Stochastic electrodynamics. IV. Transitions in the perturbed harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system

In this fourth paper in a series on stochastic electrodynamics (SED), the harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system in the presence of an arbitrary applied classical radiation field is studied further. The exact closed-form expressions are found for the time-dependent probability that the oscillator is in the nth eigenstate of the unperturbed SED Hamiltonian H ₀ , the same H ₀ as that of ordinary quantum mechanics. It is shown that an eigenvalue of H ₀ is the average energy that the oscillator would have if its wave function could be just the corresponding eigenstate. The level shift for each unperturbed eigenvalue is found and shown to be unobservable for a different reason than in the corresponding QED treatment. Perturbation theory is applied to the SED Schrödinger equation to derive first-order transition rates for spontaneous emission and resonance absorption. The results agree with those of quantum electrodynamics, but the mathematics is strikingly different. It is shown that SED demands discarding the ideas of quantized energies, photons, and completeness of the Schrödinger equation, Finally, an intuitive physical SED model is suggested for the photoeffect and for Clauser's ⁽²⁾ coincidence experiment.     

Quantum mechanics derived from stochastic electrodynamics

The connection between stochastic electrodynamics (SED) and the quantum theory of matter is further explored. The main result is that the Fokker-Planck-like equation of SED can be recast into the form of a Schrödinger equation with radiative corrections, when the system is close to a state of equilibrium. The phase-space distribution can be written as Wigner's pseudo-distribution plus corrections due to the nonlinearity of the external force and to radiative effects. The radiative corrections predicted by the theory, namely the Lamb shift and the decay of excited atomic states, coincide with those predicted by QED. Moreover, the theory offers a clear physical interpretation of these phenomena as due to the coupling of the electric dipole of the system with the zero-point radiation field and to radiation reaction, respectively.     

Quantum phenomena and the zeropoint radiation field. II

A previous paper was devoted to the discussion of a new version of stochastic electrodynamics (SED) and to the study of the conditions under which quantum mechanics can be derived from it, in the radiationless approximation. In this paper further effects on matter due to the zeropoint field are studied, such as atomic stability, radiative transitions, the Lamb shift, etc., and are shown to be correctly described by the proposed version of SED. Also, a detailed energy-balance condition and a fluctuation-dissipation relation are established; it is shown in particular that equilibrium is attained only with a field spectrum ³.The proposed approach is shown to suggest an understanding of quantum mechanics as a kind of limitcycle theory. Finally, a brief discussion is included about the nonchaotic behavior of the (bounded) SED system in the quantum regime, as measured by Lyapunov exponents.On Leave of absence at Mathematics Department, University College London, srGower Street, London WC1, United Kingdom.     

Stochastic electrodynamics. III. Statistics of the perturbed harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system

In this third paper in a series on stochastic electrodynamics (SED), the nonrelativistic dipole approximation harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system is subjected to an arbitrary classical electromagnetic radiation field. The ensemble-averaged phase-space distribution and the two independent ensemble-averaged Liouville or Fokker-Planck equations that it satisfies are derived in closed form without furtner approximation. One of these Liouville equations is shown to be exactly equivalent to the usual Schrödinger equation supplemented by small radiative corrections and an explicit radiation reaction (RR) vector potential that is similar to the Crisp-Jaynes semiclassical theory (SCT) RR potential. The wave function in this SED Schrödinger equation is shown to have thea priori significance of position probability amplitude. The other Liouville equation has no counterpart in ordinary quantum mechanics, and is shown to restrict initial conditions such that (i) The Wigner-type phase-space distribution is always positive, (ii) in the absence of an applied field, the only allowed solution of both equations is the quantum ground state, and (iii) if a previously applied field is suddenly turned off, then spontaneous transitions occur, with no need for a triggering perturbation as in SCT, until the system is in the ground state. It is also shown that the oscillator energy is a fluctuating quantity that must take on a continuum of values, with average value equal to the quantum ground-state energy plus a contribution due to the applied classical field.     

