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A semi-classical approximation has been a powerful tool in understanding the dynamics of low-energy heavy-ion reactions. Here we discuss two topics in this regard, for which Mahir Hussein was a world leading pioneer. The first topic is heavy-ion fusion reactions of neutron-rich nuclei, in which the breakup process of the projectile nucleus plays a crucial role. The second is rainbow and glory scattering, for which characteristic oscillatory patterns in differential cross sections can be well understood in terms of intereferences among several semi-classical trajectories., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. A contribution to the topical issue "Cluster structure and dynamics of nuclei - A tribute to Mahir Hussein", to be published in Euro. Phys. J. A

The gedanken experiment of Maxwell's demon has led to the studies concerning the foundations of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The demon measures fluctuations of a system's observable and converts the information gain into work via feedback control. Recent developments have elucidated the relationship between the acquired information and the entropy production and generalized the second law of thermodynamics and the fluctuation theorems. Here we extend the scope to a system subject to quantum fluctuations by exploiting techniques in superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics. We implement Maxwell's demon equipped with coherent control and quantum nondemolition projective measurements on a superconducting qubit, where we verify the generalized integral fluctuation theorems and demonstrate the information-to-work conversion. This reveals the potential of superconducting circuits as a versatile platform for investigating quantum information thermodynamics under feedback control, which is closely linked to quantum error correction for computation and metrology.

We present an all-optical method to load 174Yb atoms into a single layer of an optical trap near the surface of a solid immersion lens which improves the numerical aperture of a microscope system. Atoms are transported to a region 20 um below the surface using a system comprised by three optical dipole traps. The "optical accordion" technique is used to create a condensate and compress the atoms to a width of 120 nm and a distance of 1.8 um away from the surface. Moreover, we are able to verify that after compression the condensate behaves as a two-dimensional quantum gas., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

We develop a symmetry classification scheme to find ground states of pseudo spin-1/2, spin-1, and spin-2 spin-orbit coupled spinor Bose-Einstein condensates, and show that as the SO(2) symmetry of simultaneous spin and space rotations is broken into discrete cyclic groups, various types of lattice structures emerge in the absence of a lattice potential, examples include two different kagaome lattices for pseudo spin-1/2 condensates and a nematic vortex lattice in which uniaxial and biaxial spin textures align alternatively for spin-2 condensates. For the pseudo spin-1/2 system, although mean-field states always break time-reversal symmetry, there exists a time-reversal invariant many-body ground state, which is fragmented and expected to be observed in a micro-condensate., Comment: 9+ pages, 4 figures

We investigated transition strengths from ultracold weakly bound 41K87Rb molecules produced via the photoassociation of laser-cooled atoms. An accurate potential energy curve of the excited state (3)1Sigma+ was constructed by carrying out direct potential fit analysis of rotational spectra obtained via depletion spectroscopy. Vibrational energies and rotational constants extracted from the depletion spectra of v'=41-50 levels were combined with the results of the previous spectroscopic study, and they were used for modifying an ab initio potential. An accuracy of 0.14% in vibrational level spacing and 0.3% in rotational constants was sufficient to predict the large observed variation in transition strengths among the vibrational levels. Our results show that transition strengths from weakly bound molecules are a good measure of the accuracy of an excited state potential., Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures

We report on the direct conversion of laser-cooled 41K and 87Rb atoms into ultracold 41K87Rb molecules in the rovibrational ground state via photoassociation followed by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. High-resolution spectroscopy based on the coherent transfer revealed the hyperfine structure of weakly bound molecules in an unexplored region. Our results show that a rovibrationally pure sample of ultracold ground-state molecules is achieved via the all-optical association of laser-cooled atoms, opening possibilities to coherently manipulate a wide variety of molecules., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We observed an enhanced atom-dimer relaxation due to the existence of Efimov states in a three-component mixture of 6Li atoms. We measured the magnetic-field dependence of the atom-dimer loss coefficient in the mixture of atoms in state |1> and dimers formed in states |2> and |3>, and found two peaks corresponding to the degeneracy points of the |23> dimer energy level and energy levels of Efimov trimers. We found that the locations of these peaks disagree with universal theory predictions, in a way that cannot be explained by non-universal two-body properties. We constructed theoretical models that characterize the non-universal three-body physics of three-component 6Li atoms in the low energy domain., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

