0000000000928635
AUTHOR
F. Silva
Electric quantum walks in two dimensions
We study electric quantum walks in two dimensions considering Grover, Alternate, Hadamard, and DFT quantum walks. In the Grover walk the behaviour under an electric field is easy to summarize: when the field direction coincides with the x or y axes, it produces a transient trapping of the probability distribution along the direction of the field, while when it is directed along the diagonals, a perfect 2D trapping is frustrated. The analysis of the alternate walk helps to understand the behaviour of the Grover walk as both walks are partially equivalent; in particular, it helps to understand the role played by the existence of conical intersections in the dispersion relations, as we show th…
Quantum walk on a cylinder
We consider the 2D alternate quantum walk on a cylinder. We concentrate on the study of the motion along the open dimension, in the spirit of looking at the closed coordinate as a small or "hidden" extra dimension. If one starts from localized initial conditions on the lattice, the dynamics of the quantum walk that is obtained after tracing out the small dimension shows the contribution of several components, which can be understood from the study of the dispersion relations for this problem. In fact, these components originate from the contribution of the possible values of the quasi-momentum in the closed dimension. In the continuous space-time limit, the different components manifest as …
Electromagnetically induced transparency in Doppler-broadened three-level systems with resonant standing wave drive
Summary form only given. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and related phenomena such as lasing without inversion (LWI) are topics of increasing interest in quantum optics. In EIT, an otherwise absorbing medium is made transparent to a weak coherent field on resonance with a certain atomic transition by applying an intense coherent "driving" field to an adjacent transition. There has been a large number of theoretical papers and EIT was demonstrated experimentally. Up to now, most theoretical papers dealing with EIT in gas media have considered only the case of a traveling (TW) driving field. In contrast, we study EIT in Doppler broadened three-level media with standing wave (S…
The Ising–Bloch transition in degenerate optical parametric oscillators
Domain walls in type I degenerate optical parametric oscillators are numerically investigated. Both steady Ising and moving Bloch walls are found, bifurcating one into another through a nonequilibrium Ising--Bloch transition. Bloch walls are found that connect either homogeneous or roll planforms. Secondary bifurcations affecting Bloch wall movement are characterized that lead to a transition from a steady drift state to a temporal chaotic movement as the system is moved far from the primary, Ising--Bloch bifurcation. Two kinds of routes to chaos are found, both involving tori: a usual Ruelle-Takens and an intermittent scenarios.
Electromagnetically induced transparency with standing-wave drive in the frequency up-conversion regime
We study Electromagnetically Induced Transparency in Doppler-broadened three-level media for probe to drive field frequency ratio R<1 and moderate drive intensities. We show that in this regime a standing-wave drive is more efficient than a travelling-wave one, specially when R is close to half integer values.
Interferometric Phase Retrieval in Optical Transient Detection
A transient detection imaging system (TDI), also known as optical novelty filter, is an adaptive interferometric device that detects temporal changes in a scene while suppressing its static parts. Removal of background improves contrast and helps visualizing and measuring intensity and phase. Following the first TDI proposal by Cudney et al. [1] , most TDI systems are based on photorefractive two-wave mixing [2] . Previous works rely on conventional intensity measurements, where partial information about input signal phase changes are obtained by previous calibration using an input phase-output intensity transfer function of the particular system.
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of polyelectrolyte multilayer modified gold electrodes: influence of supporting electrolyte and temperature.
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry are employed to characterize poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) multilayers assembled onto cysteamine-modified gold surfaces. The influence of the supporting electrolyte and temperature on the impedance response is studied because of both its practical interest and the need to test further the capillary membrane model recently developed by Barreira et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 17973]. The results obtained are interpreted quite satisfactorily in terms of this model, thus providing additional support to its usefulness for the description of ionic transport through polyelectrolyte multilayers. It is observe…
Design, fabrication, and analysis of a spin-valve based current sensor
Abstract In this work, we suggest a novel current sensor design, based on spin valve technology, with a full Wheatstone bridge configuration. The principal characteristic is that the four magnetoresistance sensing elements, fully active, are deposited and patterned at the same time. This way, differences among them should be insignificant, so improving voltage offset and drift temperature parameters. The complete IC fabrication process involves only three lithography steps, making the process cheaper and faster. In order to get a balanced bridge, the measured current must be properly driven, by means of an auxiliary PCB. Some prototypes, with different input impedances, have been fabricated…
Experimental demonstration of hyperbolic patterns.
