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At least 37 records · Page 2

Superradiance and Subradiance due to Quantum Interference of Entangled Free Electrons

When multiple quantum emitters radiate, their emission rate may be enhanced or suppressed due to collective interference in a process known as super- or subradiance. Such processes are well known to occur also in light emission from free electrons, known as coherent cathodoluminescence. Unlike atomic systems, free electrons have an unbounded energy spectrum, and, thus, all their emission mechanisms rely on electron recoil, in addition to the classical properties of the dielectric medium. To date, all experimental and theoretical studies of super- and subradiance from free electrons assumed only classical correlations between particles. However, dependence on quantum correlations, such as entanglement between free electrons, has not been studied. Recent advances in coherent shaping of free-electron wave functions motivate the investigation of such quantum regimes of super- and subradiance. In this Letter, we show how a pair of coincident path-entangled electrons can demonstrate either super- or subradiant light emission, depending on the two-particle wave function. By choosing different free-electron Bell states, the spectrum and emission pattern of the light can be reshaped, in a manner that cannot be accounted for by a classical mixed state. We show these results for light emission in any optical medium and discuss their generalization to many-body quantum states. Furthermore, our findings suggest that light emission can be sensitive to the explicit quantum state of the emitting matter wave and possibly serve as a nondestructive measurement scheme for measuring the quantum state of many-body systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Topological quantum interference in a pumped Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattice

Topological quantum interference emerges from the interplay between quantum mechanics and topology. We present evidence for two types of such interference phenomenon that can result from the quantum dynamics of initial topological states. We realize both types of topological quantum interference in a pumped non-Hermitian Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattice that can be implemented by creation and coherent control of excitonic states of trapped neutral atoms. On quenching the system from the topological to the gapless phases and then back again, we find that interference patterns develop in the gapless phase and also after switching back to the topological phase. These patterns occur both as many-excitation interferences generated in the presence of pumping the atoms at the end sites, and as one- and two-excitation interferences seen in the absence of pumping when starting with edge excitations. Investigation of the excitation dynamics shows that these interference patterns originate from the topological nature of the initial states and are very different from quantum interferences originating from nontopological states of the lattice. Our results also reveal that unlike well-known situations where topological states are protected against local perturbations, in the non-Hermitian SSH systems resulting from driving the excited-state populations, a local dissipation at each lattice site can suppress both the topological interference and the total population of the lattice.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Design and Characterization of the Engineering Model of the Spectrometer Onboard LuSEE‐Night

Abstract The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Explorer—Night, LuSEE‐Night, is a low‐frequency radio astronomy experiment that will explore the cosmic Dark Ages signal on the radio‐quiet farside of the Moon. The LuSEE‐Night carries a radio frequency spectrometer consisting of a set of antennas, analog and digital processing electronics, and will be launched by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services in 2025. The spectrometer is designed to observe the spectrum of the radio sky in the 0.5−50 MHz band. The engineering model (EM) of the four‐channel spectrometer has been developed. The EM has been characterized for linearity, gain, noise, and their temperature dependence, confirming that the EM meets all the requirements for LuSEE‐Night. Three mitigation techniques have been implemented and verified to suppress self‐induced electromagnetic interference. The flight model of the spectrometer is currently being developed and is scheduled to be shipped to the integration site in early 2024.

Tamura, Emi↗

A Method for Estimation and Suppression of Quasi-Periodic Noise

Electromagnetic interference, particularly from sources such as light fixtures and power supplies, negatively affects the function and performance of electronic systems. This noise, often quasi-periodic in nature, contains harmonic structure that can be used for noise estimation and suppression. This work proposes a novel method for tracking and filtering such noise signals that reduces the comb filter bandwidth required for noise estimation and suppression by tracking the instantaneous frequency of the fundamental component.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Revealing Nanoscale Confinement Effects on Hyperbolic Phonon Polaritons with an Electron Beam

Hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) enable the direct manipulation of mid-infrared light at nanometer scales, many orders of magnitude below the free-space light wavelength. High-resolution monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) facilitates measurement of excitations with energies extending into the mid-infrared while maintaining nanoscale spatial resolution, making it ideal for detecting HPhPs. The electron beam is a precise source and probe of HPhPs, which allows the observation of nanoscale confinement in HPhP structures and directly extract hBN polariton dispersions for both modes in the bulk of the flake and modes along the edge. The measurements reveal technologically important nontrivial phenomena, such as localized polaritons induced by environmental heterogeneity, enhanced and suppressed excitation due to 2D interference, and strong modification of high-momenta excitations such as edge-confined polaritons by nanoscale heterogeneity on edge boundaries. Finally, the work opens exciting prospects for the design of real-world optical mid-infrared devices based on hyperbolic polaritons.

