Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “TIME DEPENDENCE”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,621 records · Page 90

Extended quantitative rescattering model for simulating high-order harmonic streaking spectra by synchronization of an intense IR laser and a time-delayed attosecond XUV pulse

In this work, we theoretically investigate the modulated high-harmonic generation (HHG) driven by an intense few-cycle infrared (IR) laser field and a weak extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulse at a delayed time. We establish an extended quantitative rescattering (EQRS) model to simulate the HHG streaking spectra, with the ideas of correcting the IR ionization and the transition from the ground to continuum states in the strong-field approximation. The EQRS model has an accuracy comparable to that from “exactly” solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE). We reveal that the fringes in the streaking spectra are caused by the interference between the attosecond XUV pulse and harmonics resulting from different recombination pathways under the intense IR laser. We then demonstrate that the XUV pulse can be accurately retrieved by treating the single-atom TDSE results or macroscopic propagation results as the “input” data. This work provides with a tool for efficiently simulating and thoroughly analyzing the XUV-assisted HHG, which could also enhance its capability for tracing the electron dynamics involved in the strong-field phenomena.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Rotating quantum turbulence in the unitary Fermi gas

Quantized vortices carry the angular momentum in rotating superfluids, and are key to the phenomenon of quantum turbulence. Advances in ultracold-atom technology enable quantum turbulence to be studied in regimes with both experimental and theoretical control, unlike the original contexts of superfluid helium experiments. While much work has been performed with bosonic systems, detailed studies of fermionic quantum turbulence are nascent, despite wide applicability to other contexts such as rotating neutron stars. In this paper, we present a large-scale study of quantum turbulence in rotating fermionic superfluids using an accurate time-dependent density functional theory called the superfluid local density approximation. We identify two different modes of turbulent decay in the dynamical equilibration of a rotating fermionic superfluid, and contrast these results with a computationally simpler description provided by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which we find can qualitatively reproduce these decay mechanisms if dissipation is explicitly included. These results demonstrate that dissipation mechanisms intrinsic to fermionic superfluids play a key role in differentiating fermionic from bosonic turbulence, which manifests by enhanced damping of Kelvin waves.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Anti-$\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric qubit: Decoherence and entanglement entropy

We investigate the dynamics of a general two-level based anti-parity-time (anti-$\mathscr{PT}$)-symmetric qubit and study its decoherence as well as entanglement entropy properties. We compare our findings with that of the corresponding parity-time ($\mathscr{PT}$)-symmetric and Hermitian qubits. To begin, we consider the time-dependent Dyson map to find the exact analytical dynamics for a general non-Hermitian qubit system weakly coupled with a thermal bath for pure dephasing, before specializing it to the case of a general anti-$\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric qubit. Basing the comparison under the same coupling strength or increasing the non-Hermiticity, we observe that the decoherence function and entanglement entropy of the anti-$\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric qubit decays and grows more slowly, respectively, compared to the $\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric and Hermitian qubits. Similarly, the corresponding variance and area of Fisher information are much higher compared to the $\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric and Hermitian qubits. These results demonstrate that anti-$\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric qubits may be better suited for quantum computing and quantum information processing applications than conventional Hermitian or even $\mathscr{PT}$-symmetric qubits.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Direct evidence of the dominant role of multiphoton permanent-dipole transitions in strong-field dissociation of NO 2 +

We study laser-induced dissociation of a metastable NO 2+ ion-beam target into N + +O + , focusing on the prominent contribution by molecules breaking parallel to the polarization at high peak laser intensity (~10 15 W/cm 2 ). Our experimental results and time-dependent Schrödinger equation calculations show that, contrary to commonly held intuition that electronic transitions always prevail, the dominant process underlying this highly aligned dissociation is a multiphoton permanent-dipole transition involving only the electronic ground state and leading to its vibrational continuum. Strong-field permanent-dipole transitions should thus be considered generally, as they may play a significant role in other heteronuclear molecules. Moreover, their role should only grow in importance for longer wavelengths, a trending direction in ultrafast laser studies.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Superfluid transition temperature and fluctuation theory of spin-orbit- and Rabi-coupled fermions with tunable interactions

