Effects of phase decoherence on the entanglement of a two-qubit anisotropic Heisenberg XYZ chain with an in-plane magnetic field

We investigate the phase decoherence effects on the entanglement of a two-qubit anisotropic Heisenberg model with a nonuniform magnetic field in the x–z-plane. As a measure of the entanglement, the concurrence of the system is calculated. It is shown that when the magnetic field is along the z-axis, the nonuniform and uniform components of the field have no influence on the entanglement for the cases of and , respectively. But when the magnetic field is not along the z-axis, both the uniform and the nonuniform components of the field will introduce the decoherence effects. It is found that the effects of the Heisenberg chain's anisotropy in the Z-direction on the entanglement are dependent on the direction of the field. Moreover, the larger the initial concurrence is, the higher value it will exhibit during the time evolution of the system for a proper set of the parameters ν, Δ, θ, γ , B and b.     

Optical properties of citrate-stabilized CdS nanoparticles

Citrate-stabilized CdS nanoparticles of size 4 nm are obtained by varying the sulfide:citrate ion concentration in a simple aqueous synthesis method. The optical absorption and photoluminescence properties of the nanoparticles are studied. The size of the crystallites is found to be less affected by sulfide:citrate ratio. At lower concentrations of S²⁻, trap state emission is favoured and at higher concentrations excitonic transition is predominant as shown by optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra. Effective surface capping and optimum concentration of S²⁻ leads to the quenching of surface-defect-related emission. Increase in citrate ion concentration is found to increase the intensity of photoluminescence band arising from trap state emission revealing the role of sulfide:citrate ratio on surface modification of CdS nanocrystals. The nanoparticles are hexagonal as shown by the X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction pattern.     

Quantum-classical correspondence for motion on a plane with deficit angle

A particle constrained to move on a cone and bound to its tip by harmonic oscillator and Coulomb-Kepler potentials is considered both in the classical as well as in the quantum formulations. The SU(2) coherent states are formally derived for the former model and used for showing some relations between closed classical orbits and quantum probability densities. Similar relations are shown for the Coulomb-Kepler problem. In both cases a perfect localization of the densities on the classical solutions is obtained even for low values of quantum numbers.     

Generalized structure of higher order nonclassicality

A generalized notion of higher order nonclassicality (in terms of higher order moments) is introduced. Under this generalized framework of higher order nonclassicality, conditions of higher order squeezing and higher order subpoissonian photon statistics are derived. A simpler form of the Hong-Mandel higher order squeezing criterion is derived under this framework by using an operator ordering theorem introduced by us in [A. Pathak, J. Phys. A 33 (2000) 5607]. It is also generalized for multi-photon Bose operators of Brandt and Greenberg. Similarly, condition for higher order subpoissonian photon statistics is derived by normal ordering of higher powers of number operator. Further, with the help of simple density matrices, it is shown that the higher order antibunching (HOA) and higher order subpoissonian photon statistics (HOSPS) are not the manifestation of the same phenomenon and consequently it is incorrect to use the condition of HOA as a test of HOSPS. It is also shown that the HOA and HOSPS may exist even in absence of the corresponding lower order phenomenon. Binomial state, nonlinear first order excited squeezed state (NLESS) and nonlinear vacuum squeezed state (NLVSS) are used as examples of quantum state and it is shown that these states may show higher order nonclassical characteristics. It is observed that the Binomial state which is always antibunched, is not always higher order squeezed and NLVSS which shows higher order squeezing does not show HOSPS and HOA. The opposite is observed in NLESS and consequently it is established that the HOSPS and HOS are two independent signatures of higher order nonclassicality.     

Schemes to generate and distinguish a type of genuine four-qubit entangled states in a cavity QED system

We propose a scheme to generate a type of genuine four-qubit entangled states, which were firstly introduced by Yeo et al. [Y. Yeo, W. K. Chua, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 060502]. These states have many interesting entanglement properties and possess possible applications in quantum information processing and in fundamental tests of quantum physics. We show that such a type of 16 orthonormal basis states can be deterministically distinguished by a cavity QED system.     

Interaction of bathocuproine with metals (Ca, Mg, Al, Ag, and Au) studied by density functional theory

Electronic structure of the interface between a bathocuproine (BCP) molecule and metal surface was studied by density functional theory. The bond energy of BCP with metal surface increased with decreasing work function of metals, that is, Au, Ag, Al, Mg, and Ca in this order. The charge transfer also increased with decreasing metal work function. It was analyzed that the Fermi level and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of BCP are composed of both BCP and metal orbital component, and electron transport properties across the BCP and metal is discussed based on these analyses.     

Book reviews

MODERN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY I, by B. K. Vainshtein, Springer Series in Solid State Sciences 15. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1981. 399 pp., USf47.50.

SPECTROSCOPY IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS: Modern Trends, Edited by F. J. Comes, A. Muller and W. J. Orville-Thomas (Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company). Price US $87.75, Dfl 180.00.

ELECTRONIC STATES OF MOLECULES AND ATOM CLUSTERS-Foundations and Prospects of Semiempirical Methods, by G. Del Re, G. Berthier and J. Serre. Springer Lecture Notes in Chemistry, Vol. 13. Price: US817.50 (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1980).

MATERIALS FOR THE FUTURE, Edited by P. M. Kelly, Australian Academy of Science, 1981.     

One-body and Two-body Fractional Parentage Coefficients for Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensation

A very effective tool, namely, the analytical expression of the fractional parentage coefficients (FPC), is introduced in this paper to deal with the total spin states of N-body spinor bosonic systems, where N is supposed to be large and the spin of each boson is one. In particular, the analytical forms of the one-body and two-body FPC for the total spin states with {N} and {N−1,1} permutation symmetries have been derived. These coefficients facilitate greatly the calculation of related matrix elements, and they can be used even in the case of N→∞. They appear as a powerful tool for the establishment of an improved theory of spinor Bose-Einstein condensation, where the eigenstates have the total spin S and its Z-component being both conserved.     

Three-party quantum secret sharing of secure direct communication based on x-type entangled states

Based on x-type entangled states and the two-step protocol [Deng F G, Long G L and Liu X S 2003 Phys. Rev. A 68 042317], a quantum secret sharing protocol of secure direct communication based on x-type entangled states ｜X00〉3214 is proposed. Using some interesting entanglement properties of this state, the agent entirety can directly obtain the secret message from the message sender only if they collaborate together. The security of the scheme is also discussed.