Out-of-time-order correlators in finite open systems

We study out-of-time order correlators (OTOCs) of the form $\langle\hat A(t)\hat B(0)\hat C(t)\hat D(0)\rangle$ for a quantum system weakly coupled to a dissipative environment. Such an open system may serve as a model of, e.g., a small region in a disordered interacting medium coupled to the rest of this medium considered as an environment. We demonstrate that for a system with discrete energy levels the OTOC saturates exponentially $\propto \sum a_i e^{-t/\tau_i}+const$ to a constant value at $t\rightarrow\infty$, in contrast with quantum-chaotic systems which exhibit exponential growth of OTOCs. Focussing on the case of a two-level system, we calculate microscopically the decay times $\tau_i$ and the value of the saturation constant. Because some OTOCs are immune to dephasing processes and some are not, such correlators may decay on two sets of parametrically different time scales related to inelastic transitions between the system levels and to pure dephasing processes, respectively. In the case of a classical environment, the evolution of the OTOC can be mapped onto the evolution of the density matrix of two systems coupled to the same dissipative environment.Comment: 4.3 pages, 3 figures + 4 pages of Supplemental Materia

Scintillation reduction for combined Gaussian-vortex beam propagating through turbulent atmosphere

We numerically examine the spatial evolution of the structure of coherent and partially coherent laser beams (PCBs), including the optical vortices, propagating in turbulent atmospheres. The influence of beam fragmentation and wandering relative to the axis of propagation (z-axis) on the value of the scintillation index (SI) of the signal at the detector is analyzed. A method for significantly reducing the SI, by averaging the signal at the detector over a set of PCBs, is described. This novel method is to generate the PCBs by combining two laser beams - Gaussian and vortex beams, with different frequencies (the difference between these two frequencies being significantly smaller than the frequencies themselves). In this case, the SI is effectively suppressed without any high-frequency modulators.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure

On the forward-backward charge asymmetry in e+e- -annihilation into hadrons at high energies

The forward-backward asymmetry in e+ e- annihilation into a quark-antiquark pair is considered in the double-logarithmic approximation at energies much higher than the masses of the weak bosons. It is shown that after accounting to all orders for the exchange of virtual photons and W, Z -bosons one is lead to the following effect (asymmetry): quarks with positive electric charge (e.g. u, \bar{d}) tend to move in the e+ - direction whereas quarks with negative charges (e.g. d, \bar{u}) tend to move in the e- - direction. The value of the asymmetry grows with increasing energy when the produced quarks are within a cone with opening angle, in the cmf, \theta_0\sim 2M_Z/\sqrt{s} around the e+e- -beam. Outside this cone, at \theta_0 << \theta << 1, the asymmetry is inversely proportional to \theta .Comment: 17 Pages, 2 Tables, 4 Figures. Hadronization effects to the asymmetry are considered with more detail

Photon storage in Lambda-type optically dense atomic media. II. Free-space model

In a recent paper [Gorshkov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 123601 (2007)], we presented a universal physical picture for describing a wide range of techniques for storage and retrieval of photon wave packets in Lambda-type atomic media in free space, including the adiabatic reduction of the photon group velocity, pulse-propagation control via off-resonant Raman techniques, and photon-echo based techniques. This universal picture produced an optimal control strategy for photon storage and retrieval applicable to all approaches and yielded identical maximum efficiencies for all of them. In the present paper, we present the full details of this analysis as well some of its extensions, including the discussion of the effects of non-degeneracy of the two lower levels of the Lambda system. The analysis in the present paper is based on the intuition obtained from the study of photon storage in the cavity model in the preceding paper [Gorshkov et al., Phys. Rev. A 76, 033804 (2007)].Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures. V2: significant changes in presentation, new references, higher resolution of figure

Universal Approach to Optimal Photon Storage in Atomic Media

We present a universal physical picture for describing storage and retrieval of photon wave packets in a Lambda-type atomic medium. This physical picture encompasses a variety of different approaches to pulse storage ranging from adiabatic reduction of the photon group velocity and pulse-propagation control via off-resonant Raman fields to photon-echo based techniques. Furthermore, we derive an optimal control strategy for storage and retrieval of a photon wave packet of any given shape. All these approaches, when optimized, yield identical maximum efficiencies, which only depend on the optical depth of the medium.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. V2: major changes in presentation (title, abstract, main text), simplification of derivations, new references. V3: minor changes - final version as published in Phys. Rev. Let

Quantum many-body models with cold atoms coupled to photonic crystals

Using cold atoms to simulate strongly interacting quantum systems represents an exciting frontier of physics. However, as atoms are nominally neutral point particles, this limits the types of interactions that can be produced. We propose to use the powerful new platform of cold atoms trapped near nanophotonic systems to extend these limits, enabling a novel quantum material in which atomic spin degrees of freedom, motion, and photons strongly couple over long distances. In this system, an atom trapped near a photonic crystal seeds a localized, tunable cavity mode around the atomic position. We find that this effective cavity facilitates interactions with other atoms within the cavity length, in a way that can be made robust against realistic imperfections. Finally, we show that such phenomena should be accessible using one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides in which coupling to atoms has already been experimentally demonstrated

Production of a pion in association with a high-Q2 dilepton pair in antiproton-proton annihilation at GSI-FAIR

We evaluate the cross section for anti-p p -> l+ l- pi0 in the forward direction and for large lepton pair invariant mass. In this kinematical region, the leading-twist amplitude factorises into a short-distance matrix element, long-distance dominated antiproton Distribution Amplitudes and proton to pion Transition Distribution Amplitudes (TDA). Using a modelling inspired from the chiral limit for these TDAs, we obtain a first estimate of this cross section, thus demonstrating that this process can be measured at GSI-FAIR.Comment: Latex, 5 pages, 3 figure

Photon storage in Lambda-type optically dense atomic media. I. Cavity model

In a recent paper [Gorshkov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 123601 (2007)], we used a universal physical picture to optimize and demonstrate equivalence between a wide range of techniques for storage and retrieval of photon wave packets in Lambda-type atomic media in free space, including the adiabatic reduction of the photon group velocity, pulse-propagation control via off-resonant Raman techniques, and photon-echo-based techniques. In the present paper, we perform the same analysis for the cavity model. In particular, we show that the retrieval efficiency is equal to C/(1+C) independent of the retrieval technique, where C is the cooperativity parameter. We also derive the optimal strategy for storage and, in particular, demonstrate that at any detuning one can store, with the optimal efficiency of C/(1+C), any smooth input mode satisfying T C gamma >> 1 and a certain class of resonant input modes satisfying T C gamma ~ 1, where T is the duration of the input mode and 2 gamma is the transition linewidth. In the two subsequent papers of the series, we present the full analysis of the free-space model and discuss the effects of inhomogeneous broadening on photon storage.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures. V2: significant changes in presentation, new references, higher resolution of figure

Faddeev-type calculations of few-body nuclear reactions including Coulomb interaction

The method of screening and renormalization is used to include the Coulomb interaction between the charged particles in the description of few-body nuclear reactions. Calculations are done in the framework of Faddeev-type equations in momentum-space. The reliability of the method is demonstrated. The Coulomb effect on observables is discussed.Comment: Proceedings of the 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics (APFB08), Depok, Indonesia, August 19 - 23, 2008, to be published in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Realization of Coherent Optically Dense Media via Buffer-Gas Cooling

We demonstrate that buffer-gas cooling combined with laser ablation can be used to create coherent optical media with high optical depth and low Doppler broadening that offers metastable states with low collisional and motional decoherence. Demonstration of this generic technique opens pathways to coherent optics with a large variety of atoms and molecules. We use helium buffer gas to cool 87Rb atoms to below 7 K and slow atom diffusion to the walls. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in this medium allows for 50% transmission in a medium with initial OD >70 and for slow pulse propagation with large delay-bandwidth products. In the high-OD regime, we observe high-contrast spectrum oscillations due to efficient four-wave mixing.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. V2: modified title, abstract, introduction, conclusion; added references; improved theoretical fit in figure 3(b); shortened slow light theory description; clarified simplicity of apparatus. Final version as published in Phys. Rev.