We show that quantum solitons in the Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian are precisely the yrast states. We identify such solutions clearly with Lieb's type II excitations from weak to strong interactions, clarifying a long-standing question of the physical meaning of this excitation branch. We demonstrate that the metastable quantum phase transition previously found in mean field analysis of the weakly-interacting Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 79}, 063616 (2009)] extends into the medium- to strongly-interacting regime of a periodic one-dimensional Bose gas. Our methods are exact diagonalization, finite-size Bethe ansatz, and the boson-fermion mapping in the Tonks-Girardeau limit.

It is argued that ultracold quantum degenerate gas of ytterbium $^{173}$Yb atoms having nuclear spin $I = 5/2$ exhibits an enlarged SU$(6)$ symmetry. Within the Landau Fermi liquid theory, stability criteria against Fermi liquid (Pomeranchuk) instabilities in the spin channel are considered. Focusing on the SU$(n > 2)$ generalizations of ferromagnetism, it is shown within mean-field theory that the transition from the paramagnet to the itinerant ferromagnet is generically first order. On symmetry grounds, general SU$(n)$ itinerant ferromagnetic ground states and their topological excitations are also discussed. These SU$(n > 2)$ ferromagnets can become stable by increasing the scattering length using optical methods or in an optical lattice. However, in an optical lattice at current experimental temperatures, Mott states with different filling are expected to coexist in the same trap, as obtained from a calculation based on the SU$(6)$ Hubbard model., Comment: 4+ pages, 1 figure; v2: Improved discussion of the SU(6) symmetry-breaking patterns; v3: added further discussion on the order of the transition. Added References

We generalize the concept of quantum phase transitions, which is conventionally defined for a ground state and usually applied in the thermodynamic limit, to one for \emph{metastable states} in \emph{finite size systems}. In particular, we treat the one-dimensional Bose gas on a ring in the presence of both interactions and rotation. To support our study, we bring to bear mean-field theory, i.e., the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation, and linear perturbation or Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. Both methods give a consistent result in the weakly interacting regime: there exist \emph{two topologically distinct quantum phases}. The first is the typical picture of superfluidity in a Bose-Einstein condensate on a ring: average angular momentum is quantized and the superflow is uniform. The second is new: one or more dark solitons appear as stationary states, breaking the symmetry, the average angular momentum becomes a continuous quantity, and the phase of the condensate can be continuously wound and unwound.

We experimentally investigate the collapse dynamics of dipolar Bose- Einstein condensates of chromium atoms in different harmonic trap geometries, from prolate to oblate. The evolutions of the condensates in the unstable regime are compared to three-dimensional simulations of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation including three-body losses. In order to probe the phase coherence of collapsed condensates, we induce the collapse in several condensates simultaneously and let them interfere.

We have investigated the collisional properties of 41K atoms at ultracold temperature. To show the possibility to use 41K as a coolant, a Bose-Einstein condensate of 41K atoms in the stretched state (F=2, m_F=2) was created for the first time by direct evaporation in a magnetic trap. An upper bound of three body loss coefficient for atoms in the condensate was determined to be 4(2) 10^{-29} cm -6 s-1. A Feshbach resonance in the F=1, m_F=-1 state was observed at 51.42(5) G, which is in good agreement with theoretical prediction., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We present a theory of spinor superfluidity in a two-species heteronuclear ultracold fermionic atomic gas consisting of arbitrary half-integer spin and one-half spin atoms. In particular, we focus on the magnetism of the superfluid phase and determine the possible phases in the absence of a magnetic field. Our work demonstrates similarities between heteronuclear fermionic superfluids and spinor Bose-Einstein condensates at the mean-field level. Possible experimental situations are discussed., Comment: Submitted for publication in PRA