Single-electron devices formed by pattern-dependent oxidation: microscopic structural evaluation

The embedded Si structure formed by pattern-dependent oxidation (PADOX) in single-electron device (SED) is analyzed by novel microscopic methods using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface charge imaging SEM reveals the outline of the embedded Si nanowire of the electrically-measured SED. The size of the wire in the device is small enough to make a potential barrier caused by the quantum mechanical size effect. The result of the Si height in the oxidized structure estimated by AFM indicates that the huge stress induced by oxidation is applied to the narrow Si wire. The experimental results support the theoretical model of the SED fabricated by PADOX that the potential profile responsible for the SED operation is produced by two effects, the quantum mechanical size effect and the strain-induced bandgap reduction.     

Stochastic electrodynamics. I. On the stochastic zero-point field

This is the first in a series of papers that present a new classical statistical treatment of the system of a charged harmonic oscillator (HO) immersed in an omnipresent stochastic zero-point (ZP) electromagnetic radiation field. This paper establishes the Gaussian statistical properties of this ZP field using Bourret's postulate that all statistical moments of the stochastic field plane waves at a given space-time point should agree with their corresponding quantized field vacuum expectations. This postulate is more than adequate to derive the Planck spectrum classically via Boyer's and Theimer's methods, but it requires that the stochastic amplitude of each linearly polarized plane wave in the field contain two independent Gaussian random variables, not just a random phase as has sometimes been assumed. In the succeeding papers in the series, the total motion of a charged HO is described by a fully renormalized dipole-approximation Abraham-Lorentz equation. This leads without further approximation to the following major results concerning this stochastic electrodynamics (SED) of the HO: i) The ensemble-average Liouville equation for the oscillator-ZP field system in the presence of an arbitrary applied classical radiation field is exactly equivalent to the usual time-dependent Schrödinger equation supplemented by an explicit radiation reaction vector potential similar to that of the Crisp-Jaynes-Stroud theory; ii) this SED Schrödinger equation for the HO is incomplete, insmuch as there exists a companion equation that restricts initial conditions such that the corresponding Wigner phase-space distribution is always positive; iii) the wave function of the SED Schrödinger equation has thea priori significance of position probability amplitude; iv) first-order transition rates predicted for the HO by this theory agree with those predicted by quantum electrodynamics for resonance absorption and spontaneous emission, which occurs with no triggering necessary; and v) if SED is taken seriously, then the concepts of quantized energies and photons must be abandoned.     

Aquantitative assessment of stochastic electrodynamics with spin (SEDS): Physical principles and novel applications

Stochastic electrodynamics (SED) without spin, denoted as pure SED, has been discussed and seriously considered in the literature for several decades because it accounts for important aspects of quantum mechanics (QM). SED is based on the introduction of the nonrenormalized, electromagnetic stochastic zero-point field (ZPF), but neglects the Lorentz force due to the radiation random magnetic field Br. In addition to that rather basic limitation, other drawbacks remain, as well: i) SED fails when there are nonlinear forces; ii) it is not possible to derive the Schrödinger equation in general; iii) it predicts broad spectra for rarefied gases instead of the observed narrow spectral lines; iv) it does not explain double-slit electron diffraction patterns. We show in this short review that all of those drawbacks, and mainly the first most basic one, can be overcome in principle by introducing spin into stochastic electrodynamics (SEDS). Moreover, this modification of the theory also explains four observed effects that are otherwise so far unexplainable by QED, i.e., 1) the physical origin of the ZPF, and its natural upper cutoff; 2) an anomaly in experimental studies of the neutrino rest mass; 3) the origin and quantitative treatment of 1/f noise; and 4) the high-energy tail (～ 10²¹ eV) of cosmic rays. We review the theoretical and experimental situation regarding these things and go on to propose a double-slit electron diffraction experiment that is aimed at discriminating between QM and SEDS. We show that, in the context of this experiment, for the case of an electron beam focused on just one of the slits, no interference pattern due to the other slit is predicted by QM, while this is not the case for SEDS. A second experiment that could discriminate between QED and SEDS regards a transversely large electron beam including both slits obtained in an insulating wall, where the ZPF is reduced but not vanished. The interference pattern according to SEDS should be somewhat modified with respect to QED’s.     

