent population beating, CPB)现象, 产生于一个Λ型三能级原子系统中, 当双色相干激光场的频率差和两基态能级频率间隔近失谐的时候, 原子在激发态能级上的布居数会产生一个弛豫振荡, 且振荡频率等于失谐量. 当将此现象运用于原子标准频率的提取时, CPB频标的稳定度与CPB信号的幅度及信噪比直接相关. 本文理论推导了描述CPB 现象的表达式, 数值模拟并实验研究了⁸⁷Rb基态超精细子能级的相干性对CPB信号的影响, 通过控制与基态子能级共振相干激光场的抽运时间来控制能级的相干程度, 观测不同相干程度对CPB信号质量的影响. 研究结果表明CPB信号振荡的幅度与基态子能级相干程度成正比关系. 要改善CPB信号信噪比、提高原子频标稳定度, 建立、提高和保持基态超精细能级的相干性是关键. 本文还讨论了CPB现象用于弱磁场测量及其他方面应用的可行性.     

双能态自旋-晶格声子耦合量子隧道系统的非经典能态和量子相干耗散

采用关联表象变分波函数方案, 介入三个非经典关联效应, 求解有限温度双能态自旋-晶格声子耦合量子隧道系统的非经典态, 着重研究化解由于粒子自旋-单声子相互作用引起的量子涨落导致双能态系统的退相干性量子耗散. 这三个非经典关联效应是: 1) 声子位移-粒子自旋 (σ_z)间强非绝热关联; 2) 声子压缩态效应及其伴随发生的单声子相干态-声子压缩态两过程相干效应; 3) 由关联表象导致的声子位移(U_D)与声子压缩(U_S)的表象关联非绝热修正. 结果表明: 由于引入粒子自旋-双声子相互作用, 大幅度地增强了声子场压缩态, 特别是更进一步极大幅度地增强了非经典压缩-相干态效应. 因此, 由粒子自旋-单声子相互作用产生的Debye-Walle相干弹性散射效应导致量子隧道项(-Δ₀σ_x)的强烈指数衰减及其伴随严重的量子相干损失的极大幅度的抑制, 并且自旋-晶格声子耦合量子隧道系统的非经典态能量大幅度降低. 关键词： 非经典能态 量子隧穿相干损失 自旋-双声子相互作用 压缩相干态效应     

Amplitude and phase control of spontaneous emission in a double-driven four-level atom

The spontaneous emission property of a coherent microwacve-driven four-level atomic system is investigated. It is shown that a few interesting phenomena due to microwave generated coherence (MGC) such as spectral narrowing, partial cancellation, and spectral-line enhancement can be achieved by varying the Rabi frequency and the phase of microwave field coupling the two upper levels in the atomic system.     

光源对相干层析系统特性的影响

在分析相干层析系统成像机理的基础上，从理论上研究了光源对系统成像特性的影响，在考虑干涉条纹的强度用概率函数处理的条件下，由分析得出相干层析成像系统相当于一个复振幅的线性空间不变系统，从而给出相干函数和光源的功率谱密度之间的关系。通过对使用不同光源的系统相干传递函数比较，得出了采用具有较大线宽的低相干光源，系统的空间分辨率更好，可使测量更精确的结论。本文的工作为光学相干层析成像系统的优化设计提供了理论依据。     

Zitterbewegung of Spin Split Electrons

We describe the trembling motion of conduction-band electrons in solids. The effect originates from the fact that, in the presence of the Rashba/Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling and the Zeeman splitting, the electron velocity is not a conserved quantity and contains a contribution oscillating at the frequency determined by the spin gap. The phenomenon is similar to the Zitterwebegung of relativistic particles. Trembling motion of individual electrons can be phase-synchronized by initializing the electrons in the same spin states and detected as a macroscopic high-frequency electric current, which is maintained in the system until the electron spin coherence is lost. We also show that the amplitude of such a coherent Zitterbewegung current is increased when its frequency matches the plasmon frequency.     

Exotic states in the dynamical Casimir effect

Inhibited decoherence has been recently observed in a dissipative two-level system by increasing the strength of the coupling with the reservoir. The system is described by the spin-boson model under a perturbation approach in the delocalized phase regime occurring in weak-coupling limit at zero temperature. Within this scenario, persistence of coherence is found over long times for various low frequency structures of the bosonic environment near a band gap. Special resonances provoke transitions in the long time dynamics if the transition amplitude of the two-level system is greater than the band gap frequency or in absence of any band gap. These transitions may hinder the the loss of coherence in the spin-boson model. Limitations of the approximations are also discussed.     

Enhancement of charging performance of quantum battery via quantum coherence of bath

An open quantum battery (QB) model of a single qubit system charging in a coherent auxiliary bath (CAB) consisting of a series of independent coherent ancillae is considered. According to the collision charging protocol we derive a quantum master equation and obtain the analytical solution of QB in a steady state. We find that the full charging capacity (or the maximal extractable work (MEW)) of QB, in the weak QB-ancilla coupling limit, is positively correlated with the coherence magnitude of ancilla. Combining with the numerical simulations we compare with the charging properties of QB at finite coupling strength, such as the MEW, average charging power and the charging efficiency, when considering the bath to be a thermal auxiliary bath (TAB) and a CAB, respectively. We find that when the QB with CAB, in the weak coupling regime, is in fully charging, both its capacity and charging efficiency can go beyond its classical counterpart, and they increase with the increase of coherence magnitude of ancilla. In addition, the MEW of QB in the regime of relative strong coupling and strong coherent magnitude shows the oscillatory behavior with the charging time increasing, and the first peak value can even be larger than the full charging MEW of QB. This also leads to a much larger average charging power than that of QB with TAB in a short-time charging process. These features suggest that with the help of quantum coherence of CAB it becomes feasible to switch the charging schemes between the long-time slow charging protocol with large capacity and high efficiency and the short-time rapid charging protocol with highly charging power only by adjusting the coupling strength of QB-ancilla. This work clearly demonstrates that the quantum coherence of bath can not only serve as the role of "fuel" of QB to be utilized to improve the QB's charging performance but also provide an alternative way to integrate the different charging protocols into a single QB.     

