Second quantization and atomic spontaneous emission inside one-dimensional photonic crystals via a quasinormal-modes approach

An extension of the second quantization scheme based on the quasinormal-modes theory to one-dimensional photonic band gap (PBG) structures is discussed. Such structures, treated as double open optical cavities, are studied as part of a compound closed system including the electromagnetic radiative external bath. The electromagnetic field inside the photonic crystal is successfully represented by a new class of modes called quasinormal modes. Starting from this representation we introduce the Feynman's propagator to calculate the decay rate of a dipole inside a PBG structure, related to the density of modes, in the presence of the vacuum fluctuations outside the one-dimensional cavity.

Effects of Cavity damping on the oscillatory photon exchange between two modes coupled to a two-level atom

On applications of non-point and discrete symmetries for reduction of the evolution-type equations

Construction of a fundamental set of solutions of an arbitrary homogeneous linear difference equation

Abstract The detailed construction of a prefixed fundamental set of solutions of a linear homogeneous difference equation of any order with arbitrarily variable coefficients is reported. The usefulness of the resulting resolutive formula is illustrated by simple applications to the Hermite polynomials and to the Fibonacci sequence.

Effects of some nonideal experimental conditions on a micromaser-based preparation of bimodal number states

The practical feasibility of a conditional experimental scheme for generating bimodal number states, taking into account from the beginning some important technological limits of the current experimental setup, is analyzed. The influence of the unavoidable occurrence of a nonideal performance in a realistic apparatus on the interaction mechanism chosen for guiding the cavity field towards the desired bimodal Fock state is pointed out.

Generating and Revealing a Quantum Superposition of Electromagnetic Field Binomial States in a Cavity

We introduce the $N$-photon quantum superposition of two orthogonal generalized binomial states of electromagnetic field. We then propose, using resonant atom-cavity interactions, non-conditional schemes to generate and reveal such a quantum superposition for the two-photon case in a single-mode high-$Q$ cavity. We finally discuss the implementation of the proposed schemes.

Unitary reduction of the Liouville equation relative to a two-level atom coupled to a bimodal lossy cavity

The Liouville equation of a two-level atom coupled to a degenerate bimodal lossy cavity is unitarily and exactly reduced to two uncoupled Liouville equations. The first one describes a dissipative Jaynes-Cummings model and the other one a damped harmonic oscillator. Advantages related to the reduction method are discussed.

Dephasing due to quasiparticle tunneling in fluxonium qubits: a phenomenological approach

The fluxonium qubit has arisen as one of the most promising candidate devices for implementing quantum information in superconducting devices, since it is both insensitive to charge noise (like flux qubits) and insensitive to flux noise (like charge qubits). Here, we investigate the stability of the quantum information to quasiparticle tunneling through a Josephson junction. Microscopically, this dephasing is due to the dependence of the quasiparticle transmission probability on the qubit state. We argue that on a phenomenological level the dephasing mechanism can be understood as originating from heat currents, which are flowing in the device due to possible effective temperature gradients…

Entropy production and information fluctuations along quantum trajectories

Employing the stochastic wave function method, we study quantum features of stochastic entropy production in nonequilibrium processes of open systems. It is demonstarted that continuous measurements on the environment introduce an additional, non-thermal contribution to the entropy flux, which is shown to be a direct consequence of quantum fluctuations. These features lead to a quantum definition of single trajectory entropy contributions, which accounts for the difference between classical and quantum trajectories and results in a quantum correction to the standard form of the integral fluctuation theorem.

Symmetry-based canonical dressing of a bidimensionally trapped and laser-driven ion

Abstract We present a detailed and exact construction of a unitary operator accomplishing the diagonalization of an effective quadratic radiation-matter interaction model describing a bidimensionally trapped and appropriately laser-driven ion. The possibility of applying the same mathematical method to other effective radiation-matter interaction model is briefly put into evidence.

Quantum light depolarization: the phase-space perspective

Quantum light depolarization is handled through a master equation obtained by coupling dispersively the field to a randomly distributed atomic reservoir. This master equation is solved by transforming it into a quasiprobability distribution in phase space and the quasiclassical limit is investigated.

Work extraction exploiting thermalization with a single bath

We propose a protocol which exploits the collective thermalisation of a bipartite system to extract work from another system. The protocol is based on a recently proposed work definition not requiring measurements and involving the presence of a single bath. A general description of the protocol is provided without specifying the characteristics of the bipartite system. We quantify both the extracted work and the ideal efficiency of the process also giving a maximum bound to the extracted work. Then, we apply the protocol to the case when the bipartite system is governed by the Rabi Hamiltonian while using a zero temperature bath. For very strong couplings, an extraction of work comparable …

Sequestering ability of some chelating agents towards methylmercury(II).

A study on the interactions between CH3Hg+ and some S, N and O donor ligands (2-mercaptopropanoic acid (thiolactic acid (H2 TLA)), 3-mercaptopropanoic acid (H2 MPA), 2-mercaptosuccinic acid (thiomalic acid (H3 TMA)), d,l-penicillamine (H2 PSH), l-cysteine (H2 CYS), glutathione (H3 GSH), N,N′-bis(3-aminopropyl)-1-4-diaminobutane (spermine (SPER)), 1,2,3,4,5,6-benzenehexacarboxylic acid (mellitic acid (H6 MLT)) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (H4 EDTA)) is reported. The speciation models in aqueous solution and the possible structures of the complexes formed are discussed on the basis of potentiometric, calorimetric, UV spectrophotometric and electrospray mass spectrometric results. For t…

Dynamical behavior of a XX central spin model through Bethe ansatz techniques

Generation of Entangled Two-Photon Binomial States in Two Spatially Separate Cavities

We propose a conditional scheme to generate entangled two-photon generalized binomial states inside two separate single-mode high-Q cavities. This scheme requires that the two cavities are initially prepared in entangled one-photon generalized binomial states and exploits the passage of two appropriately prepared two-level atoms one in each cavity. The measurement of the ground state of both atoms is finally required when they exit the cavities. We also give a brief evaluation of the experimental feasibility of the scheme.

GHZ state generation of three Josephson qubits in the presence of bosonic baths

We analyze an entangling protocol to generate tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states in a system consisting of three superconducting qubits with pairwise coupling. The dynamics of the open quantum system is investigated by taking into account the interaction of each qubit with an independent bosonic bath with an ohmic spectral structure. To this end a microscopic master equation is constructed and exactly solved. We find that the protocol here discussed is stable against decoherence and dissipation due to the presence of the external baths.

Non-Markovian dynamics of a single electron spin coupled to a nuclear spin bath

We apply the time-convolutionless (TCL) projection operator technique to the model of a central spin which is coupled to a spin bath via nonuniform Heisenberg interaction. The second-order results of the TCL method for the coherences and populations of the central spin are determined analytically and compared with numerical simulations of the full von Neumann equation of the total system. The TCL approach is found to yield an excellent approximation in the strong field regime for the description of both the short-time dynamics and the long time behavior.

Electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry of positively and negatively charged (1R,2S)-dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide aggregates

Rationale Self-assembling processes of surfactants in the gas phase constitute a developing research field of interest since they allow information to be gained on the peculiar structural organization of these aggregates, on their ability to incorporate from small molecules up to proteins and on their possible use as carriers of drugs in the gas phase or as cleaning agents and exotic reaction media. Methods The mass spectra of charged aggregates of the chiral surfactant (1R,2S)-dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB) in the gas phase have been recorded using a Synapt G2-Si mass spectrometer in the positive and negative ion mode. For comparison purposes, the …

Quantum correlations in generalized spin star system

The problem of detecting quantum signatures in the correlations formed in dynamical evolution of quantum bipartite systems receives a lot of attention in current literature. Generally speaking, the occurrence of correlations between two observables of a system does not necessarily reflect nonclassical behaviour. In this paper, the exact dynamics of a pair of uncoupled spins 1/2 interacting with a common spin 1/2 bath is investigated. Starting from a separable initial condition, the ability of the system to develop purely quantum correlations is brought to light. Physical interpretation of the concurrence function as well as a suggestion on how to measure it are given.

Simple scheme for extracting work with a single bath

We propose a simple protocol exploiting the thermalization of a storage bipartite system S to extract work from a resource system R. The protocol is based on a recent work definition involving only a single bath. A general description of the protocol is provided without specifying the characteristics of S. We quantify both the extracted work and the ideal efficiency of the process, also giving maximum bounds for them. Then, we apply the protocol to two cases: two interacting qubits and the Rabi model. In both cases, for very strong couplings, an extraction of work comparable with the bare energies of the subsystems of S is obtained and its peak is reached for finite values of the bath tempe…

Correspondence between generalized binomial field states and coherent atomic states

We show that the N-photon generalized binomial states of electromagnetic field may be put in a bijective mapping with the coherent atomic states of N two-level atoms. We exploit this correspondence to simply obtain both known and new properties of the N-photon generalized binomial states. In particular, an over-complete basis of these binomial states and an orthonormal basis are obtained. Finally, the squeezing properties of generalized binomial state are analyzed.

On the validity of non-Markovian master equation approaches for the entanglement dynamics of two-qubit systems

In the framework of the dissipative dynamics of coupled qubits interacting with independent reservoirs, a comparison between non-Markovian master equation techniques and an exact solution is presented here. We study various regimes in order to find the limits of validity of the Nakajima–Zwanzig and the time-convolutionless master equations in the description of the entanglement dynamics. A comparison between the performances of the concurrence and the negativity as entanglement measures for the system under study is also presented.

Coherent control of stimulated emission inside one-dimensional photonic crystals

In this paper, the quasinormal mode (QNM) theory is applied to discuss the quantum problem of an atom embedded inside a one-dimensional (1D) photonic band gap (PBG) cavity pumped by two counterpropagating laser beams. The e.m. field is quantized in terms of the QNMs in the 1D PBG and the atom modeled as a two-level system is assumed to be weakly coupled to just one of the QNMs. The main result of the paper is that the decay time depends on the position of the dipole inside the cavity, and can be controlled by the phase difference of the two laser beams.

Unitary transfer of entanglement in multipartite two–level systems

Quantum-state manipulation via quantum nondemolition measurements in a two-dimensional trapped ion

The quantum nondemolition measurement is applied to a two-dimensional (2D) trapped-ion model in which two laser beams drive the corresponding vibrational motions and are carrier resonant with the two-level system of the ion. The information about the ionic vibrational energy can be detected by the occupation probability of the internal electronic level. The substantial difference of the 2D model from the one-dimensional one is that two orthogonal beams have a fixed phase shift instead of statistical independence. As a result, the atomic Rabi oscillation is involved in the coherent superposition of two sub-Rabi oscillations induced by the corresponding driving beams. This means that, in the …

Star network synchronization led by strong coupling-induced frequency squeezing

We consider a star network consisting of N oscillators coupled to a central one which in turn is coupled to an infinite set of oscillators (reservoir), which makes it leaking. Two of the N + 1 normal modes are dissipating, while the remaining N - 1 lie in a frequency range which is more and more squeezed as the coupling strengths increase, which realizes synchronization of the single parts of the system.

Distillation of entanglement between distant systems by repeated measurements on an entanglement mediator

A recently proposed purification method, in which the Zeno-like measurements of a subsystem can bring about a distillation of another subsystem in interaction with the former, is utilized to yield entangled states between distant systems. It is shown that the measurements of a two-level system locally interacting with other two spatially separated not coupled subsystems, can distill entangled states from the latter irrespectively of the initial states of the two subsystems.

Heat Capacity and Entanglement Measure in a simple two-qubit model

A simple two-qubit model showing Quantum Phase Transitions as a consequence of ground state level crossings is studied in detail. Using the Concurrence of the system as an entanglement measure and heat capacity as a marker of thermodynamical properties, an analytical expression giving the latter in terms of the former is obtained. A protocol allowing an experimental measure of entanglement is then presented and compared with a related proposal recently reported by Wie\'sniak, Vedral and Brukner

Competition of Direct and Indirect Sources of Thermal Entanglement in a spin star network

A spin star system consisting of three peripheral two-state systems and a central one is considered, with the peripheral spins assumed to interact with each other, as well as with the central one. It is shown that such two couplings, each one being a thermal entanglement source, can significantly compete in the formation of quantum correlations in the thermal state, to the point that they can destroy any thermal entanglement of the peripheral spins.

Study of the coordination of ortho-tyrosine and trans-4-hydroxyproline with aluminum(III) and iron(III)

Abstract The coordination of amino acids ortho-tyrosine (o-Tyr, 1) and trans-4-hydroxyproline (HPro, 2) with the biologically important trivalent metal ions Al(III) and Fe(III) in aqueous solution was investigated by 1H and 13C high resolution NMR, Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry (LD-MS), and MS/MS experiments. Potentiometric measurements were also carried out in 0.16 M NaCl, 37 °C, by varying the pH between 2.0 and 3.5. NMR spectra recorded on aqueous solutions of amino acids 1 or 2 in the presence of the appropriate trivalent metal chloride suggested that binding of Al(III) and Fe(III) involved the COOH and NH2 functional groups of ligands, while their phenolic and alcoholic groups whi…

Measuring the mean value of vibrational observables in trapped ion systems

The theoretical foundations of a new general approach to the measurement problem of vibrational observables in trapped ion systems is reported. The method rests upon the introduction of a simple vibronic coupling structure appropriately conceived to link the internal ionic state measurement outcomes to the mean value of a motional variable of interest. Some applications are provided and discussed in detail, bringing to light the feasibility and the wide potentiality of the proposal.

