Carnot efficiency: Why?

In 1824, Carnot proposed a cycle operating on reversibility principles. He proved that there exists an upper limit of the efficiency of this cycle and this limit is also the upper limit for any real process. The irreversibility related to the finite-time and the finite-size constraints are fundamental for the optimization of any real thermodynamic system. It has been pointed out how fundamental is the interaction between any open system and its surroundings. The meaning of the Carnot efficiency is that even in the ideal condition, when there is no dissipation, there exists something that does not allow the system to convert all the energies absorbed in work. The aim of this paper is to show why this happens, starting from a variational approach of thermodynamics.     

Induced entanglement revival and entanglement protection in a two qubit system

A system of two initially entangled qubits interacting with a bosonic environment is considered. The interaction induces a loss of the initial entanglement of the two qubits, and for specific initial states it causes entanglement sudden death. An investigation of the modifications on the entanglement dynamics by a single pulse control field, performed in the two qubit system, shows that the control field can not only protect entangled states against sudden death but also induce a revival of entanglement in the two qubit system.     

Remanent quantum correlations in dissipative qubits

Starting from the exact evolution of a Markovian dissipative quantum walk, a non-Markovian decoherence of two qubits interacting with a phonon thermal bath has been investigated analytically using quantum information tools. Concurrence and quantum discord are affected in a complex way, showing that entanglement decreases with dissipation. At the limit where dissipation dominates, quantum correlations survive in time as ∝t^−1/2$\propto t^{-1/2}$. Thus, even under the influence of dissipation, two qubits retain their quantumness for a long time. Quantum correlations could be therefore observed for a long time in related photonic experiments.     

Computational study of cold ions trapped in a double-well potential

We report a rigorous computational treatment of quantum dynamics of cold ions in a double-well trap using the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Our method employs a numerically accurate approach that avoids approximations, such as assumption of weak coupling between the wells; normal mode nature of vibrations; or harmonic approximation for energy spectrum of the double-well system. Our goal is to reproduce, from first principles, the process of energy swaps between the wells observed in the experiments at NIST [Nature 471, 196 (2011)] and Innsbruck [Nature 471, 200 (2011)]. The model parameters and the initial conditions are carefully chosen to mimic experimental conditions. We obtain accurate energies and wave functions of the system numerically, and study the evolution of motional wave packets to provide new insight. This model reproduces experimental results obtained by NIST and Innsbruck in detail. We explain the energy transfer in terms of wave packet dynamics in the asymmetric potential energy well. We also show that, for a localised initial wave packet, this phenomenon can be interpreted using the terms of classical dynamics, such as trajectory of motion governed by the well-known simple principle: the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.     

Relaxation and decoherence of orbital and spin degrees of freedom in quantum dots

The phonon induced mechanisms of relaxation/decoherence in quantum dots are analysed. A non-perturbative technique - a modification of the Davydov transformation appropriate to the localised particles is applied for solving the electron-phonon eigenvalue problem in a quantum dot at magnetic field presence. The decay rates for polaron relaxation via the anharmonicity induced channel are analysed in details. In particular, it is indicated that previous, of perturbative type, estimations of the anharminicity induced relaxation rates were too severe and after including the coherence effects they are of, at least, one order longer. The process of exciton dressing with phonons is also analysed as the unavoidable source of picosecond scale decoherence in optically driven nanostructures. A break-down of an instant Pauli spin blocking mechanism and a large enhancement of the Fröhlich constant for confined electrons are also addressed.     

Specifications of dust-ion-acoustic shock waves affected by dust charge variation in four-component dissipative quantum plasma

ABSTRACT

Nonlinear propagation of dust-ion-acoustic shock waves in an unmagnetized, collisionless four-component quantum plasma containing electrons, positrons, ions and negatively charged dust grains affected by dust charge variations and viscosity of ions is studied using quantum hydrodynamic model. Considering dust charge variation give rise to calculating of charging currents of the plasma particles. These currents have been calculated with orbit limited motion theory and using Fermi-distribution functions or Boltzmann–Maxwell distribution depending on quantum or classical particles, respectively. The basic characteristics of quantum dust-ion-acoustic shock waves are investigated by deriving Korteweg–de Vries–Burgers equation under the reductive perturbation method. Depending on the relative values of the dispersive and dissipative coefficients, oscillatory and monotonic shock waves can propagate in the plasma model. The effect of chemical potential and density of dust particles on the shock wave’s height and thickness is investigated. In addition, the critical value of H (H_c) is calculated and it is shown that for R?>?0 compressive shock waves and for R?<?0 rarefactive ones can exist. The present study is applicable to researchers on quantum nonlinear structures in dense astrophysical objects and ultra-small micro- and nano-electronic devices.     

Singular Solutions to the Quantum Yang–Baxter Equations

Let X and A be weak Hopf algebras in the sense of Li (1998 Li , F. ( 1998 ). Weak Hopf algebras and some new solutions of the quantum Yang–Baxter equation . J. Algebra 208 ( 1 ): 72 – 100 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). As in the case of Hopf algebras (Majid, 1990 Majid , S. ( 1990 ). Quasitriangular Hopf algebras and Yang–Baxter equations . Internat. J. Modern Phys. A 5 : 1 – 91 . [Google Scholar]), a weak bicrossed coproduct X∞ _R A is constructed by means of good regular R-matrices of the weak Hopf algebras X and A. Using this, we provide a new framework of obtaining singular solutions of the quantum Yang–Baxter equation by constructing weak quasitriangular structures over X∞ _R A when both X and A admit a weak quasitriangular structure. Finally, two explicit examples are given.     

Fully Ramified Characters and Clifford Codes

In this article we study relations between groups and quantum error correcting codes. Groups of central type are used to construct quantum error correcting codes. Both stabilizer and Clifford codes can be derived from a construction involving this kind of groups. A more general construction of Clifford codes will be given and their correcting properties will be examined using group theoretical techniques.     

Right Coideal Subalgebras of Quantized Universal Enveloping Algebras of Type G 2*

In this article we describe the right coideal subalgebras containing all group-like elements of the two-parameter quantum group U _q (𝔤), where 𝔤 is a simple Lie algebra of type G ₂, while the main parameter of quantization q is not a root of 1. As a consequence, we determine that there are precisely 60 different right coideal subalgebras containing all group-like elements. If the multiplicative order t of q is finite, t > 4, t ≠ 6, then the same classification remains valid for homogeneous right coideal subalgebras of the two-parameter version of the small Lusztig quantum group u _q (𝔤).     

Tensor Products of Modules Over a Certain Class of Quantum Doubles

The quantum doubles of a certain class of rank two pointed Hopf algebras are considered. The socle of the tensor product of two such modules is computed, and formulas similar to the ones in [4 Chen , H. X. ( 2000 ). Irreducible representations of a class of quantum doubles . J. Alg. 225 : 391 – 409 . [Google Scholar]] are obtained. Cases when such a tensor product is completely irreducible are also given in the last section.