Phase singularities and coherence vortices in linear optical systems

It is demonstrated for a time-invariant linear optical system that there exists a definite connection between the optical vortices (phase singularities of the field amplitude) which appear when it is illuminated by spatially coherent light and the coherence vortices (phase singularities of the field correlation function) which appear when it is illuminated by partially coherent light. Optical vortices are shown to evolve into coherence vortices when the state of coherence of the field is decreased. Examples of the connection are given. Furthermore, the generic behavior of coherence vortices in linear optical systems is described.     

Soliton interaction in logarithmically saturable media

An analysis, based on the variational approach, is carried out of the interaction between two fully coherent solitons as well as two partially coherent soliton stripes in a medium with logarithmic nonlinearity. For the coherent case, it is found that the interaction can be both attractive and repulsive depending on the relative phase. The different interaction scenarios involve a bound system where the distance between the solitons oscillates with various magnitude of the oscillation amplitude, including total coalescence, and another where the solitons separate asymptotically. The effect of partial coherence on the soliton interaction is also studied by analyzing the interaction between two partially coherent soliton stripes. It is found that the strength as well as the character (attractive/repulsive) of the interaction changes for decreasing coherence. Thus, the general interaction properties of solitons in logarithmic nonlinear media are qualitatively similar to those of solitons in nonlinear Kerr media.     

利用量子相干性判定开放二能级系统中非马尔可夫性

从量子相干性包括l₁ norm相干性和量子相对熵相干性的角度建立了判定开放量子系统中非马尔可夫过程的方法, 并给出了相应的判别条件. 作为它们的具体应用, 研究了一个两能级系统分别经历相位衰减通道、 随机幺正通道和振幅耗散通道作用时对应的非马尔可夫过程发生必须满足的条件. 对于三种通道模型, 得到了l₁ norm相干性对系统任意态非马尔可夫过程发生的判别条件, 并发现在相位衰减通道和振幅耗散通道中其非马尔可夫过程发生 的条件与用其他方式如信息回流、可分性和量子互熵给出的条件是相同的, 而在随机幺正通道中给出了一个新的且不完全等价于基于信息回流和可分性对应的条件. 至于量子相对熵相干性, 在相位衰减通道中得到了对系统任意态的非马尔可夫过程发生的具体条件, 并发现该条件也等同于基于信息回流、可分性和量子互熵给出的条件. 而在随机幺正通道和振幅耗散通道中得到了系统最大相干态对应的非马尔可夫过程发生的条件.     

Blue five-level frequency-upconversion system in rubidium

We demonstrate production of continuous coherent blue laser light by using a five-level system in rubidium vapor. Two low-power lasers, at 780 and 776 nm, induce strong atomic coherence in the 5S-5P-5D states. The atoms decay to the 6P excited state, from which stimulated emission produces a coherent blue (420 nm) beam. We have coupled both ground-state hyperfine levels, effecting coherence between four levels. The coherent blue output is enhanced by several mechanisms, including stronger coupling to a larger fraction of the atomic population, operation at a detuning such that the vapor is nominally transparent to the 780 nm pump field, reduced losses owing to optical pumping, and optimal phase matching. We report experimental findings and compare them with results from a semiclassical Maxwell-Bloch model.     

Dependence of delay-induced coherence resonance on time-periodic coupling strength in Newman-Watts neuronal networks

Recently, delay-induced coherence resonance (CR) in neuronal networks with fixed coupling strength has received much attention. In this paper, we study delay-induced CR in Newman-Watts neuronal networks with time-periodic coupling strength, mainly investigating how CR changes with the varying frequency of time-periodic coupling strength. We find that delay-induced CR become more frequent as the frequency is increased. When the frequency exceeds a threshold value, time delay can induce multiple CR more than for constant coupling strength. Furthermore, delay-induced CR occurs more abruptly and becomes more pronounced for time-periodic coupling strength than for constant coupling strength. These results show that delay-induced CR strongly depends on the coupling strength of neurons, and time delay can optimize spiking coherence more frequently and precisely in the presence of time-periodic coupling strength. This implies that time-periodic coupling strength could be more helpful for time delay to enhance and optimize the spiking coherence, and thus it may play a more efficient role in improving the time precision of information processing in neuronal networks.     

Collective temporal coherence for subthreshold signal encoding on a stochastic small-world Hodgkin-Huxley neuronal network

We study the collective temporal coherence of a small-world network of coupled stochastic Hodgkin-Huxley neurons. Previous reports have shown that network coherence in response to a subthreshold periodic stimulus, thus subthreshold signal encoding, is maximal for a specific range of the fraction of randomly added shortcuts relative to all possible shortcuts, p, added to an initially locally connected network. We investigated this behavior further as a function of channel noise, stimulus frequency and coupling strength. We show that temporal coherence peaks when the frequency of the external stimulus matches that of the intrinsic subthreshold oscillations. We also find that large values of the channel noise, corresponding to small cell sizes, increases coherence for optimal values of the stimulus frequency and the topology parameter p. For smaller values of the channel noise, thus larger cell sizes, network coherence becomes insensitive to these parameters. Finally, the degree of coupling between neurons in the network modulates the sensitivity of coherence to topology, such that for stronger coupling the peak coherence is achieved with fewer added short cuts.