Conditional generation of non-classical states in a nondegenerate two-photon micromaser: single-mode Fock states preparation. II

Abstract A conditional generation of single-mode Fock states in the framework of a non-degenerate two-photon micromaser theory is reported. The exact expression for the probability of success of the experiment is obtained. We show that it is possible to conjugate experimentally interesting values of this probability, with the generation of number states having a controllable high intensity. This objective is reached by constructing analytically detailed rules about the cavity state at t = 0 as well as the atom–field interaction times as functions of the available operating conditions. These rules play a central role in our Fock-state-building process, leading to an essential countering of t…

Driven Appearance and Disappearance of Quantum Zeno Effect in the Dynamics of a Four-level Trapped Ion

An example of constrained unitary quantum dynamics in the context of trapped ions is given. We study a laser driven four-level ion system confined in an isotropic three-dimensional Paul microtrap. Our main result is that when two independent controllable continuous measurement processes are simultaneously present, the unitary quantum dynamics of the system can be parametrically frozen into a one-dimensional Hilbert subspace (Quantum Zeno Effect) or constrained into a two-dimensional one, at will. Conditions under which one of the two processes acts upon the physical system inhibiting the effects due to the other one, are explicitly found and discussed (Hierarchically Controlled Dynamics).

A criterion for entanglement in two two-level systems

We prove a necessary and sufficient condition for the occurrence of entanglement in two two-level systems, simple enough to be of experimental interest. Our results are illustrated in the context of a spin star system analyzing the exact entanglement evolution of the central couple of spins.

Entangling a Three High-Q Cavity System in a GHZ State

Balance equations-based properties of the Rabi Hamiltonian

A stationary physical system satisfies peculiar balance conditions involving mean values of appropriate observables. In this paper we show how to deduce such quantitative links, named balance equations, demonstrating as well their usefulness in bringing to light physical properties of the system without solving the Schrodinger equation. The knowledge of such properties in the case of Rabi Hamiltonian is exploit to provide arguments to make easier the variational engineering of the ground state of this model.

Decoherence and robustness of parity-dependent entanglement in the dynamics of a trapped ion

We study the entanglement between the 2D vibrational motion and two ground state hyperfine levels of a trapped ion, Under particular conditions this entanglement depends on the parity of the total initial vibrational quanta. We study the robustness of this quantum coherence effect with respect to the presence of non-dissipative sources of decoherence, and of an imperfect initial state preparation.

Non-Markovian dissipative dynamics of two coupled qubits in independent reservoirs: a comparison between exact solutions and master equation approaches

The reduced dynamics of two interacting qubits coupled to two independent bosonic baths is investigated. The one-excitation dynamics is derived and compared with that based on the resolution of appropriate non-Markovian master equations. The Nakajima-Zwanzig and the time-convolutionless projection operator techniques are exploited to provide a description of the non-Markovian features of the dynamics of the two-qubits system. The validity of such approximate methods and their range of validity in correspondence to different choices of the parameters describing the system are brought to light.

Speeding up antidynamical Casimir effect with nonstationary qutrits

The antidynamical Casimir effect (ADCE) is a term coined to designate the coherent annihilation of excitations due to resonant external perturbation of system parameters, allowing for extraction of quantum work from nonvacuum states of some field. Originally proposed for a two-level atom (qubit) coupled to a single cavity mode in the context of nonstationary quantum Rabi model, it suffered from very low transition rate and correspondingly narrow resonance linewidth. In this paper we show analytically and numerically that the ADCE rate can be increased by at least one order of magnitude by replacing the qubit by an artificial three-level atom (qutrit) in a properly chosen configuration. For …

Theoretical analysis of a recent experiment on mesoscopic state superpositions in cavity QED

Quite recently quantum features exhibited by a mesoscopic field interacting with a single Rydberg atom in a microwave cavity has been observed [A. Auffeves et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 230405 (2003)]. In this paper we theoretically analyze all the phases of this articulated experiment considering from the very beginning cavity losses. Fully applying the theory of quantum open systems, our modelization succeeds in predicting fine aspects of the measured quantity, reaching qualitative and quantitative good agreement with the experimental results. This fact validates our theoretical approach based on the fundamental atom-cavity interaction model and simple mathematical structure of dissipative…

Generation of minimum energy entangled states

Quantum technologies exploiting bipartite entanglement could be made more efficient by using states having the minimum amount of energy for a given entanglement degree. Here, we study how to generate these states in the case of a bipartite system of arbitrary finite dimension either by applying a unitary transformation to its ground state or through a zero-temperature thermalization protocol based on turning on and off a suitable interaction term between the subsystems. In particular, we explicitly identify three possible unitary operators and five possible interaction terms. On the one hand, two of the three unitary transformations turn out to be easily decomposable in terms of local eleme…

General Solution of a Second-Order Nonhomogenous Linear Difference Equation with Noncommutative Coefficients

The detailed construction of the general solution of a second-order nonhomogenous linear operator-difference equation is presented. The wide applicability of such an equation as well as the usefulness of its resolutive formula is shown by studying some applications belonging to different mathematical contexts.

Bounds on mixed state entanglement

In the general framework of d 1 &times

Quantum synchronisation and clustering in chiral networks

We study the emergence of synchronisation in a chiral network of harmonic oscillators. The network consists of a set of locally incoherently pumped harmonic oscillators coupled pairwise in cascade with travelling field modes. Such cascaded coupling leads to feedback-less dissipative interaction between the harmonic oscillators of the pair which can be described in terms of an effective pairwise hamiltonian a collective pairwise decay. The network is described mathematically in terms of a directed graph. By analysing geometries of increasing complexity we show how the onset of synchronisation depends strongly on the network topology, with the emergence of synchronised communities in the case…

Master equations for two qubits coupled via a nonlinear mode

A microscopic master equation describing the dynamics of two qubits coupled via a nonlinear mediator is constructed supposing that the two qubits, as well as the nonlinear mode, interact, each with its own independent bosonic bath. Generally speaking the master equation derived in this way represents a more appropriate tool for studying the dynamics of open quantum systems. Indeed we show that it is more complex than the phenomenological master equation, constructed simply adding ad hoc dissipative terms.

La Scuola Adotta un Esperimento

Resonant effects in a SQUID qubit subjected to nonadiabatic changes

By quickly modifying the shape of the effective potential of a double SQUID flux qubit from a single-well to a double-well condition, we experimentally observe an anomalous behavior, namely an alternance of resonance peaks, in the probability to find the qubit in a given flux state. The occurrence of Landau-Zener transitions as well as resonant tunneling between degenerate levels in the two wells may be invoked to partially justify the experimental results. A quantum simulation of the time evolution of the system indeed suggests that the observed anomalous behavior can be imputable to quantum coherence effects. The interplay among all these mechanisms has a practical implication for quantum…

Entangling two spatially separate cavities

A scheme for the transfer of entanglement among systems via successive coupling with an intermediate system is described. This method is applied to a simple experimental realizable situation for entangling two spatially separated cavities. In this scheme entanglement, initially stored in two modes of the first cavity, is transferred by an atom interacting successively with the cavities, into entanglement between two non resonant modes of the different cavities.

Radial coherent states for Dirac hydrogen-like atom

In this paper we use an su(2) representation of the radial eigenfunction of the Dirac hydrogen-like atom and we build the Glauber coherent states and the displacement operator coherent states. We also calculate the average values of some observables corresponding to these states.