We give experimental evidence of hyperbolic patterns in a nonlinear optical resonator. Such transverse patterns are a new kind of 2D dissipative structures, characterized by a distribution of the active modes along hyperbolas in the transverse wave-vector domain, in contrast with the usual (elliptic) patterns where the active modes distribute along rings. The hyperbolic character is realized by manipulating diffraction inside the optical resonator with cylindrical lenses. We also investigate theoretically hyperbolic patterns in corresponding Swift-Hohenberg models.
Domain wall dynamics in an optical Kerr cavity
An anisotropic (dichroic) optical cavity containing a self-focusing Kerr medium is shown to display a bifurcation between static --Ising-- and moving --Bloch-- domain walls, the so-called nonequilibrium Ising-Bloch transition (NIB). Bloch walls can show regular or irregular temporal behaviour, in particular, bursting and spiking. These phenomena are interpreted in terms of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the extended patterns connected by the wall, which display complex dynamical behaviour as well. Domain wall interaction, including the formation of bound states is also addressed.
Stabilizing and controlling domain walls and dark-ring cavity solitons.
We demonstrate two alternative techniques for controlling and stabilizing domain walls (DW) in phase-sensitive, nonlinear optical resonators. The first of them uses input pumps with spatially modulated phase and can be applied also to dark-ring cavity solitons. An optical memory based on the latter is demonstrated. Here the physical mechanism of control relies on the advection caused to any feature by the phase gradients. The second technique uses a plane wave input pump with holes of null intensity across its transverse plane, which are able to capture DWs. Here the physical mechanism of control is of topological nature. When distributed as a regular array, these holes delimit spatial opti…
Atomic Coherence Effects in Doppler-Broadened Three-Level Systems with Standing-Wave Drive
We study atomic coherence effects (e.g., electromagnetically induced transparency, EIT, and amplification without inversion, AWI) for a probe travelling-wave (TW) laser field in closed Doppler-broadened three-level systems driven by a standingwave (SW) laser field of moderate intensity (its Rabi frequencies are smaller than the Doppler width of the driven transition). We show that probe windows of transparency occur only for values of the probe to drive field frequency ratio R close to half integer values. For optical transitions and typical values of Doppler broadening for atoms in a vapor cell, we show that for R > 1 a SW drive field is appreciably more efficient than a TW drive in induci…
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Modified Electrodes
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared reflection−absorption spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry were employed to characterize polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) fabricated with poly(styrenesulfonate) as the polyanion and the polypeptides poly-l-histidine, poly-l-lysine, and poly-l-arginine as polycations. The layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly was produced onto alkanethiol-modified gold surfaces. The frequency response reveals that the effect of the number of layers seems to be related to a progressive reduction in the active area of the PEM-modified electrodes. The active area after the deposition of seven layers can be lower than 10% of its original value.…
Class-B two-photon Fabry–Pérot laser
Abstract We study the stationary operation and stability properties of a class-B two-photon Fabry–Perot laser. We show that, differently from the one-photon laser, the intensity emitted by the two-photon laser is larger in a Fabry–Perot than in a ring cavity. The lasing solution loses stability through a subcritical Hopf bifurcation, as it occurs in the unidirectional ring laser. The stability domain in the parameter space is larger in the Fabry–Perot than in the ring cavity configuration.