Here, we obtain the superfluid transition temperature of equal Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit- and Rabi-coupled Fermi superfluids, from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) to Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) regimes in three dimensions for tunable s-wave interactions. In the presence of Rabi coupling, we find that spin-orbit coupling enhances (reduces) the critical temperature in the BEC (BCS) limit. For fixed interactions, we show that spin-orbit coupling can convert a first-order (discontinuous) phase transition into a second-order (continuous) phase transition, as a function of Rabi coupling. We derive the Ginzburg-Landau free energy to sixth power in the superfluid order parameter to describe both continuous and discontinuous phase transitions as a function of spin-orbit and Rabi couplings. Lastly, we develop a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau fluctuation theory for an arbitrary mixture of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit couplings at any interaction strength.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Retrieval of the molecular orientation distribution from atom-pair angular distributions

Imaging laser-induced rotational dynamics is an important and active field due to its applications in capturing reactions in the molecular frame and in molecular imaging. Experimental measurement of the molecular orientation distribution, as a function of the Euler angles, has only been demonstrated for special cases when the detectable signal is generated along the molecular symmetry axis. Here we developed the general theory that maps the probability density distribution of the molecular orientation to the atom-pair angular distributions for nonlinear molecules. With the theory, the molecular orientation distribution can be retrieved from the measured atom-pair angular distribution, which we demonstrate experimentally using ultrafast electron diffractive imaging of impulsively aligned trifluoro-iodomethane molecules. Here, the retrieved molecular orientation distribution is in good agreement with direct numerical simulations of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation using the experimental conditions. Unlike the existing retrieval methods, the retrieval method does not require solving Schrodinger equation, works for any alignment method, and is in principle applicable to asymmetric top molecules.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Perturbation theory under the truncated Wigner approximation: How system-environment entanglement formation drives quantum decoherence

In discrete quantum systems, quantum decoherence is the disappearance of simple phase relations as a result of interactions with an environment. For many applications, the question is not necessarily how to avoid (inevitable) system-environment interactions, but rather how to design environments that optimally preserve a system's phase relations in spite of such interactions. The formation of system-environment entanglement is a major driving mechanism for decoherence, and a detailed understanding of this process could inform strategies for conserving coherence optimally. This requires scalable, flexible, and systematically improvable quantum dynamical methods that retain detailed information about the entanglement properties of the environment, yet very few current methods offer this combination of features. Here, in this work, we address this need by introducing a theoretical framework wherein we combine the truncated Wigner approximation with standard time-dependent perturbation theory, allowing for computing expectation values of operators in the combined system-environment Hilbert space. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by applying it to the spin-boson model, representative of qubits and simple donor-acceptor systems. For this model, our framework provides an analytical description of perturbative contributions to expectation values. We monitor how quantum decoherence at zero temperature is accompanied by entanglement formation with individual environmental degrees of freedom. Based on this entanglement behavior, we find that the selective suppression of low-frequency environmental modes is particularly effective for mitigating quantum decoherence.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Direct spectral measurements of midinfrared radiation from a laser wakefield accelerator

The formation of plasma waves during laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) produces time-dependent frequency shifts in the driving laser pulse, extending its spectral content to the infrared. We present direct spectral measurements of multi-mJ infrared pulses from an LWFA. Experimental beam profile measurements and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations suggest high focusability of these pulses. Further, particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the measurement of side-scattered infrared radiation may serve as a diagnostic of plasma waves and the efficiency of spectral broadening during LWFA.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Searching for optimal THz generation through calculations of the asymmetry of photoelectron momentum distributions by an improved strong-field-approximation method

From the solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE), it has been shown that in a two-color laser pulse the relative phase that optimizes terahertz (THz) radiation also optimizes the asymmetry of the angular distribution of photoelectrons. Here, in this work, we show that a second-order strong-field approximation can accurately calculate the asymmetry of photoelectrons and thus can locate the phase delay that optimizes THz generation, doing so four orders of magnitude faster than TDSE calculations. We further trace that this is possible because THz emission originates from a free-free radiative transition between the rescattered electron and the target ion, similar to other electron-ion collisions in the laser field, e.g., high-harmonic generation and nonsequential double ionization. Our results pave the way to locate the optimal phase delay for any typical laser pulses for maximal THz generation in the laboratory.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Nonresonant coherent amplitude transfer in attosecond four-wave-mixing spectroscopy