Coherent control of stimulated emission inside one-dimensional Photonic Crystals

In this paper, the quasinormal mode (QNM) theory is applied to discuss the quantum problem of an atom embedded inside a one-dimensional (1D) photonic band gap (PBG) cavity pumped by two counterpropagating laser beams. The e.m. field is quantized in terms of the QNMs in the 1D PBG and the atom modeled as a two-level system is assumed to be weakly coupled to just one of the QNMs. The main result of the paper is that the decay time depends on the position of the dipole inside the cavity, and can be controlled by the phase difference of the two laser beams. © 2005 The American Physical Society

Competition between inter- and intra- molecular energy exchanges in a simple quantum model of a dimer

Abstract We propose a fully quantum model to describe the dynamics of a possible radiationless energy transfer process between identical and nearly localized molecules or monomers coupled through a dipole–dipole term. The system is studied as an environmentally isolated dimeric pair and we find that its dynamics exhibits a competition between the process ruling out the transfer of energy among different degrees of freedom of a given monomer and the one steering the intermolecular passage of excitations from a monomer to the other one. Such a competition is quantitatively characterized investigating on the temporal behaviour of quantum covariances of some couples of appropriate observables h…

Exact dynamics of XX central spin models

The dynamical behavior of a star network of spins, wherein each of N decoupled spins interact with a central spin through non uniform Heisenberg XX interaction is exactly studied. The time-dependent Schrodinger equation of the spin system model is solved starting from an arbitrary initial state. The resulting solution is analyzed and briefly discussed.

Emulation of n-photon Jaynes Cummings and Anti-Jaynes-Cummings models via parametric modulation of cyclic qutrit

We study a circuit QED setup involving a single cavity mode and a cyclic qutrit whose parameters are time modulated externally. It is shown that in the dispersive regime this system behaves as a versatile platform to implement effective $n$-photon Jaynes-Cummings (JC) and anti-Jaynes-Cummings (AJC) models by suitably setting the modulation frequency. The atomic levels and the cavity Fock states involved in the effective Hamiltonians can be controlled through adjustment of the system parameters, and different JC and AJC interactions can be implemented simultaneously using multitone modulations. Moreover, one can implement some models that go beyond simple JC and AJC-like interaction, such as…

Dissipative effects on a generation scheme of a W state in an array of coupled Josephson junctions

The dynamics of an open quantum system, consisting of three superconducting qubits interacting with independent reservoirs, is investigated to elucidate the effects of the environment on a unitary generation scheme of W states (Migliore R et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 74 104503). To this end a microscopic master equation is constructed and its exact resolution predicts the generation of a Werner-like state instead of the W state. A comparison between our model and a more intuitive phenomenological model is also considered, in order to find the limits of the latter approach in the case of structured reservoirs.

Interaction-free evolution in the presence of time-dependent Hamiltonians

The generalization of the concept of interaction-free evolutions (IFE) [A. Napoli, {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 89}, 062104 (2014)] to the case of time-dependent Hamiltonians is discussed. It turns out that the time-dependent case allows for much more rich structures of interaction-free states and interaction-free subspaces. The general condition for the occurrence of IFE is found and exploited to analyze specific situations. Several examples are presented, each one associated to a class of Hamiltonians with specific features.

Single-shot generation and detection of a two-photon generalized binomial state in a cavity

A "quasi-deterministic" scheme to generate a two-photon generalized binomial state in a single-mode high-Q cavity is proposed. We also suggest a single-shot scheme to measure the generated state based on a probe two-level atom that "reads" the cavity field. The possibility of implementing the schemes is discussed.

Dissipative effects on a scheme of generation of a W state in an array of coupled Josephson junctions

The dynamics of an open quantum system, consisting of three superconducting qubits interacting with independent reservoirs, is investigated to elucidate the effects of the environment on a unitary generation scheme of W states (Migliore R et al 2006 Phys. Rev. B 74 104503). To this end a microscopic master equation is constructed and its exact resolution predicts the generation of a Werner-like state instead of the W state. A comparison between our model and a more intuitive phenomenological model is also considered, in order to find the limits of the latter approach in the case of structured reservoirs.

Fluctuation theorems for non-Markovian quantum processes

Exploiting previous results on Markovian dynamics and fluctuation theorems, we study the consequences of memory effects on single realizations of nonequilibrium processes within an open system approach. The entropy production along single trajectories for forward and backward processes is obtained with the help of a recently proposed classical-like non-Markovian stochastic unravelling, which is demonstrated to lead to a correction of the standard entropic fluctuation theorem. This correction is interpreted as resulting from the interplay between the information extracted from the system through measurements and the flow of information from the environment to the open system: Due to memory e…

Entangling N high-Q cavities

A new conditional scheme for generating maximally entangled states of N spatially separated high-Q cavities is reported. The method is based on the passage of one atom only through all the N cavities. The unavoidable presence of fluctuations in the atom-cavity interaction times is carefully taken into account. The possibility of successfully implementing our proposal against cavity losses and atomic spontaneous decay is moreover discussed.

Interaction free and decoherence free states

An interaction free evolving state of a closed bipartite system composed of two interacting subsystems is a generally mixed state evolving as if the interaction were a c-number. In this paper we find the characteristic equation of states possessing similar properties for a bipartite systems governed by a linear dynamical equation whose generator is sum of a free term and an interaction term. In particular in the case of a small system coupled to its environment, we deduce the characteristic equation of decoherence free states namely mixed states evolving as if the interaction term were effectively inactive. Several examples illustrate the applicability of our theory in different physical co…

On new ways of group methods for reduction of evolution-type equations

AbstractNew exact solutions of the evolution-type equations are constructed by means of a non-point (contact) symmetries. Also we analyzed the discrete symmetries of Maxwell equations in vacuum and decoupled ones to the four independent equations that can be solved independently.

Bell's inequality violation for entangled generalized Bernoulli states in two spatially separate cavities

We consider the entanglement of orthogonal generalized Bernoulli states in two separate single-mode high-$Q$ cavities. The expectation values and the correlations of the electric field in the cavities are obtained. We then define, in each cavity, a dichotomic operator expressible in terms of the field states which can be, in principle, experimentally measured by a probe atom that ``reads'' the field. Using the quantum correlations of couples of these operators, we construct a Bell's inequality which is shown to be violated for a wide range of the degree of entanglement and which can be tested in a simple way. Thus the cavity fields directly show quantum non-local properties. A scheme is als…

Elementary symmetric functions of two solvents of a quadratic matrix equations

Quadratic matrix equations occur in a variety of applications. In this paper we introduce new permutationally invariant functions of two solvents of the n quadratic matrix equation X^2- L1X - L0 = 0, playing the role of the two elementary symmetric functions of the two roots of a quadratic scalar equation. Our results rely on the connection existing between the QME and the theory of linear second order difference equations with noncommutative coefficients. An application of our results to a simple physical problem is briefly discussed.