Physics demos for all UVEG degrees: a unique project in Spain
Abstract The Physics Demo Project at the University of Valencia ( www.uv.es/fisicademos ) has developed a collection of physics demonstrations to be used during lectures. It consists of more than 130 experimental demos about different physics topics. More than 30 professors borrow them whenever they lecture on physics in any of our 40 courses in 17 different science or technical degrees, involving 246 ECTS and more than 3500 students. Each demo kit with a simple experimental set displays a particular physics phenomenon. An on-line user guide highlights the main physics principles involved, instructions on how to use it and advices of how to link it to the theoretical concepts or to technica…
Vectorial Kerr-cavity solitons.
It is shown that a Kerr cavity with different losses for the two polarization components of the field can support both dark and bright cavity solitons (CS’s). A parametrically driven Ginzburg–Landau equation is shown to describe the system for large-cavity anisotropy. In one transverse dimension the nonlinear dynamics of the bright CS’s is numerically investigated.
Theoretical gain spectrum of coherently pumped mid-infrared Fabry-Pérot lasers
Abstract We study the gain spectrum of a coherently pumped mid-infrared laser which operates in a linear-cavity (Fabry-Perot), using a three-level density matrix theory. Arbitrary pump and emission field strengths as well as pressure and Doppler broadening are considered. A new strong directional gain asymmetry is found, which is related to the presence of two counterpropagating components in the standing-wave generated field. Gain lineshapes in a wide range of operating conditions are obtained and analysed.
Steady-state emission and stability of a single-mode two-level Fabry-Perot cavity laser
Abstract An analytical steady-state solution for a single-mode homogeneously-broadened two-level Fabry-Perot laser, valid for any field intensity, cavity detuning and level-population decay rates, is obtained. A power-series expansion of this solution allows to perform a linear stability analysis which reveals the existence of two Hopf bifurcations instead of one as in unidirectional ring lasers. These bifurcations delimit the domain of unstable emission of the laser with respect to small perturbations. The instability threshold for hard-mode excitation is higher than in a ring laser, although introduction of a small definite detuning makes them similar. The time-dependent behaviour above t…
Electromagnetically induced transparency in Doppler-broadened three-level systems with resonant standing-wave drive
We study electromagnetically induced transparency for a probe travelling-wave (TW) laser field in closed Doppler-broadened three-level systems driven by a resonant standing-wave (SW) laser field of moderate intensity (its Rabi frequencies are smaller than the Doppler width of the driven transition). We show that probe windows of transparency occur only for values of the probe-to-drive field frequency ratio R close to half-integer values. For optical transitions and typical values of Doppler broadening for atoms in a vapor cell, we show that for R > 1 a SW drive field is appreciably more efficient than a TW driving in inducing probe transparency. As an example, we consider parameters for a r…
Four-phase patterns in a forced nonlinear optical oscillator
We present preliminary theoretical and experimental results indicating that a high Fresnel number nonlinear optical oscillator with planar mirrors can display four-phase multistability, eventually leading to four-phase patterns. Such situation is similar to that emerging in extended oscillatory systems forced within a 4:1 resonance and, to the best of our knowledge, has not been predicted nor observed previously in an optical system.
Multimode emission in inhomogeneously broadened ring lasers
The threshold for multilongitudinal-mode emission in inhomogeneously broadened ring lasers is analytically investigated. In the homogeneous limit the multimode instability corresponds to the classical Risken–Nummedal–Graham–Haken instability. It is found that by increasing the inhomogeneous linewidth, the instability threshold is decreased and the growth of high-frequency side modes is favored. In the limit where the population-inversion decay rate γ‖ is much smaller than the polarization decay rate γ⊥ (class B lasers), analytical expressions for the instability threshold are found, which are then generalized to three-level lasers for a comparison with experimental results obtained with erb…
Bistable phase locking in a low fresnel number nondegenerate optical oscillator with injected signal
Degenerate four-wave mixing oscillators are phase-bistable cavities. In such systems, above the oscillation threshold, two equivalent states, of equal intensities but opposite phases are generated. This phase bistability extends over the whole range of stable emission, unlike the intensity bistability (in, e.g. a saturable absorber cavity) that exits in a limited range of injection. When the cavity Fresnel number is large different patches of the beam transverse section can have different phases and a pattern forms. Basic patterns here are phase fronts (or domain walls), which are 1D structures separating regions with opposite phase that manifest as dark lines (as the phase jumps by p acros…
Multiphase patterns in a degenerate nonlinear oscillator
Degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) oscillators are phase-bistable devices. In such systems, two equivalent states, of equal intensities but opposite phases can be generated. When the cavity Fresnel number is large, different regions of the beam transverse section can have different phases, leading to phase patterns like phase fronts (or domain walls), i.e. ID structures separating regions with opposite phase that manifest as dark lines (as the phase jumps by π across the wall), phase domains, and phase solitons, among others.