2D materials↗

Spin-orbit enabled quantum transport channels in a two-hole double quantum dot

We analyze experimentally and theoretically the transport spectra of a gated lateral GaAs double quantum dot containing two holes. The strong spin-orbit interaction present in the hole subband lifts the Pauli spin blockade and allows to map out the complete spectra of the two-hole system. By performing measurements in both source-drain voltage directions, at different detunings and magnetic fields, we carry out quantitative fitting to a Hubbard two-site model accounting for the tunnel coupling to the leads and the spin-flip relaxation process. We extract the singlet-triplet gap and the magnetic field corresponding to the singlet-triplet transition in the double-hole ground state. Additionally, at the singlet-triplet transition we find a resonant enhancement (in the blockaded direction) and suppression of current (in the conduction direction). The current enhancement stems from the multiple resonance of two-hole levels, opening several conduction channels at once. The current suppression arises from the quantum interference of spin-conserving and spin-flipping tunneling processes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Design and Characterization of the Engineering Model of the Spectrometer Onboard LuSEE-Night

The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Explorer - Night, LuSEE-Night, is a low-frequency radio astronomy experiment that will explore the cosmic Dark Ages signal on the radio quiet farside of the Moon. The LuSEE-Night carries a radio frequency spectrometer consisting of a set of antennas, analog and digital processing electronics, and will be launched by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services in 2025. The spectrometer is designed to observe the spectrum of the radio sky in the 0.5−50MHz band. The engineering model (EM) of the four-channel spectrometer has been developed. The EM has been characterized for linearity, gain, noise, and their temperature dependence, confirming that the EM meets all the requirements for LuSEE-Night. Three mitigation techniques have been implemented and verified to suppress self-induced electromagnetic interference (EMI). The flight model of the spectrometer is currently being developed and is scheduled to be shipped to the integration site in early 2024

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Wave Dark Matter

Here we review the physics and phenomenology of wave dark matter: a bosonic dark matter candidate lighter than about 30 eV. Such particles have a de Broglie wavelength exceeding the average interparticle separation in a galaxy like the Milky Way and are, thus, well described as a set of classical waves. We outline the particle physics motivations for such particles, including the quantum chromodynamics axion as well as ultralight axion-like particles such as fuzzy dark matter. The wave nature of the dark matter implies a rich phenomenology: Wave interference gives rise to order unity density fluctuations on de Broglie scale in halos. One manifestation is vortices where the density vanishes and around which the velocity circulates. There is one vortex ring per de Broglie volume on average. For sufficiently low masses, soliton condensation occurs at centers of halos. The soliton oscillates and undergoes random walks, which is another manifestation of wave interference. The halo and subhalo abundance is expected to be suppressed at small masses, but the precise prediction from numerical wave simulations remains to be determined. For ultralight ∼10 −22 eV dark matter, the wave interference substructures can be probed by tidal streams or gravitational lensing. The signal can be distinguished from that due to subhalos by the dependence on stream orbital radius or image separation. Axion detection experiments are sensitive to interference substructures for wave dark matter that is moderately light. The stochastic nature of the waves affects the interpretation of experimental constraints and motivates the measurement of correlation functions. Current constraints and open questions, covering detection experiments and cosmological, galactic, and black hole observations, are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multifunctional light beam source for surface slope measuring long trace profilers