Revealing non-classical behaviours in the oscillatory motion of a trapped ion

The possibility of revealing non-classical behaviours in the dynamics of a trapped ion via measurements of the mean value of suitable operators is reported. In particular we focus on the manifestation known as `` Parity Effect\rq\rq which may be observed \emph{directly measuring} the expectation value of an appropriate correlation operator. The experimental feasibility of our proposal is discussed.

Nonclassical effects in the dynamics of a two-mode cavity coupled to a two-level atom in the presence of damping

Entanglement dynamics in a spin star system

The implementation of more and more efficient nanodevices exploitable in applicative contexts like for example quantum computers often requires a highly challenging miniaturizing process aimed at packing a huge number of point-like basic elements whose dynamics mimics indeed that of a qubit. Stimulated by such a requirement, over the last few years theoretical schemes using the language of the spin ½ system models have been investigated. The main reason is that besides the simple dynamical behaviour of each elementary constituent these Hamiltonian models do indeed capture basic ingredients of several physical situations differing one another mainly for the numerical values of some relevant …

A microscopic monomeric mechanism for interpreting intrinsic optical bistability observed in Yb3+-doped bromide materials

We present a mechanism able to show intrinsic bistable behaviour involving single Yb3+ ions embedded into bromide lattices, in which intrinsic optical bistability (IOB) has been observed. The mechanism is based on the experimentally found coupling between the Yb3+ ion and the totally symmetric local mode of vibration of the [YbBr6]3- coordination unit. The model reproduces the IOB observed in CsCdBr3:1% Yb3+ and allows to understand the experimentally found presence of the phenomenon in the other bromides, but its absence in Cs3Lu2Cl9:Yb3+.

Solution of the Lindblad equation in Kraus representation

The so-called Lindblad equation, a typical master equation describing the dissipative quantum dynamics, is shown to be solvable for finite-level systems in a compact form without resort to writing it down as a set of equations among matrix elements. The solution is then naturally given in an operator form, known as the Kraus representation. Following a few simple examples, the general applicability of the method is clarified.

Macroscopic jumps of the axial angular momentum variance of a bidimensionally trapped ion

Abstract The time evolution of the axial angular momentum [Lcirc] z of an ion confined in a bidimensional trap is investigated. We find that, under suitable initial conditions, the interaction of the ion with two properly configured classical laser beams induces a peculiar dynamical behaviour of the axial angular momentum fluctuations. We show, in fact, that there exists an instant of time at which the variance of [Lcirc] z undergoes variations proportional to N 2 further to a change of one quantum only in the initial total number N ≫ 1 of vibrational quanta. The non-classical origin of these macroscopic jumps is brought to the light and carefully discussed.

Non-Markovian dynamics of interacting qubit pair coupled to two independent bosonic baths

The dynamics of two interacting spins coupled to separate bosonic baths is studied. An analytical solution in Born approximation for arbitrary spectral density functions of the bosonic environments is found. It is shown that in the non-Markovian cases concurrence "lives" longer or reaches greater values.

Coherent Control of Stimulated Emission inside one dimensional Photonic Crystals:Strong Coupling regime

The present paper discusses the stimulated emission, in strong coupling regime, of an atom embedded inside a one dimensional (1D) Photonic Band Gap (PBG) cavity which is pumped by two counter-propagating laser beams. Quantum electrodynamics is applied to model the atom-field interaction, by considering the atom as a two level system, the e.m. field as a superposition of normal modes, the coupling in dipole approximation, and the equations of motion in Wigner-Weisskopf and rotating wave approximations. In addition, the Quasi Normal Mode (QNM) approach for an open cavity is adopted, interpreting the local density of states (LDOS) as the local density of probability to excite one QNM of the ca…

Rapid assay of resveratrol in red wine by paper spray tandem mass spectrometry and isotope dilution.

A rapid analytical approach for the assay of resveratrol in red wines, based on Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry (PS-MS) and Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) is described. The assay involves the use of the stable isotope dilution method. The analytical parameters calculated analyzing fortified samples confirm the reliability of the proposed approach, with accuracy values about 100%, and LOD and LOQ values calculated at 0.5 and 0.8 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, both the recovery, which was quantitative for the analyte, and the reproducibility (RSD%), checked on different days on the same wine, always below 7%, highlighted the consistency of the methodology.

Reconstructing the vibrational state of a trapped ion

A new approach for reconstructing the vibrational quantum state of a trapped ion is proposed. The method rests upon the current ability of manipulating the trapped ion state and on the possibility of effectively measuring the scalar product of the two vibrational cofactors of a vibronic entangled state. The experimental feasibility of the method is briefly discussed.

Exact decoupling of two dipole-dipole interacting dimers

It is today possible to test many quantum mechanical predictions, even the most puzzling ones, setting up sophisticated experiments on exemplary "textbook" physical systems like a single atom or molecule or a single material quantum harmonic oscillator. It is therefore conceptually highly exciting to conceive simple but not trivial physical situations representable by exactly solvable hamiltonian models, in the grasp of the experimentalists. In this paper we study a physical system consisting of two coupled identical dimers. Each molecule possesses both fermionic and bosonic degrees of freedom and its internal non adiabatic dynamics is governed by a bilinear term conserving the total excita…

Synchronizing Two Superconducting Qubits through a Dissipating Resonator

A system consisting of two qubits and a resonator is considered in the presence of different sources of noise, bringing to light the possibility of making the two qubits evolve in a synchronized way. A direct qubit–qubit interaction turns out to be a crucial ingredient, as well as the dissipation processes involving the resonator. The detrimental role of the local dephasing of the qubits is also taken into account.

Quantum counter-propagation in open optical cavities via the quasi-normal-mode approach

By using the quasi-normal-mode (QNM) formalism in a second quantization scheme, the problem of the counter-propagation of electromagnetic fields inside optical cavities is studied. The links between QNM operators and canonical destruction and creation operators describing the external free field, as well as the field correlation functions, are found and discussed. An application of the theory is performed for open cavities whose refractive index satisfies symmetric properties.

Quantum Computation with Generalized Binomial States in Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics

We study universal quantum computation in the cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) framework exploiting two orthonormal two-photon generalized binomial states as qubit and dispersive interactions of Rydberg atoms with high-$Q$ cavities. We show that an arbitrary qubit state may be generated and that controlled-NOT and 1-qubit rotation gates can be realized via standard atom-cavity interactions.

Coherent control of stimulated emission process inside one-dimensional photonic crystals

The control of the stimulated emission processes in a 1D PC is discussed. A non-canonical quantization is adopted (QNM). The decay rate of the stimulated emission depends on the cavity and phase-difference of the pumps.

