Exponential attractors of reaction-diffusion systems in an unbounded domain

We consider reaction-diffusion systems in unbounded domains, prove the existence of expotential attractors for such systems, and estimate their fractal dimension. The essential difference with the case of a bounded domain studied before is the continuity of the spectrum of the linear part of the equations. This difficulty is overcome by systematic use of weighted Sobolev spaces.     

Optimal Recursive Estimation of Raw Data

We present a new approach to the optimal estimation of random vectors. The approach is based on a combination of a specific iterative procedure and the solution of a best approximation problem with a polynomial approximant. We show that the combination of these new techniques allow us to build a computationally effective and flexible estimator. The strict justification of the proposed technique is provided. This work was supported by the Australian Research Council under the ARC Large Grant Scheme.     

Birefringence measurements of liquid crystals and an application: An achromatic waveplate

We demonstrate a quarter wave phase retarder consisting of two layers of different liquid crystals (LCs). The phase retardation does not differ by more than ±5% from the target value π/2 within a spectral interval of 200 nm in the visible range. These values are comparable to the data for commercial two layer crystalline retarders which are much more expensive, especially if large apertures are required. In order to design the LC retarder we measured the birefringence of the LC within the entire visible spectrum using a published technique which does not consider interference effects due to reflections within indium-tin oxide coated LC cells. We show that these effects do not affect the results adversely provided that the birefringence data are taken over a broad spectral range.     

Nonlinear photonic crystals: II. Interaction classification for quadratic nonlinearities

Weakly nonlinear interactions between wavepackets in lossless periodic dielectric media are studied based on the classical nonlinear Maxwell equations. We consider nonlinear processes such that: (i) the amplitude of the wave component due to the nonlinearity does not exceed the amplitude of its linear component; (ii) the spatial range of a probing wavepacket is much smaller than the dimension of the medium sample, and it is not too small compared with the dimension of the primitive cell. These nonlinear processes are naturally described in terms of the Bloch modes and the dispersion relations of the underlying linear periodic medium. It turns out that only a few triads of modes have significant nonlinear interactions. They are singled out by the frequency and phase matching conditions and, as we show, by an additional selection rule: the group velocity matching condition. The latter condition is the most important selection rule for the nonlinear regimes. We give a complete quantitative classification of all possible significant interactions for quadratic nonlinearities. The classification is based on a universal system of indices reflecting the intensity of nonlinear interactions. The obtained classification points to the second harmonic generation as being one of the stronger nonlinear interactions, and often the strongest one.     

Insulating phases and superfluid-insulator transition of disordered boson chains

Using a strong disorder real-space renormalization group, we study the phase diagram of a fully disordered chain of interacting bosons. Since this approach does not suffer from runaway flows, it allows a direct study of the insulating phases, not accessible in a weak disorder perturbative treatment. We find that the universal properties of the insulating phase are determined by the details and symmetries of the on-site chemical-potential disorder. Three insulating phases are possible: (i) an incompressible Mott glass with a finite superfluid susceptibility, (ii) a random-singlet glass with diverging compressibility and superfluid susceptibility, (iii) a Bose glass with a finite compressibility but diverging superfluid susceptibility. In addition to characterizing the insulating phases, we show that the superfluid-insulator transition is always described by Kosterlitz-Thouless-like flows.     

On the Neumann problem for the Helmholtz equation in a plane angle

We prove that the solution of the Neumann problem for the Helmholtz equation in a plane angle Ω with boundary conditions from the space H_−1/2(Γ), where Γ is the boundary of Ω, which is provided by the well‐known Sommerfeld integral, belongs to the Sobolev space H₁(Ω) and depends continuously on the boundary values. To this end, we use another representation of the solution given by the inverse two‐dimensional Fourier transform of an analytic function depending on the Cauchy data of the solution. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biorthogonal Eigenfunction System in the Triple-Deck Limit

The solutions of receptivity problems for a periodic-in-time actuator placed on the wall in a two-dimensional boundary layer and for a two-dimensional hump are discussed within the scope of the biorthogonal eigenfunction expansion technique in the limit of high Reynolds number when the triple-deck scaling is imposed. It is shown that the solutions obtained with the help of the biorthogonal eigenfunction system are equivalent to the solutions derived within the scope of the triple-deck theory.     

Geometric phase contribution to quantum nonequilibrium many-body dynamics

We study the influence of geometry of quantum systems underlying space of states on its quantum many-body dynamics. We observe an interplay between dynamical and topological ingredients of quantum nonequilibrium dynamics revealed by the geometrical structure of the quantum space of states. As a primary example we use the anisotropic XY ring in a transverse magnetic field with an additional time-dependent flux. In particular, if the flux insertion is slow, nonadiabatic transitions in the dynamics are dominated by the dynamical phase. In the opposite limit geometric phase strongly affects transition probabilities. This interplay can lead to a nonequilibrium phase transition between these two regimes. We also analyze the effect of geometric phase on defect generation during crossing a quantum-critical point.