We propose a qubit-qubit coupling scheme for superconducting flux quantum bits (qubits), where a quantized Josephson junction resonator and microwave irradiation are utilized. The junction is used as a tunable inductance controlled by changing the bias current flowing through the junction, and thus the circuit works as a tunable resonator. This enables us to make any qubits interact with the resonator. Entanglement between two of many qubits whose level splittings satisfy some conditions, is formed by microwave irradiation causing a two-photon Rabi oscillation. Since the size of the resonator can be as large as sub-millimeters and qubits interact with it via mutual inductance, our scheme makes it possible to construct a quantum gate involving remote qubits, Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

We demonstrate that, quite generally, the spin-singlet even-parity (spin-triplet odd-parity) pair potential in a superconductor induces the odd-frequency pairing component with spin-singlet odd-parity (spin-triplet even-parity) near interfaces. The magnitude of the induced odd-frequency component is enhanced in the presence of the midgap Andreev resonant state due to the sign change of the anisotropic pair potential at the interface. The Josephson effect should therefore occur between odd- and even-frequency superconductors, contrary to the standard wisdom. A method to probe the odd-frequency superconductors is proposed.

We investigate fusion cross section of a nucleus with a valence neutron, using the time-dependent wave-packet method. For a stable projectile, in which the valence neutron is tightly bound (e_n < -3 MeV), the neutron could enhance the fusion probability when the matching condition of orbital energies are satisfied. In contrast, for a halo nucleus, in which the binding energy of the neutron is very small (e_n>-1 MeV), the fusion probability is hindered by the presence of the weakly bound neutron., Comment: Talk at Internaitonal Conference on "Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure at the Coulomb Barrier" (FUSION06), Venice, Italy, March 19-23, 2006

We have observed the coherent exchange of a single energy quantum between a flux qubit and a superconducting LC circuit acting as a quantum harmonic oscillator. The exchange of an energy quantum is known as the vacuum Rabi oscillations: the qubit is oscillating between the excited state and the ground state and the oscillator between the vacuum state and the first excited state. We have also obtained evidence of level quantization of the LC circuit by observing the change in the oscillation frequency when the LC circuit was not initially in the vacuum state., Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett

Parametric control of a superconducting flux qubit has been achieved by using two-frequency microwave pulses. We have observed Rabi oscillations stemming from parametric transitions between the qubit states when the sum of the two microwave frequencies or the difference between them matches the qubit Larmor frequency. We have also observed multi-photon Rabi oscillations corresponding to one- to four-photon resonances by applying single-frequency microwave pulses. The parametric control demonstrated in this work widens the frequency range of microwaves for controlling the qubit and offers a high quality testing ground for exploring nonlinear quantum phenomena., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

The readout process of a superconducting flux-qubit is theoretically analyzed in terms of the quantum dynamics of a qubit-SQUID coupled system during measurement. The quantity directly observed by the measurement is the switching current (Isw) of the dc-SQUID placed around the qubit ring. In order to clarify the relation between the Isw and the qubit state, we calculated the time evolution of the density operator of the qubit-SQUID system while increasing the SQUID bias current until switching events occur and obtained the switching current distributions. This clarifies what information of the qubit is obtained by a dc-SQUID switching current measurement under specific conditions, for example, when the qubit eigenstate is a superposition of two different flux states., Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, submitted to PRB

We have observed multiphoton transitions between two macroscopic quantum-mechanical superposition states formed by two opposite circulating currents in a superconducting loop with three Josephson junctions. Resonant peaks and dips of up to three-photon transitions were observed in spectroscopic measurements when the system was irradiated with a strong RF-photon field. The widths of the multiphoton absorption dips are shown to scale with the Bessel functions in agreement with theoretical predictions derived from the Bloch equation or from a spin-boson model., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We investigate a random matrix model [Phys. Rev. C {\bf 65} 024302 (2002] for the decay-out of a superdeformed band as a function of the parameters: $\Gamma^\downarrow/\Gamma_S$, $\Gamma_N/D$, $\Gamma_S/D$ and $\Delta/D$. Here $\Gamma^\downarrow$ is the spreading width for the mixing of an SD state $|0>$ with a normally deformed (ND) doorway state $|d>$, $\Gamma_S$ and $\Gamma_N$ are the electromagnetic widths of the the SD and ND states respectively, $D$ is the mean level spacing of the compound ND states and $\Delta$ is the energy difference between $|0>$ and $|d>$. The maximum possible effect of an order-chaos transition is inferred from analytical and numerical calculations of the decay intensity in the limiting cases for which the ND states obey Poisson and GOE statistics. Our results show that the sharp attenuation of the decay intensity cannot be explained solely by an order-chaos transition., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review C