Interferometric measurement of complex-field changes in transient detection imaging.
We report an experimental method that combines nonlinear-crystal-based transient detection imaging (TDI) with interferometric complex-field retrieval. The system allows measuring both phase and amplitude of a dynamic scene while suppressing stationary background. Theoretical and experimental results prove the linear relation existing between input and output phases, as well as the benefits of phase analysis for both detection and measurement with high resolutions of λ/30, even under noisy conditions. Additionally, we present experimental evidence of the remarkable ability of the technique to detect phase sign changes in the scene —what we call differential-phase TDI— showing great detection…
Molecular evolution of aphids and their primary (Buchnera sp.) and secondary endosymbionts: Implications for the role of symbiosis in insect evolution
Aphids maintain an obligate, endosymbiotic association with Buchnera sp., a bacterium closely related to Escherichia coli. Bacteria are housed in specialized cells of organ-like structures called bacteriomes in the hemocoel of the aphid and are maternally transmitted. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the association had a single origin, dated about 200-250 million years ago, and that host and endosymbiont lineages have evolved in parallel since then. However, the pattern of deepest branching within the aphid family remains unsolved, which thereby hampers an appraisal of, for example, the role played by horizontal gene transfer in the early evolution of Buchnera. The main role of Buchner…
Experimental demonstration of phase bistability in a broad-area optical oscillator with injected signal
We demonstrate experimentally that a broad-area laserlike optical oscillator (a nondegenerate photorefractive oscillator) with structured injected signal displays two-phase patterns. The technique [de Valc\'arcel and Staliunas, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 054101 (2010)] consists in spatially modulating the injection, so that its phase alternates periodically between two opposite values, i.e., differing by $\ensuremath{\pi}$.
Multidimensional quantum walks: Diabolical points, optical wave-like propagation, and multipartite entanglement
Quantum walks (QWs) are important for quantum information science, but are becoming also interesting for other fields of research as this simple quantum diffusion model finds analogues in diverse physical systems, optical ones in particular. The experimental capabilities regarding QWs have remarkably increased along recent years and several aspects of QWs are now open to experimental research, multidimensional QWs in particular [1].
Experimental demonstration of bistable phase locking in a photorefractive oscillator
We report experimental evidence of bistable phase locking in nonlinear optics, in particular, in a photorefractive oscillator emitting in few transverse modes. Bistable phase locking is a recently proposed method for converting a laserlike system, which is phase invariant, into a phase-bistable one by injecting a suitable spatially modulated monochromatic beam, resonant with the laser emission, into the optical cavity. We experimentally demonstrate that the emission on the fundamental TEM00 mode becomes phase bistable by injection of a beam with the shape of the TEM10 mode with appropriate frequency, in accordance with recent theoretical predictions [K. Staliunas et al., Phys. Rev. A 80, 02…
N-dimensional alternate coined quantum walks from a dispersion-relation perspective
We propose an alternative definition of an N-dimensional coined quantum walk by generalizing a recent proposal [Di Franco et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 080502 (2011)]. This N-dimensional alternate quantum walk, AQW_N, in contrast with the standard definition of the N-dimensional quantum walk, QW_N, requires only a coin-qubit. We discuss the quantum diffusion properties of AQW_2 and AQW_3 by analyzing their dispersion relations that reveal, in particular, the existence of diabolical points. This allows us to highlight interesting similarities with other well known physical phenomena. We also demonstrate that AQW_3 generates genuine multipartite entanglement. Finally we discuss the implementa…