表面传导电子发射显示器件电场分布的理论研究

利用电磁理论对表面传导电子发射显示器件的单个子像素在笛卡尔坐标系内建立合理的电学物理模型，对内部电场强度和电势进行了深入研究，推导出了模型不同部分的面电荷密度、电场强度和电势的表达式.为了形象地表征其电学特性，利用MATLAB 6.5对电场强度和电势的分布情况进行了模拟，从理论上对模拟曲面给出了合理的解释，分析了子像素内部电子的发射机理和电学行为，并与电子多重散射模型和惯性离心模型进行了对比，解释了SED阳极电流形成的重要原因.在误差允许的范围内，本模型有关电场强度分布的结论与惯性离心模型一致. 关键词： 表面传导电子发射显示 遂穿效应 面电荷密度 电场强度     

Rotational reorientation dynamics of Rhodamine 700 in different excited states

The rotational reorientation dynamics of rhodamine 700 (LD700) in the first (S₁) and the fifth (S₅) excited state in three aprotic polar solvents have been investigated using femtosecond time-resolved stimulated emission pumping fluorescence depletion (FS TR SEP TD) spectroscopy. In both excited states, the overall rotational relaxation of LD700 occurs on a time scale of 40-230 ps depending on the solvent, and a quantitative analysis of this time constant has been performed using the Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED) hydrodynamic theory combined with the extended charge distribution model developed by Alavi and Waldeck. The experimentally measured reorientation times for LD700 in S₅ are smaller than those in S₁, which is in accord with the predictions by the SED theory. In addition, for LD700 in S₅, a rapid initial decrease on the time scale less than 0.5 ps has been found. According to our analysis, this fast component may account for the rapid internal conversion from S₅ to S₁, and the rate of internal conversion was found to be sensitive to the solvent polarity.     

Statistical Theory of Two-Sided Multipactor

We develop a statistical theory of secondary-emission discharge (SED) taking the energy distribution of secondary electrons into account. The theory allows one to describe quantitatively the initial stage of development of a two-sided multipactor. For an arbitrary probability density of normal components of the ejection velocity and an arbitrary distance between the walls enclosing the microwave discharge plasma, we construct an analytical solution for the electron distribution function over transit times. The performed analysis is based on the results of a detailed study of conditions under which an electron reaches the opposite side. With allowance for the spread in thermal velocities, we derive a recurrence relation between the electron distribution functions over emission phases and formulate a general integral equation from which the resulting stationary distribution and the threshold of SED onset are determined.     

Temperature dependence of coupling constants

We study the temperature-dependence of coupling constants at the one-loop level for massive ?⁴ theory and massive scalar electrodynamics (SED). It is found that the scalar coupling constant λ for m² > 0 decreases with temperature leading to a phase transition to a non-interacting phase. In a model with m² < 0, λ increases as 1n T. The gauge coupling constant of SED increases uniformly with temperature.     

An Improvement of Secondary Emission Detector for Energy Analysis of Charge-Exchange Neutrals Emitted from High-Temperature Plasma

Secondary emission detector (SED) is improved for ion temperature measurement of high-temperature plasma by charge-exchange neutral analysis. This improvement is based on the incident energy (E) dependency of the ratio of secondary electron yield for an incident angle ? to that for normal incidence, defined as k(?, E). The ratio k(?, E) is investigated as functions of E and ? for hydrogen atom incidence. To examine and demonstrate the usefulness of the improved SED, both experimental simulation and computer simulation of the charge-exchange neutral analysis with the improved SED are used. In the experimental simulation, facsimile neutrals are produced by neutralization of an ion beam on a solid surface and are analyzed by the improved SED. The result is compared with that obtained by using normal charge-stripping type analyzer. In the computer simulation, a simple model of the charge-exchange neutral emission of high-temperature hydrogen plasma is assumed and the usefulness of the improved SED as a hydrogen plasma diagnostic technique is evaluated under the influences of strong plasma radiation conditions.     