We describe the decay out of a superdeformed band using the methods of reaction theory. Assuming that decay-out occurs due to equal coupling (on average) to a sea of equivalent chaotic normally deformed (ND) states, we calculate the average intraband decay intensity and show that it can be written as an ``optical'' background term plus a fluctuation term, in total analogy with average nuclear cross sections. We also calculate the variance in closed form. We investigate how these objects are modified when the decay to the ND states occurs via an ND doorway and the ND states' statistical properties are changed from chaotic to regular. We show that the average decay intensity depends on two dimensionless variables in the first case while in the second case, four variables enter the picture., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, presented at FUSION03, Matsushima, Miyagi, Japan, Nov 12-15, 2003, to appear in Progress of Theoretical Physics; corrected typos

We present an approximate analytic expression for thermonuclear reaction rate of charged particles when the cross section contains a single narrow or wide resonance described by a Breit-Wigner shape. The resulting expression is uniformly valid as the effective energy and resonance energy coalesce. We use our expressions to calculate the reaction rate for $^{12}$C(p,$\gamma$)$^{13}$N., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, presented at the VIII International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus in Moscow (Russia) on June 17-21, 2003

We present analytic formulae for the energy average and variance of the intraband decay intensity of a superdeformed band., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, presented at the VIII International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions in Moscow (Russia) on June 17-21, 2003

We derive analytic formulae for the energy average (including the energy average of the fluctuation contribution) and variance of the intraband decay intensity of a superdeformed band. Our results may be expressed in terms of three dimensionless variables: $\Gamma^{\downarrow}/\Gamma_S$, $\Gamma_N/d$, and $\Gamma_N/(\Gamma_S+\Gamma^{\downarrow})$. Here $\Gamma^{\downarrow}$ is the spreading width for the mixing of a superdeformed (SD) state $|0>$ with the normally deformed (ND) states $|Q>$ whose spin is the same as $|0>$'s. The $|Q>$ have mean level spacing $d$ and mean electromagnetic decay width $\Gamma_N$ whilst $|0>$ has electromagnetic decay width $\Gamma_S$. The average decay intensity may be expressed solely in terms of the variables $\Gamma^{\downarrow}/\Gamma_S$ and $\Gamma_N/d$ or, analogously to statistical nuclear reaction theory, in terms of the transmission coefficients $T_0(E)$ and $T_N$ describing transmission from the $|Q>$ to the SD band via $|0\angle$ and to lower ND states. The variance of the decay intensity, in analogy with Ericson's theory of cross section fluctuations depends on an additional variable, the correlation length $\Gamma_N/(\Gamma_S+\Gamma^{\downarrow})=\frac{d}{2\pi}T_N/(\Gamma_S+\Gamma^{\d ownarrow})$. This suggests that analysis of an experimentally obtained variance could yield the mean level spacing $d$ as does analysis of the cross section autocorrelation function in compound nuclear reactions. We compare our results with those of Gu and Weidenm\"uller., Comment: revtex4, 14 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review C

We derived analytic formulas of the effective S astrophysical S factor,S^eff for a non-resonant reaction of charged particles using a Taylor expension of the astrophysical S factor and a uniform approximation.The formulas will be able to generate generate more accurate approximation to S^eff than previous ones.

The attenuation of the intraband intensity of a superdeformed band, which results from mixing with normally deformed configurations, is calculated using reaction theory. It is found that the sharp increase of the attenuation is mostly due to the tunnelling through a spin dependent barrier and not to the chaotic nature of the normally deformed states., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. C