To fully exploit the advantages of fourth-generation synchrotron light sources, diffraction-limited-storage-rings (DLSR) and fully coherent free electron lasers (FELs), beamline mirrors and diffraction grating must be of exceptional quality. To achieve the required mirror and grating quality, the metrology instrumentation and methods used to characterize these challenging optics and, even more so, optical assemblies must also offer exceptional functionality and performance. One of the most widely used slope measuring instruments for characterizing x-ray optics is the long trace profiler (LTP). The easily reconfigurable mechanical design of the LTP allows optimization of the profiler arrangement to the specifics of a particular metrology task. Here, we discuss the optical schematic, design, and performance of an original multifunctional light beam source that provides functional flexibility of the LTP optical sensor. With this source, the LTP can be easily reconfigured for measurements of x-ray mirrors or diffraction gratings that have widely different source coherence requirements. Usage of a source with a low degree of coherence for mirror metrology helps to suppress the LTP systematic errors due to spurious interference effects in the LTP optical elements. A high-coherence narrow-band source is used for groove-density-distribution characterization of x-ray diffraction gratings. The systematic error and spatial resolution of the LTP with the different sources is also measured and analyzed.

Yashchuk, Valeriy V.↗

Communication device, spread-spectrum receiver, and related method using normalized matched filter for improving signal-to-noise ratio in harsh environments

A communication device, a method of operating a communication device, and a spread-spectrum receiver are disclosed. The method includes receiving an incoming RF signal, demodulating the incoming RF signal to generate a baseband signal, filtering the baseband signal with a normalized matched filter having filter characteristics matched to a pulse-shaping filter of the transmitter that generated the incoming RF signal, and extracting a received signal from a normalized output generated by the normalized matched filter. As a result, interferences and noise from harsh environments may be suppressed.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Evaluation of Compton suppression for enhancing trace element identification in neutron activation analysis of reference materials

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a powerful technique for identifying and quantifying trace elements in materials. However, challenges such as high dead times, spectral interferences, and high Compton continuum often arise. This study employs a Compton suppression system (CSS) to enhance NAA sensitivity by reducing the Compton continuum, thereby improving the peak-to-Compton ratio. National Institute of Standards and Technology certified reference materials 1632d, 1633c, and Canadian National Research Council TORT-1 were irradiated in a thermal and epithermal neutron flux under various irradiation, decay and counting times and analyzed using high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with and without Compton suppression. The reduction factor was calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of the CSS, demonstrating significant background reduction and improved detection limits for trace elements. Additional experiments with a 137Cs point source demonstrated the impact of detector-source geometry on system performance, showing a decrease in the reduction factor as the source was moved further from the NaI detector. An optimum distance between the source and HPGe detector was observed, yielding the highest peak-to-Compton ratio. The results highlight the CSS's ability to minimize spectral interference and enhance elemental identification.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Subseasonal Variability of U.S. Coastal Sea Level from MJO and ENSO Teleconnection Interference

Abstract Climate variability affects sea levels as certain climate modes can accelerate or decelerate the rising sea level trend, but subseasonal variability of coastal sea levels is underexplored. This study is the first to investigate how remote tropical forcing from the MJO and ENSO impact subseasonal U.S. coastal sea level variability. Here, composite analyses using tide gauge data from six coastal regions along the U.S. East and West Coasts reveal influences on sea level anomalies from both the MJO and ENSO. Tropical MJO deep convection forces a signal that results in U.S. coastal sea level anomalies that vary based on MJO phase. Further, ENSO is shown to modulate both the MJO sea level response and background state of the teleconnections. The sea level anomalies can be significantly enhanced or weakened by the MJO-associated anomaly along the East Coast due to constructive or destructive interference with the ENSO-associated anomaly, respectively. The West Coast anomaly is found to be dominated by ENSO. We examine physical mechanisms by which MJO and ENSO teleconnections impact coastal sea levels and find consistent relationships between low-level winds and sea level pressure that are spatially varying drivers of the variability. Two case studies reveal how MJO and ENSO teleconnection interference played a role in notable coastal flooding events. Much of the focus on sea level rise concerns the long-term trend associated with anthropogenic warming, but on shorter time scales, we find subseasonal climate variability has the potential to exacerbate the regional coastal flooding impacts. Significance Statement Coastal flooding due to sea level rise is increasingly threatening communities, but natural fluctuations of coastal sea levels can exacerbate the human-caused sea level rise trend. This study assesses the role of tropical influences on coastal subseasonal (2 weeks–3 months) sea level heights. Further, we explore the mechanisms responsible, particularly for constructive interference of signals contributing to coastal flooding events. Subseasonal signals amplify or suppress the lower-frequency signals, resulting in higher or lower sea level heights than those expected from known climate modes (e.g., ENSO). Low-level onshore winds and reduced sea level pressure connected to the tropical phenomena are shown to be indicators of increased U.S. coastal sea levels, and vice versa. Two case studies reveal how MJO and ENSO teleconnection interference played a role in notable coastal flooding events. Much of the focus on sea level rise concerns the long-term trend associated with anthropogenic warming, but on shorter time scales, we find subseasonal climate variability has the potential to exacerbate the regional coastal flooding impacts.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗

Atomic-Scale Andreev Probe of Unconventional Superconductivity

Recent emergence of low-dimensional unconventional superconductors and their exotic interface properties calls for new approaches to probe the pairing symmetry, a fundamental and frequently elusive property of the superconducting condensate. Here, we introduce the unique capability of tunneling Andreev reflection (TAR) to probe unconventional pairing symmetry, utilizing the sensitivity of this technique to specific Andreev reflections. Specifically, suppression of the lowest-order Andreev reflection due to quantum interference but emergence of the higher-order Andreev processes provides direct evidence of the sign-changing order parameter in the paradigmatic FeSe superconductor. Furthermore, TAR spectroscopy also reveals two superconducting gaps, points to a possibility of a nodal gap structure, and directly confirms that superconductivity is locally suppressed along the nematic twin boundary, with preferential and near-complete suppression of the larger energy gap. Furthermore, our findings therefore enable new, atomic-scale insight into microscopic, inhomogeneous, and interfacial properties of emerging quantum materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Dissipation Enables Strongly Detuning-Dependent Interference in Pulsed Dynamical Decoupling

One of the defining features of pulsed dynamical decoupling is its suppression of a driven qubit's sensitivity to static detuning errors between the drive field and qubit resonance. In this paper, we show that dissipation, in the form of excited-state decay, can change this behavior entirely, producing an interference signal with a strong detuning dependence. This signal arises from decay during driven evolution and relies on coherence retained by the qubit after such a decay event. We develop analytical and numerical models that capture the underlying mechanism and observe this same dissipation-induced detuning dependence experimentally in both a free-space strontium atom interferometer and a superconducting transmon qubit system. We also use this dissipation-induced detuning dependence as the basis for a new spectroscopic technique called Dissipative Carr-Purcell Spectroscopy (DCPS) and compare it with a traditional Ramsey sequence. Our results establish a regime of pulsed dynamical decoupling in which dissipation reshapes, rather than merely degrades, coherent control, and we expect these dynamics to be relevant to a wide range of quantum systems.

DeRose, Kenneth [Northwestern U.; Fermilab] (ORCID↗

Tuning magneto-optical zero reflection via dual-channel hybrid magnonics

Multichannel coupling in hybrid systems makes an attractive testbed not only because of the distinct advantages entailed by each constituent mode but also because the opportunity to leverage interference among the various excitation pathways. Here, via combined analytical calculation and experiment, we demonstrate that the phase of the magnetization precession at the interface of a coupled yttrium iron garnet (YIG)/permalloy (Py) bilayer is collectively controlled by the microwave photon field torque and the interlayer exchange torque, manifesting a coherent, dual-channel excitation scheme that effectively tunes the magneto-optical spectrum. Furthermore, the different torque contributions vary with frequency, external bias field, and type of interlayer coupling between YIG and Py, which further results in destructive or constructive interferences between the two excitation channels, and hence selective suppression or amplification of the hybridized magnon modes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High-precision phase control of an optical lattice with up to 50 dB noise suppression