Entropy and Vacuum Radiation

It is shown that entropy increase in thermodynamic systems can plausibly be accounted for by the random action of vacuum radiation. A recent calculation by Rueda using stochastic electrodynamics (SED) shows that vacuum radiation causes a particle to undergo a rapid Brownian motion about its average dynamical trajectory. It is shown that the magnitude of spatial drift calculated by Rueda can also be predicted by assuming that the average magnitudes of random shifts in position and momentum of a particle correspond to the lower limits of the uncertainty relation. The latter analysis yields a plausible expression for the shift in momentum caused by vacuum radiation. It is shown that when the latter shift in momentum is magnified in particle interactions, the fractional change in each momentum component is on the order of unity within a few collision times, for gases and (plausibly) for denser systems over a very broad range of physical conditions. So any system of particles in this broad range of conditions would move to maximum entropy, subject to its thermodynamic constraints, within a few collision times. It is shown that the spatial drift caused by vacuum radiation, as predicted by the above SED calculation, can be macroscopic in some circumstances, and an experimental test of this effect is proposed. Consistency of the above results with quantum mechanics is discussed, and it is shown that the diffusion constant associated with the above Brownian drift is the same as that used in stochastic interpretations of the Schrödinger equation.     

Magnetic resonance differentiation between T2 and T1 gallbladder carcinoma: significance of subserosal enhancement on the delayed phase dynamic study

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate whether subserosal enhancement on the delayed-phase dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) study (SED) can differentiate T2 from T1 gallbladder carcinoma (GBC).

Methods

The institutional research board approved this retrospective study. Between 1997 and 2006, there were surgically proven 11 T1 and 21 T2 GBC in 30 patients, all of whom had undergone preoperative contrast enhanced dynamic MR study, either with a 2D sequence (n=17) or 3D sequences (n=15). All images were reviewed by two radiologists for the presence of SED, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated by consensus.

Results

The areas under the ROC curves of the two readers were 0.91 and 0.86, and the kappa value was 0.78. Of the 21 T2 GBC, 18 and 3 showed positive and negative SED, respectively. Of the 11 T1 GBC, 1 and 10 showed positive and negative SED, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of SED for diagnosing T2 lesions were 86%, 88%, 91% and 77%, respectively.

Conclusions

In conclusion, SED may be a useful sign to differentiate T2 from T1 GBC, which would affect the preoperative surgical planning of the patients.     

Quantum information theory

A conceptual analysis of the classical information theory of Shannon (1948) shows that this theory cannot be directly generalized to the usual quantum case. The reason is that in the usual quantum mechanics of closed systems there is no general concept of joint and conditional probability. Using, however, the generalized quantum mechanics of open systems (A. Kossakowski 1972) and the generalized concept of observable (“semiobservable”, E.B. Davies and J.T. Lewis 1970) it is possible to construct a quantum information theory being then a straightforward generalization of Shannon's theory.     

Quantum walks with an anisotropic coin II: scattering theory

We perform the scattering analysis of the evolution operator of quantum walks with an anisotropic coin, and we prove a weak limit theorem for their asymptotic velocity. The quantum walks that we consider include one-defect models, two-phase quantum walks, and topological phase quantum walks as special cases. Our analysis is based on an abstract framework for the scattering theory of unitary operators in a two-Hilbert spaces setting, which is of independent interest.

     

Anatomy of a gauge theory

We exhibit the role of Hochschild cohomology in quantum field theory with particular emphasis on gauge theory and Dyson–Schwinger equations, the quantum equations of motion. These equations emerge from Hopf- and Lie algebra theory and free quantum field theory only. In the course of our analysis, we exhibit an intimate relation between the Slavnov–Taylor identities for the couplings and the existence of Hopf sub-algebras defined on the sum of all graphs at a given loop order, surpassing the need to work on single diagrams.     

Quantum Cryptography

Quantum cryptography makes use of the quantum-mechanical behavior of nature for the design and analysis of cryptographic schemes. Optimally (but not always), quantum cryptography allows for the design of cryptographic schemes whose security is guaranteed solely by the laws of nature. This is in sharp contrast to standard cryptographic schemes, which can be broken in principle, i.e., when given sufficient computing power. From a theory point of view, quantum cryptography offers a beautiful interplay between the mathematics of adversarial behavior and quantum information theory. In this review article, we discuss the traditional application of quantum cryptography, quantum key distribution (QKD), from a modern perspective, and we discuss some recent developments in the context of quantum two-party cooperation (2PC). QKD allows two distant parties to communicate in a provably-secure way in the presence of an outside eavesdropper, whereas 2PC is concerned with protecting information against possibly malicious insiders. We show the basic idea of constructing quantum cryptographic schemes, but we also show some connections to quantum information theory as needed for the rigorous security analyses, and we discuss some of the relevant quantum-information-theoretic results.