Control of light pulse propagation with only a few cold atoms in a high-finesse microcavity

Propagation of a light pulse through a high-Q optical microcavity containing a few cold atoms (N<10) in its cavity mode is investigated experimentally. With less than ten cold rubidium atoms launched into an optical microcavity, up to 170 ns propagation lead time ("superluminal"), and 440 ns propagation delay time (subluminal) are observed. Comparison of the experimental data with numerical simulations as well as future experiments are discussed.     

Electronic structure of the trilayer cuprate superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)Ca(2)Cu(3)O(10+delta)

The low-energy electronic structure of the nearly optimally doped trilayer cuprate superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)Ca(2)Cu(3)O(10+delta) is investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The normal state quasiparticle dispersion and Fermi surface and the superconducting d-wave gap and coherence peak are observed and compared with those of single- and bilayer systems. We find that both the superconducting gap magnitude and the relative coherence-peak intensity scale linearly with T(c) for various optimally doped materials.     

Crystal structures of calcium IV and V under high pressure

High-pressure phases IV and V of calcium discovered in 2005 have the highest superconducting transition temperature of 25 K among all the elements; however, their crystal structures have not been determined. From the x-ray powder diffraction data, both Ca IV and V have been found to form unique and complex structures with a coordination number of 7. They were confirmed to be identical to the theoretical models that were recently predicted [Ishikawa, Phys. Rev. B 77 020101(R) (2008)].     

Dynamic observation of an atom-sized gold wire by phase electron microscopy

A single-atom-sized gold wire was successfully observed in real time by a newly developed defocus-image modulation processing electron microscope. Because of phase retrieval processing with spherical aberration correction, the single-atom strand wire was observed with high contrast and without contrast blurring. By carefully looking at the atomic distance, the contrast, and the dynamic behavior of the wire, we recognized that there are two stages of the wire. In the first stage the wire maintained the atomic distance in the bulk crystal, but in the second stage the wire showed the atomic distance of the nearest-neighbor atoms with weaker contrast. The gold wire was rather stable for a few seconds under strong electron beam illumination.     

ISS measurement of surface composition of AuCu alloys by simultaneous ion bombardments with Ar+ and He + ions

Surface composition of Au-Cu(43 at%) alloy under 1.5–5 keV argon ion bombardment has been investigated by ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS). In this experiment, we adopted a specific technique to use mixed He⁺ and Ar⁺ ions as primary beam in order to perform sputtering (Ar⁺) and ISS measurement (He⁺) simultaneously. The outermost atom layer of Au-Cu alloys under Ar⁺ ion bombardment is Au-rich leading to the conclusion that Ar⁺ ion bombardment of AuCu alloys causes the preferential sputtering of Cu atoms, resulting in a Au-rich outermost atom layer and a depletion layer of Au atoms beneath the outermost atom layer due to ion-beam-enhanced surface segregation. This result explains the experimental results obtained by AES as well.     

Measurement of the neutron beam polarization of BL05/NOP beamline at J-PARC

We measured the neutron beam polarization of the BL05/NOP (Neutron Optics and Physics) beamline at J-PARC with an accuracy of less than 10⁻³ using polarized ³He gas as a neutron spin analyzer. Precise polarimetry of the neutron beam is necessary to understand the beamline optics as well as for the asymmetry measurements of the neutron beta decay, which are planned in this beamline.     

Fourier domain optical coherence tomography using optical demultiplexers imaging at 60,000,000 lines/s

We describe high-speed Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) using optical demultiplexers (ODs) for spectral dispersion. The OD enables separation of a narrow spectral band of 14 GHz (0.11 nm) from a broadband incident light at 256 different frequencies in 25.0 GHz intervals centered at 192.2 THz (1559.8 nm). OCT imaging of 60,000,000 axial scans per second was achieved through parallel signal acquisition using 256 balanced photoreceivers to simultaneously detect all the output signals from the ODs in a Fourier domain OCT system. OCT imaging at a 16 kHz frame rate, 1100 A-lines per frame, 3 mm depth range, and 23 microm resolution was demonstrated using a resonant scanner for lateral scanning.     

核子与核力决定的核形状(英文)

讨论了最近提出的作为量子多体系统重要潜在机制之一的量子自组织,原子核无疑是最好的实例。由于原子核内核子的单粒子和集体运动共存,它们的相互制约决定了核结构。集体模式因其驱动力,如使椭球形变的四极力及其阻力达到平衡形成,而单粒子能量就是产生阻力的一种根源。当存在较大单粒子能隙时,相关的集体运动更易受到阻碍。因此,一般认为,单粒子运动和集体运动是相互对抗的"天敌"。然而,由于核力的多样和复杂性,单极相互作用使单粒子能量改变也能减小其对集体运动的阻碍而加强集体模式,该现象将通过Zr同位素实例加以说明。这就导致了量子自组织的产生:单粒子能量由两种量子液体（质子和中子）和控制阻力的单极相互作用自组织。于是,不同于朗道费米液体理论的结论,原子核不一定像填装了自由核子的刚性瓶。Ⅱ型壳演化即是包含跨准幻壳能隙激发的直观实例。在重核中,量子自组织因其轨道和核子数更多而更为重要。We discuss the quantum self-organization introduced recently as one of the major underlying mechanisms of the quantum many-body systems. Atomic nuclei are actually a good example, because two types of the motion of nucleons, single-particle states and collective modes, interplay in determining their structure. The collective mode appears as a consequence of the balance between the effect of the mode-driving force (e.g., quadrupole force for the ellipsoidal deformation) and the resistance power against it. The single-particle energies are one of the sources to bring about such resistance power:a coherent collective motion is more hindered by larger spacings between relevant single particle states. Thus, the single-particle state and the collective mode are "enemies" against each other in the usual understanding. However, the nuclear forces are rich and complicated enough so as to enhance relevant collective mode by reducing the resistance power by changing single-particle energies for each eigenstate through monopole interactions. This will be demonstrated with the concrete example taken from Zr isotopes. In this way, the quantum self-organization occurs:single-particle energies can be self-organized by (i) two quantum liquids, e.g., protons and neutrons, (ii) monopole interaction (to control resistance). Thus, atomic nuclei are not necessarily like simple rigid vases containing almost free nucleons, in contrast to the naïve Fermi liquid picture a la Landau. Type Ⅱ shell evolution is considered to be a simple visible case involving excitations across a (sub)magic gap. The quantum self-organization becomes more important in heavier nuclei where the number of active orbits and the number of active nucleons are larger.