An optical lattice is a periodic light crystal constructed from the standing-wave interference patterns of laser beams. It can be used to store and manipulate quantum degenerate atoms and is an ideal platform for the quantum simulation of many-body physics. A principal feature is that optical lattices are flexible and possess a variety of multidimensional geometries with modifiable band structure. An even richer landscape emerges when control functions can be applied to the lattice by modulation of the position or amplitude with Floquet driving. However, the desire of realizing high-modulation bandwidths while preserving extreme lattice stability has been difficult to achieve. In this paper, we demonstrate an effective solution that consists of overlapping two counterpropagating lattice beams and controlling the phase and intensity of each with independent acousto-optic modulators. Our phase controller mixes sampled light from both lattice beams with a common optical reference. This dual heterodyne locking method allows exquisite determination of the lattice position, while also removing parasitic phase noise accrued as the beams travel along separate paths. Here, we report up to 50 dB suppression in lattice phase noise in the 0.1–1 Hz band, along with significant suppression spanning more than 4 decades of frequency. The absolute phase diffusion of the lattice position is only 10 Å when integrated over 10 s. This method permits precise, high-bandwidth modulation (greater than 50 kHz) of the optical lattice intensity and phase. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach by executing intricate time-varying phase profiles for atom interferometry.

Atom interferometry↗

Transmission of Images on High-Temperature Nuclear-Grade Metallic Pipe with Ultrasonic Elastic Waves

Transmission of information using elastic ultrasonic waves on existing metallic pipes provides an alternative communication option for a nuclear facility. The advantages of this approach consist of transmitting information through barriers, such as the containment building wall, with minimal modification of the existing hardware. Because bit rates on the order of kilobits per second are achievable, relatively large volumes of data, such as images, can be transmitted. A viable candidate for an ultrasonic communication channel is a stainless steel pipe of the chemical volume control system (CVCS) that penetrates through the reactor containment building wall through a sealed tunnel. To study ultrasonic communication under simulated nuclear facility conditions of high temperature, a test article was developed by installing heating tapes, temperature controllers, and thermal insulation on a laboratory CVCS-like stainless steel pipe. High temperature and radiation-resilient lithium niobate ultrasonic transducers were utilized for information transmission on the heated pipe. The amplitude shift keying (ASK) digital communication protocol was developed and implemented in a GNU Radio software-defined radio environment. A root-raised-cosine filter was introduced to suppress ultrasonic transducer ringing and thus reduce inter-symbol interference. This resulted in the enhancement of the data transmission bit rate compared to information encoding with square pulses. Demonstrations of communication at high temperature included transmission of a 90-KB image at the bit rate of 10 Kbps with a bit error rate of 10 -3 across a 6-ft-long straight pipe heated up to 230 degrees C. Additional preliminary studies were conducted to evaluate ultrasonic communication system resilience to environmental degradation and damage.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Brachypodium Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL) Promotes Antiviral Defenses against Panicum mosaic virus and Its Satellites

Brachypodium distachyon has recently emerged as a premier model plant for monocot biology, akin to Arabidopsis thaliana. We previously reported genome-wide transcriptomic and alternative splicing changes occurring in Brachypodium during compatible infections with Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) and its satellite virus (SPMV). Here, we dissected the role of Brachypodium phenylalanine ammonia lyase 1 (PAL1), a key enzyme for phenylpropanoid and salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis and the induction of plant defenses. Targeted metabolomics profiling of PMV-infected and PMV- plus SPMV-infected (PMV/SPMV) Brachypodium plants revealed enhanced levels of multiple defense-related hormones and metabolites such as cinnamic acid, SA, and fatty acids and lignin precursors during disease progression. The virus-induced accumulation of SA and lignin was significantly suppressed upon knockdown of B. distachyon PAL1 (BdPAL1) using RNA interference (RNAi). The compromised SA accumulation in PMV/SPMV-infected BdPAL1 RNAi plants correlated with weaker induction of multiple SA-related defense gene markers (pathogenesis related 1 [PR-1], PR-3, PR-5, and WRKY75) and enhanced susceptibility to PMV/SPMV compared to that of wild-type (WT) plants. Furthermore, exogenous application of SA alleviated the PMV/SPMV necrotic disease phenotypes and delayed plant death caused by single and mixed infections. Together, our results support an antiviral role for BdPAL1 during compatible host-virus interaction, perhaps as a last resort attempt to rescue the infected plant.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