Progress towards innovative and energy efficient logic circuits

Abstract The integration of superconductive nanowire logic memories and energy efficient computing Josephson logic is explored. Nanowire memories are based on the integration of switchable superconducting nanowires with a suitable magnetic material. These memories exploit the electro-thermal operation of the nanowires to efficiently store and read a magnetic state. In order to achieve proper memory operation a careful design of the nanowire assembly is necessary, as well as a proper choice of the magnetic material to be employed. At present several new superconducting logic families have been proposed, all tending to minimize the effect of losses in the digital Josephson circuits replacing …

Sensitivity of Measurement-Based Purification Processes to Inner Interactions

The sensitivity of a repeated measurement-based purification scheme to additional undesired couplings is analyzed, focusing on the very simple and archetypical system consisting of two two-level systems interacting with a repeatedly measured one. Several regimes are considered and in the strong coupling (i.e., when the coupling constant of the undesired interaction is very large) the occurrence of a quantum Zeno effect is proven to dramatically jeopardize the efficiency of the purification process.

Unitary Transfer of Entanglement in Multipartite Two-Level Systems

The dynamics of a system composed by two pairs of dipolarly coupled two-level atoms is exactly studied. We show that the initial entanglement stored in a couple of atoms not directly interacting is fully transferred to the other pair in a periodic way. The observability of this phenomenon in laboratory is briefly discussed both in terms of its temporal scale and of its stability against uncertainties in the geometrical parameters defining the physical system.

Nondissipative Decoherence and Entanglement in the Dynamics of a Trapped Ion

We study the robustness of the entanglement between the 2D vibrational motion and two ground state hyperfine levels of a trapped ion with respect to the presence of non-dissipative sources of decoherence.

Preparation of macroscopically distinguishable superpositions of circular or linear oscillatory states of a bidimensionally trapped ion

A simple scheme for the generation of two different classes of bidimensional vibrational Schrodinger cat-like states of an isotropically trapped ion is presented. We show that by appropriately adjusting an easily controllable parameter having a clear physical meaning, the states prepared by our procedure are quantum superpositions of either vibrational axial angular momentum eigenstates or Fock states along two orthogonal directions.

Edible Insects an Alternative Nutritional Source of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

Edible insects have the potential to become one of the major future foods. In fact, they can be considered cheap, highly nutritious, and healthy food sources. International agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have focused their attention on the consumption of edible insects, in particular, regarding their nutritional value and possible biological, toxicological, and allergenic risks, wishing the development of analytical methods to verify the authenticity, quality, and safety of insect-based products. Edible insects are rich in proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals but also seem to contain large amounts of polyphenols able to have a key role in specific bi…

Efficient generation of N-photon binomial states and their use in quantum gates in cavity QED

A high-fidelity scheme to generate N-photon generalized binomial states (NGBSs) in a single-mode high-Q cavity is proposed. A method to construct superpositions of exact orthogonal NGBSs is also provided. It is then shown that these states, for any value of N, may be used for a realization of a controlled-NOT gate, based on the dispersive interaction between the cavity field and a control two-level atom. The possible implementation of the schemes is finally discussed.

Stimulated emission control in Photonic Crystals: Strong coupling regime in QNM approach

Stimulated emission, in strong coupling regime, in a one dimensional photonic crystals is described by considering two counter-propagating pumps. Quasi normal mode approach is used and coherent control of the Rabi splitting is discussed.

Entanglement and heat capacity in a two-atom Bose–Hubbard model

Abstract We show that a two-atom Bose–Hubbard model exhibits three different phases in the behavior of thermal entanglement in its parameter space. These phases are demonstrated to be traceable back to the existence of level crossings in the ground state of the same system. Significant similarities between the behaviors of thermal entanglement and heat capacity in the parameter space are brought to light thus allowing to interpret the occurrence and the meaning of all these three phases.

Generation of Glauber coherent state Superpositions via Unitary Transformations

Quantum Nondemolition Measurement and Quantum State Manipulation in Two Dimensional Trapped Ion

An extension of QNDmeasuremen t of the vibrational energy of the trapped ion from one dimensional case to the bidimensional one is presented. Our approach exploits the fixed phase difference existing between the two orthogonal and appropriately configured classical laser beams determining the vibronic coupling. We in fact show that this phase difference may play the role of an adjustable external parameter which allows to optimize the measurement scheme itself in terms of both precision and sensitivity. Our proposal provides a cooling method for the trapped ion from the vibrational thermal state. Due to the coherent superposition of two sub Rabi oscillations, the Rabi frequency degeneration…

Thermal localizable entanglement in a simple multipartite system

The quantum correlations present in a system of three coupled spins 12 in a thermal state are investigated. Localizable entanglement, as well as concurrence function, is exactly evaluated. The results obtained show the existence of a temperature range corresponding to which it is impossible to localize entanglement.

Study of [2-(2’-pyridyl)imidazole] complexes to confirm two main characteristic thermoanalytical behaviors of transition metal complexes based on imidazole derivatives

Abstract Imidazole derivative ligands are recognized as useful models for biomimetic complexes. Among the inorganic–organic hybrid complexes, those with derivatives of imidazole heterocyclic N-donor ligands are interesting for their framework. In previous studies of complexes with imidazole derivative ligands, our group reported two main thermally induced decomposition behaviors supporting two different systematic decomposition trends. In this work, one of these characteristic decomposition mechanisms was again found. The final goal of these serial studies is the possibility to provide, by the experimental evidences, a prediction model of thermal stability and decomposition typical behavior…

Loss induced collective subradiant Dicke behaviour in a multiatom sample

The exact dynamics of $N$ two-level atoms coupled to a common electromagnetic bath and closely located inside a lossy cavity is reported. Stationary radiation trapping effects are found and very transparently interpreted in the context of our approach. We prove that initially injecting one excitation only in the $N$ atoms-cavity system, loss mechanisms asymptotically drive the matter sample toward a long-lived collective subradiant Dicke state. The role played by the closeness of the $N$ atoms with respect to such a cooperative behavior is brought to light and carefully discussed.

An application of the arithmetic euler function to the construction of nonclassical states of a quantum harmonic oscillator

Abstract All quantum superpositions of two equal intensity coherent states exhibiting infinitely many zeros in their Fock distributions are explicitly constructed and studied. Our approach is based on results from number theory and, in particular, on the properties of arithmetic Euler function. The nonclassical nature of these states is briefly pointed out. Some interesting properties are brought to light.

Dynamical behaviour of an XX central spin model through Bethe ansatz techniques

Following the Bethe ansazt procedure the exact dynamics of an XX central spin model is revealed. Particular initial conditions are analyzed and the consequent time evolution is compared with the exact solution obtained by solving the time-dependent Schrudinger equation. The interest towards spin systems and in particular central spin systems, is motivated by the recent developments in more applicative contexts.

Synchronizing Quantum Harmonic Oscillators through Two-Level Systems

Two oscillators coupled to a two-level system which in turn is coupled to an infinite number of oscillators (reservoir) are considered, bringing to light the occurrence of synchronization. A detailed analysis clarifies the physical mechanism that forces the system to oscillate at a single frequency with a predictable and tunable phase difference. Finally, the scheme is generalized to the case of $N$ oscillators and $M(<N)$ two-level systems.

Evanescent wave approximation for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians

The counterpart of the rotating wave approximation for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians is considered, which allows for the derivation of a suitable effective Hamiltonian for systems with some states undergoing decay. In the limit of very high decay rates, on the basis of this effective description we can predict the occurrence of a quantum Zeno dynamics, which is interpreted as the removal of some coupling terms and the vanishing of an operatorial pseudo-Lamb shift.

Quantum signatures in the dynamics of two dipole-dipole interacting soft dimers

The quantum covariances of physically transparent pairs of observables relative to two dimers hosted in a solid matrix are exactly investigated in the temporal domain. Both dimers possess fermionic and bosonic degrees of freedom and are dipolarly coupled. We find out and describe clear signatures traceable back to the presence and persistence of quantum coherence in the time evolution of the system. Manifestations of a competition between intramolecular and intermolecular energy migration mechanisms are brought to light. The experimental relevance of our results is briefly commented.

Nonlocal properties of entangled two-photon generalized binomial states in two separate cavities

We consider entangled two-photon generalized binomial states of the electromagnetic field in two separate cavities. The nonlocal properties of this entangled field state are analyzed by studying the electric field correlations between the two cavities. A Bell's inequality violation is obtained using an appropriate dichotomic cavity operator, that is in principle measurable.

Energy bounds for entangled states

We find the minimum and the maximum value for the local energy of an arbitrary bipartite system in a pure state for any given amount of entanglement. We also identify families of states reaching these lower or upper bounds. Moreover, we numerically study the probability of randomly generating pure states close to these energetic bounds finding, in all the considered configurations, that it is extremely low except for the two-qubit case and highly degenerate cases. Then, we show that the bounds found for pure states are valid also for mixed states. These results can be important in quantum technologies to design energetically more efficient entanglement generation protocols. Finally, we poin…

Realization of a space reversal operator

In this paper we propose the realization of a bosonic-fermionic interaction in the context of trapped ions whose effect upon the ion center of mass degrees of freedom is properly speaking a spatial inversion. The physical system and its features are accurately described and some applications are briefly discussed.

Interaction-free evolving states of a bipartite system

We show that two interacting physical systems may admit entangled pure or non separable mixed states evolving in time as if the mutual interaction hamiltonian were absent. In this paper we define these states Interaction Free Evolving (IFE) states and characterize their existence for a generic binary system described by a time independent Hamiltonian. A comparison between IFE subspace and the decoherence free subspace is reported. The set of all pure IFE states is explicitly constructed for a non homogeneous spin star system model.

Riccati equation-based generalization of Dawson's integral function

A new generalization of Dawson's integral function based on the link between a Riccati nonlinear differential equation and a second-order ordinary differential equation is reported. The MacLaurin expansion of this generalized function is built up and to this end an explicit formula for a generic cofactor of a triangular matrix is deduced.

A continued fraction based approach for the Two-photon Quantum Rabi Model

We study the Two Photon Quantum Rabi Model by way of its spectral functions and survival probabilities. This approach allows numerical precision with large truncation numbers, and thus exploration of the spectral collapse. We provide independent checks and calibration of the numerical results by studying an exactly solvable case and comparing the essential qualitative structure of the spectral functions. We stress that the large time limit of the survival probability provides us with an indicator of spectral collapse, and propose a technique for the detection of this signal in the current and upcoming quantum simulations of the model. E.L. acknowledges fruitful discussions with D. Braak. I.…

Effective Landau-Zener transitions in circuit dynamical Casimir effect with time-varying modulation frequency

We consider the dissipative single-qubit circuit QED architecture in which the atomic transition frequency undergoes a weak external time-modulation. For sinusoidal modulation with linearly varying frequency we derive effective Hamiltonians that resemble the Landau-Zener problem of finite duration associated to a two- or multi-level systems. The corresponding off-diagonal coupling coefficients originate either from the rotating or the counter-rotating terms in the Rabi Hamiltonian, depending on the values of the modulation frequency. It is demonstrated that in the dissipation less case one can accomplish almost complete transitions between the eigenstates of the bare Rabi Hamiltonian even f…

Maximally entangled states of N spatially separated cavities

The physical origin of a photon-number parity effect in cavity quantum electrodynamics

Abstract The rapidly increasing capability to modulate the physicochemical properties of atomic groups and molecules by means of their coupling to radiation, as well as the revolutionary potential of quantum computing for materials simulation and prediction, fuel the interest for non-classical phenomena produced by atom-radiation interaction in confined space. One of such phenomena is a “parity effect” that arises in the dynamics of an atom coupled to two degenerate cavity field modes by two-photon processes and manifests itself as a strong dependence of the field dynamics on the parity of the initial number of photons. Here we identify the physical origin of this effect in the quantum corr…

Dissipative dynamics of two coupled qubits: a short review of some recent results

In this paper, we review some results concerning the dissipative dynamics of two coupled qubits interacting with independent reservoirs. In particular, we focus on the role of counter-rotating terms in the qubit-qubit coupling, showing that their presence is the origin of stationary entanglement, which also turns out to be robust with respect to temperature. We also discuss the performances of different non-Markovian approaches in the description of the qubit-qubit dynamics, by considering a simplified exactly solvable Hamiltonian model.

Entanglement sudden death and sudden birth in two uncoupled spins

We investigate the entanglement evolution of two qubits interacting with a common environment trough an Heisenberg XX mechanism. We reveal the possibility of realizing the phenomenon of entanglement sudden death as well as the entanglement sudden birth acting on the environment. Such analysis is of maximal interest at the light of the large applications that spin systems have in quantum information theory.

Exact treatment of linear difference equations with noncommutative coefficients

The exact solution of a Cauchy problem related to a linear second-order difference equation with constant noncommutative coefficients is reported.

Effective hamiltonian approach to the non-Markovian dynamics in a spin-bath

We investigate the dynamics of a central spin that is coupled to a bath of spins through a non-uniform distribution of coupling constants. Simple analytical arguments based on master equation techniques as well as numerical simulations of the full von Neumann equation of the total system show that the short-time damping and decoherence behaviour of the central spin can be modelled accurately through an effective Hamiltonian involving a single effective coupling constant. The reduced short-time dynamics of the central spin is thus reproduced by an analytically solvable effective Hamiltonian model.

Nonunitary generation of nonclassical states of a bidimensional harmonic oscillator

A scheme for generating quantum superpositions of macroscopically distinguishable states of the vibrational motion of a bidimensionally trapped ion is reported. We show that these states possess highly nonclassical properties controllable by an adjustable parameter simply related to the initial condition of the confined system

Determination of ketosteroid hormones in meat by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and derivatization chemistry.

A method for the determination and quantification of ketosteroid hormones in meat by mass spectrometry, based on the derivatization of the carbonyl moiety of steroids by O-methylhydroxylamine, is presented. The quantitative assay is performed by means of multiple-reaction-monitoring (MRM) scan mode and using the corresponding labelled species, obtained by reaction with d 3-methoxylamine, as internal standard. The accuracy of the method was established by evaluating artificially spiked samples, obtaining values in the range 90-110%. Recovery tests were performed on blank matrix samples spiked with non-natural steroids including trenbolone and melengestrol acetate. The latter experiment revea…

Hilbert space partitioning for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians: From off-resonance to Zeno subspaces

Abstract Effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians describing decaying systems are derived and analyzed in connection with the occurrence of possible Hilbert space partitioning, resulting in a confinement of the dynamics. In some cases, this fact can be interpreted properly as Zeno effect or Zeno dynamics, according to the dimension of the subspace one focuses on; in some other cases, the interpretation is more complicated and traceable back to a mix of Zeno phenomena and lack of resonance. Depending on the complex phases of the diagonal terms of the Hamiltonian, the system reacts in different ways, requiring larger moduli for the dynamical confinement to occur when the complex phase is close to…

Generalized Interaction-Free Evolutions

A thorough analysis of the evolutions of bipartite systems characterized by the \lq effective absence\rq\, of interaction between the two subsystems is reported. First, the connection between the concepts underlying Interaction-Free Evolutions (IFE) and Decoherence-Free Subspaces (DFS) is explored, showing intricate relations between these concepts. Second, starting from this analysis and inspired by a generalization of DFS already known in the literature, we introduce the notion of generalized IFE (GIFE), also providing a useful characterization that allows to develop a general scheme for finding GIFE states.

BUILDING AN ENTANGLEMENT MEASURE ON PHYSICAL GROUND

We introduce on physical grounds a new measure of multipartite entanglement for pure states. The function we define is discriminant and monotone under LOCC and moreover can be expressed in terms of observables of the system.

JOSEPHSON MESOJUNCTIONS AS DETECTORS OF LOW-INTENSITY QUANTIZED COHERENT FAR-INFRARED FIELDS

We show that the quantum nature of a mesoscopic Josephson junction may be exploited for detecting low-intensity electromagnetic quantized fields. In particular we prove that intensity and phase of single-mode quantized coherent field may be reconstructed measuring amplitude and quantum noise of the first quantum Shapiro step occurring in the I-V characteristic of the ultrasmall Josephson junction.

W-like states of N uncoupled spins 1/2

The exact dynamics of a disordered spin star system, describing a central spin coupled to N distinguishable and non interacting spins 1/2, is reported. Exploiting their interaction with the central single spin system, we present possible conditional schemes for the generation of W-like states, as well as of well-defined angular momentum states, of the N uncoupled spins. We provide in addition a way to estimate the coupling intensity between each of the N spins and the central one. Finally the feasibility of our procedure is briefly discussed.

A new monomeric interpretation of intrinsic optical bistability observed in Yb3+-doped bromide materials

We present a mechanism able to show intrinsic bistable behaviour involving single Yb3+ ions embedded into bromide lattices, in which intrinsic optical bistability (IOB) has been observed. The mechanism is based on the experimentally found coupling between the Yb3+ ion and the totally symmetric local mode of vibration of the [YbBr6]3- coordination unit. The model reproduces the IOB observed in CsCdBr3:1% Yb3+ and allows to understand the experimentally found presence of the phenomenon in the other bromides, but its absence in Cs3Lu2Cl9:Yb3+.

Bioplastics: A new analytical challenge

Even though petroleum-based plastics are advantageous in complying with the performance requirements in many applications, these are related, throughout their life cycle, to several environmental problems, including greenhouse gas emissions and persistence in marine and terrestrial environments. Therefore, the preservation of natural resources and climate change is considered worldwide, the main reason for which is necessary to reduce consumption and dependence on fossil-based materials. Biopolymers (PLA, PHAs, etc.) are examples of plastics whose use is grown exponentially over the years because of the improvements of their physical and mechanical properties using additives of various natu…

Second quantization and Atomic Spontaneous Emission inside 1D Photonic Crystals via Quasi Normal Modes approach

Generation of Pair Coherent States in Two-dimensional Trapped Ion

We consider a two-dimensional (2D) trapped ion model in which two laser beams drive the corresponding vibrational motions and are carrier resonant with the two-level of the ion. Due to the coherent superposition of two sub-Rabi oscillations involved in the bimodal vibrations, the Rabi frequency degeneration and offset may occur in this model. This provides the possibility of generating the pair coherent state in the 2D trapped ion.

Dissipation-induced stationary entanglement in dipole-dipole interacting atomic samples

The dynamics of two two-level dipole-dipole interacting atoms coupled to a common electro-magnetic bath and closely located inside a lossy cavity, is reported. Initially injecting only one excitation in the two-atom cavity system, loss mechanisms asymptotically drive the matter sample toward a stationary maximally entangled state. The role played by the closeness of the two atoms, with respect to such a cooperative behavior, is carefully discussed. Stationary radiation trapping effects are found and transparently interpreted.

Quasi-Normal Frequencies in Open Cavities: An Application to Photonic Crystals

The electromagnetic field in an optical open cavity is analyzed in the framework of the Quasi-Normal Modes theory. The role of the complex quasi-normal frequencies in the transmission coefficient and their link with the density of quasi-modes function is clarified. An application to a quarter-wave symmetric one-dimensional photonic crystals is discussed to illustrate the usefulness and the meaning of our results.

A new mathematical tool for an exact treatment of open quantum system dynamics

A new method to obtain an operatorial exact solution of a wide class of Markovian master equations is presented. Its key point is the existence of a constant of motion partitioning the Hilbert space into finite-dimensional subspaces. The consequent possibility of representing the reduced density operator as a block diagonal matrix is shown. Each “block operator” evolves under the action of a non-unitary operator explicitly derived. Our mathematical approach is illustrated applying it to simple physical systems.

Interpreting concurrence in terms of covariances in a generalized spin star system

The quantum dynamics of M pairwise coupled spin 1/2 is analyzed and the time evolution of the entanglement get established within a prefixed couple of spins is studied. A conceptual and quantitative link between the concurrence function and measurable quantities is brought to light providing a physical interpretation for the concurrence itself as well as a way to measure it. A generalized spin star system is exactly investigated showing that the entanglement accompanying its rich dynamics is traceable back to the covariance of appropriate commuting observables of the two spins.

Coherent and squeezed vibrations for discrete variable harmonic oscillators

In this work we study different types of coherent and squeezed states for the Charlier, Kravchuk and Meixner oscillators. We calculate the average values of different observables corresponding to the coherent states. We found that the coherent and squeezed states of the Kravchuk oscillator are unstable. There are also coherent and squeezed states that are similar to the coherent and squeezed states of the harmonic oscillator. We have introduced a discrete variable model for the biophoton coherent radiation, and the coherent thermal and squeezed thermal states. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.

CONTROLLING THE QUANTUM DYNAMICS OF MULTIPARTITE JOSEPHSON CIRCUITS

CONTROLLING THE QUANTUM DYNAMICS OF MULTIPARTITE JOSEPHSON CIRCUITS

Riccati equation-based generalization of Dawson’s integral function

A new mathematical tool for an exact treatment of the dynamics of open quantum systems