Attosecond four-wave mixing (FWM) spectroscopy using an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulse and two noncollinear near-infrared (NIR) pulses is employed to measure Rydberg wave packet dynamics resulting from XUV excitation of a 3s electron in atomic argon into a series of autoionizing 3s –1 np Rydberg states ~29 eV. The emitted signals from individual Rydberg states exhibit oscillatory structure and persist well beyond the expected lifetimes of the emitting Rydberg states. These results reflect substantial contributions of longer-lived Rydberg states to the FWM emission signals of each individually detected state. A wave packet decomposition analysis reveals that coherent amplitude transfer occurs predominantly from photoexcited 3s –1 (n + 1) p states to the observed 3s –1 np Rydberg states. The experimental observations are reproduced by time-dependent Schrödinger equation simulations using electronic structure and transition moment calculations. Finally, the theory highlights that coherent amplitude transfer is driven nonresonantly to the 3s –1 np states by the NIR light through 3s –1 (n + 1)s and 3s –1 (n – 1)d dark states during the FWM process.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Two-photon double ionization with finite pulses: Application of the virtual sequential model to helium

As a step toward the full ab initio description of two-photon double ionization processes, we present a finite-pulse version of the virtual-sequential model for polyelectronic atoms. The model relies on the ab initio description of the single ionization scattering states of both the neutral and ionized target system. As a proof of principle and a benchmark, the model is applied to the helium atom using the newstock atomic photoionization code. The results of angularly integrated observables, which are in excellent agreement with existing time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) simulations, show how the model is able to capture the role of electron correlation in the nonsequential regime, and the influence of autoionizing states in the sequential regime, at a comparatively modest computational cost. The model also reproduces the two-particle interference with ultrashort pulses, which is within reach of current experimental technologies. Furthermore, the model shows the modulation of the joint energy distribution in the vicinity of autoionizing states, which can be probed with extreme-ultraviolet pulses of duration much longer than the characteristic lifetime of the resonance. Furthermore, the formalism discussed here applies also to polyelectronic atoms and molecules, thus opening a window on nonsequential and sequential double ionization in these more complex systems.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Topologically protected Grover's oracle for the partition problem

The number partitioning problem (NPP) is one of the NP-complete (nondeterministic polynomial-time complete) computational problems. Its definite exact solution generally requires a check of all $N$ solution candidates, which is exponentially large. Here we describe a path to the fast solution of this problem in $\sqrt{N}$ quasi-adiabatic quantum annealing steps. We argue that the errors due to the finite duration of the quantum annealing can be suppressed if the annealing time scales with $N$ only logarithmically. Moreover, our adiabatic oracle is topologically protected, in the sense that it is robust against small uncertainty and slow time dependence of the physical parameters or the choice of the annealing protocol. In conclusion, we also argue that our approach can solve many other famous NP-complete computational problems in $\sqrt{N}$ steps.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Partial-wave decomposition of the Keldysh ionization amplitude

We present an alternative way of calculating the Keldysh amplitude, i.e., the length-gauge form of the ionization amplitude in the strong-field approximation. The amplitude is evaluated exactly by expanding it in Fourier components and partial waves. Comparisons of the semianalytic model predictions with results of ab initio numerical simulations of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for the interaction of electrons in short-range potentials with intense laser light yield excellent agreement, for wavelengths from the single photon to the multiphoton to the tunneling regime. Specifically, for ionization from initial states with higher angular momentum quantum number, e.g., p states, a significant improvement over predictions based on the popular saddle-point approximation is found. Furthermore, the current model rate allows for interpretation of the strong-field ionization process in terms of multiphoton absorption pathways and angular momentum selection rules.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Quantum dynamics of non-Hermitian many-body Landau-Zener systems

Here, we develop a framework to solve a large class of linearly driven non-Hermitian quantum systems. Such a class of models in the Hermitian scenario is commonly known as multistate Landau-Zener models. The non-Hermiticity is due to the anti-Hermitian couplings between the diabatic levels. We find that there exists a conservation law, unique to this class of models, that describes the simultaneous growth of the unnormalized wave functions. These models have practical applications in Bose-Einstein condensates, and they can describe the dynamics of multispecies bosonic systems. The conservation law relates to a pair-production mechanism that explains the dissociation of diatomic molecules into atoms. We provide a general framework for both solvable and semiclassically solvable non-Hermitian Landau-Zener models. Our findings will open alternative avenues for a number of diverse emergent phenomena in explicitly time-dependent non-Hermitian quantum systems.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Photoelectron spectra in circularly and elliptically polarized laser pulses

