Entanglement Efficiencies in PT-Symmetric Quantum Mechanics

The degree of entanglement is determined for an arbitrary state of a broad class of PT-symmetric bipartite composite systems. Subsequently we quantify the rate with which entangled states are generated and show that this rate can be characterized by a small set of parameters. These relations allow one in principle to improve the ability of these systems to entangle states. It is also noticed that many relations resemble corresponding ones in conventional quantum mechanics.Comment: Published version with improved figures, 5 pages, 2 figure

The probability distribution of the conductance at the mobility edge

The probability distribution of the conductance p(g) of disordered 2d and 3d systems is calculated by transfer matrix techniques. As expected, p(g) is Gaussian for extended states while for localized states it is log-normal. We find that at the mobility edge p(g) is highly asymmetric and universal.Comment: 3 pages RevTeX, 6 figures included, submitted to Physica

Critical points of Wang-Yau quasi-local energy

In this paper, we prove the following theorem regarding the Wang-Yau quasi-local energy of a spacelike two-surface in a spacetime: Let $\Sigma$ be a boundary component of some compact, time-symmetric, spacelike hypersurface $\Omega$ in a time-oriented spacetime $N$ satisfying the dominant energy condition. Suppose the induced metric on $\Sigma$ has positive Gaussian curvature and all boundary components of $\Omega$ have positive mean curvature. Suppose $H \le H_0$ where $H$ is the mean curvature of $\Sigma$ in $\Omega$ and $H_0$ is the mean curvature of $\Sigma$ when isometrically embedded in $R^3$. If $\Omega$ is not isometric to a domain in $R^3$, then 1. the Brown-York mass of $\Sigma$ in $\Omega$ is a strict local minimum of the Wang-Yau quasi-local energy of $\Sigma$, 2. on a small perturbation $\tilde{\Sigma}$ of $\Sigma$ in $N$, there exists a critical point of the Wang-Yau quasi-local energy of $\tilde{\Sigma}$.Comment: substantially revised, main theorem replaced, Section 3 adde

The Role of Gluons in Dilepton Production from the Quark-Gluon Plasma

We study high mass dilepton production from gluon-induced processes, $g q \to q \gamma^*$, $g \bar q \to \bar q \gamma^*$, and $g g \to q \bar q \gamma^*$, in a thermally equilibrated but chemically under-saturated partonic matter that is expected to be created in the initial stage of ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. Regulating the divergence in these processes by the thermal quark mass, we find that gluon-induced processes are more important than the leading-order $q\bar q$ annihilation process as a result of the larger number of gluons than quarks in the partonic matter. The dependence of the thermal dilepton yield from the partonic stage of heavy ion collisions on the initial conditions for the partonic matter is also studied. We further discuss the feasibility of observing thermal dileptons from the quark-gluon plasma in heavy ion experiments.Comment: 23 pages, revtex, 9 figures, added discussion on higher order effect

Supergravity Solutions for Harmonic, Static and Flux S-Branes

We seek S-brane solutions in D=11 supergravity which can be characterized by a harmonic function H on the flat transverse space. It turns out that the Einstein's equations force H to be a linear function of the transverse coordinates. The codimension one H=0 hyperplane can be spacelike, timelike or null and the spacelike case reduces to the previously obtained SM2 or SM5 brane solutions. We then consider static S-brane configurations having smeared timelike directions where the transverse Lorentzian symmetry group is broken down to its maximal orthogonal subgroup. Assuming that the metric functions depend on a radial spatial coordinate, we construct explicit solutions in D=11 supergravity which are non-supersymmetric and asymptotically flat. Finally, we obtain spacelike fluxbrane backgrounds which have timelike electric or magnetic fluxlines extending from past to future infinity.Comment: 22 pages, v2: references adde