We present results of numerical simulations of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation and theoretical analysis concerning the interaction of a rare gas atom with circularly and elliptically polarized laser pulses. In agreement with recent observation in circularly polarized fields, the photoelectron energy spectra for counterrotating electrons are peaked at lower kinetic energy than those for corotating electrons. We show that this difference can be interpreted as being due to the additional pathways to ionization that are available for the counterrotating electrons only. Furthermore, our results show, in agreement with earlier work, that the offset angle by which the emission of electrons is rotated in an elliptically polarized field increases with each successive above-threshold ionization (ATI) order and is larger for the emission from counterrotating states as compared to that from corotating states. As a result, a simple model based on the interference and relative phase difference between just three continuum states provides remarkable agreement and once again emphasizes the importance of the additional ionization pathways available for the counterrotating electrons.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Achieving the Heisenberg limit with Dicke states in noisy quantum metrology

Going beyond the standard quantum limit in noisy quantum metrology is an important and challenging task. Here we show how Dicke states can be used to surpass the standard quantum limit and achieve the Heisenberg limit in open quantum systems. The system we study has qubits symmetrically coupled to a resonator, and our objective is to estimate the coupling between the qubits and the resonator. The time-dependent quantum Fisher information with respect to the coupling is studied for this open quantum system where the same decay rates are assumed on all qubits. We show that when the system is initialized to a Dicke state with an optimal excitation number one can go beyond the standard quantum limit and achieve the Heisenberg limit even for finite values of the decays on the qubit and the resonator, particularly when the qubits and resonator are strongly coupled. We compare our results against the highly entangled GHZ state and a completely separable state and show that the GHZ state performs quite poorly, whereas under certain noise conditions the separable state is able to go beyond the standard quantum limit due to subsequent interactions with a resonator.

open quantum systems & decoherence↗

Theory of resonant x-ray scattering with ultrafast intense pulses

Here, we present a time-dependent Schrödinger equation approach within a nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics framework to investigate resonant x-ray scattering driven by intense x-ray pulses. This method enables us to explore how coherent x-ray electron dynamics influence scattering signals from Ne + . We account for both resonance fluorescence and elastic scattering channels, while also considering competing photoionization and inner-shell decay processes. By computing the angular distribution and energy spectrum of scattered photons, we uncover interference effects between elastic scattering and resonance fluorescence pathways. Notably, this interference results in a small asymmetry in the energy spectrum. We discuss the experimental potential for detecting signatures of interference. Our findings demonstrate that the x-ray Rabi dynamics can be used to control scattering responses and provide insights into interference mechanisms and scattering efficiency in high-intensity x-ray regimes.

Venkatesh, Akilesh [Argonne National Laboratory (A↗

Resonant and random excitations on the proton beam in the Large Hadron Collider for active halo control with pulsed hollow electron lenses

We present the results of numerical simulations and experimental studies about the effects of resonant and random excitations on proton losses, emittances, and beam distributions in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In addition to shedding light on complex nonlinear effects, these studies are applied to the design of hollow electron lenses (HEL) for active beam halo control. In the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), a considerable amount of energy will be stored in the beam tails. To control and clean the beam halo, the installation of two hollow electron lenses, one per beam, is being considered. In standard electron-lens operation, a proton bunch sees the same electron current at every revolution. Pulsed electron beam operation (i.e., different currents for different turns) is also considered, because it can widen the range of achievable halo removal rates. For an axially symmetric electron beam, only protons in the halo are excited. If a residual field is present at the location of the beam core, these particles are exposed to time-dependent transverse kicks and to noise. We discuss the numerical simulations and the experiments conducted in 2016 and 2017 at injection energy in the LHC. The excitation patterns were generated by the transverse feedback and damping system, which acted as a flexible source of dipole kicks. Proton beam losses, emittances, and transverse distributions were recorded as a function of excitation patterns and strengths. The resonant excitations induced rich dynamical effects and nontrivial changes of the beam distributions, which, to our knowledge, have not previously been observed and studied in this detail. We conclude with a discussion of the tolerable and achievable residual fields and proposals for further studies.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