The Percolation Signature of the Spin Glass Transition

Magnetic ordering at low temperature for Ising ferromagnets manifests itself within the associated Fortuin-Kasteleyn (FK) random cluster representation as the occurrence of a single positive density percolating network. In this paper we investigate the percolation signature for Ising spin glass ordering -- both in short-range (EA) and infinite-range (SK) models -- within a two-replica FK representation and also within the different Chayes-Machta-Redner two-replica graphical representation. Based on numerical studies of the $\pm J$ EA model in three dimensions and on rigorous results for the SK model, we conclude that the spin glass transition corresponds to the appearance of {\it two} percolating clusters of {\it unequal} densities.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Morphological analysis on the coherence of kHz QPOs

We take the recently published data of twin kHz quasi-period oscillations (QPOs) in neutron star (NS) lowmass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) as the samples, and investigate the morphology of the samples, which focuses on the quality factor, peak frequency of kHz QPOs, and try to infer their physical mechanism. We notice that: (1) The quality factors of upper kHz QPOs are low (2 ~ 20 in general) and increase with the kHz QPO peak frequencies for both Z and Atoll sources. (2) The distribution of quality factor versus frequency for the lower kHz QPOs are quite different between Z and Atoll sources. For most Z source samples, the quality factors of lower kHz QPOs are low (usually lower than 15) and rise steadily with the peak frequencies except for Sco X-1, which drop abruptly at the frequency of about 750 Hz. While for most Atoll sources, the quality factors of lower kHz QPOs are very high (from 2 to 200) and usually have a rising part, a maximum and an abrupt drop. (3) There are three Atoll sources (4U 1728-34, 4U 1636-53 and 4U 1608-52) of displaying very high quality factors for lower kHz QPOs. These three sources have been detected with the spin frequencies and sidebands, in which the source with higher spin frequency presents higher quality factor of lower kHz QPOs and lower difference between sideband frequency and lower kHz QPO frequency.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, publishe

Quantum feedback control of a solid-state qubit

We have studied theoretically the basic operation of a quantum feedback loop designed to maintain a desired phase of quantum coherent oscillations in a single solid-state qubit. The degree of oscillations synchronization with external harmonic signal is calculated as a function of feedback strength, taking into account available bandwidth and coupling to environment. The feedback can efficiently suppress the dephasing of oscillations if the qubit coupling to the detector is stronger than coupling to environment.Comment: Extended version of cond-mat/0107280 (5 pages, 5 figures); to be published in PRB (RC

Open su(4)-invariant spin ladder with boundary defects

The integrable su(4)-invariant spin-ladder model with boundary defect is studied using the Bethe ansatz method. The exact phase diagram for the ground state is given and the boundary quantum critical behavior is discussed. It consists of a gapped phase in which the rungs of the ladder form singlet states and a gapless Luttinger liquid phase. It is found that in the gapped phase the boundary bound state corresponds to an unscreened local moment, while in the Luttinger liquid phase the local moment is screened at low temperatures in analogy to the Kondo effect.Comment: Revtex 9 pages, published in PR

Genetic partitioning of interleukin-6 signalling in mice dissociates Stat3 from Smad3-mediated lung fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease that is unresponsive to current therapies and characterized by excessive collagen deposition and subsequent fibrosis. While inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, are elevated in IPF, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this disease are incompletely understood, although the development of fibrosis is believed to depend on canonical transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signalling. We examined bleomycin-induced inflammation and fibrosis in mice carrying a mutation in the shared IL-6 family receptor gp130. Using genetic complementation, we directly correlate the extent of IL-6-mediated, excessive Stat3 activity with inflammatory infiltrates in the lung and the severity of fibrosis in corresponding gp130757F mice. The extent of fibrosis was attenuated in B lymphocyte-deficient gp130757F;µMT−/− compound mutant mice, but fibrosis still occurred in their Smad3−/− counterparts consistent with the capacity of excessive Stat3 activity to induce collagen 1α1 gene transcription independently of canonical TGF-β/Smad3 signalling. These findings are of therapeutic relevance, since we confirmed abundant STAT3 activation in fibrotic lungs from IPF patients and showed that genetic reduction of Stat3 protected mice from bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis