arXiv subjects

E. Nahmad-Achar

Publications and source records attributed to E. Nahmad-Achar.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

A semi-classical versus quantum description of the ground state of three-level atoms interacting with a one-mode electromagnetic field

We consider $N_a$ three-level atoms (or systems) interacting with a one-mode electromagnetic field in the dipolar and rotating wave approximations. The order of the quantum phase transitions is determined explicitly for each of the configurations $Ξ$, $Λ$ and $V$, with and without detuning. The semi-classical and exact quantum calculations for both the expectation values of the total number of excitations $\cal{M}=\langle \bm{M} \rangle$ and photon number $n=\langle \bm{n} \rangle$ have an excellent correspondence as functions of the control parameters. We prove that the ground state of the collective regime obeys sub-Poissonian statistics for the ${\cal M}$ and $n$ distribution functions. Therefore, their corresponding fluctuations are not well described by the semiclassical approximation. We show that this can be corrected by projecting the variational state to a definite value of ${\cal M}$.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Study of Interfacial Tension between an Organic Solvent and Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions Using Electrostatic Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulations

The study of the modification of interfacial properties between an organic solvent and aqueous electrolyte solutions is presented by using electrostatic Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations. In this article the parametrization for the DPD repulsive parameters aij for the electrolyte components is calculated considering the dependence of the Flory-Huggins \c{hi} parameter on the concentration and the kind of electrolyte added, by means of the activity coefficients. In turn, experimental data was used to obtain the activity coefficients of the electrolytes as a function of their concentration in order to estimate the \c{hi} parameters and then the aij coefficients. We validate this parametrization through the study of the interfacial tension in a mixture of n-dodecane and water, varying the concentration of different inorganic salts (NaCl, KBr, Na2SO4 and UO2Cl2). The case of HCl in the mixture n-dodecane/water was also analyzed and the results presented. Our simulations reproduce the experimental data in good agreement with previous work, showing that the use of activity coefficients to obtain the repulsive DPD parameters aij as a function of concentration is a good alternative for these kinds of systems.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2012

Phase transitions with finite atom number in the Dicke Model

Two-level atoms interacting with a one mode cavity field at zero temperature have order parameters which reflect the presence of a quantum phase transition at a critical value of the atom-cavity coupling strength. Two popular examples are the number of photons inside the cavity and the number of excited atoms. Coherent states provide a mean field description, which becomes exact in the thermodynamic limit. Employing symmetry adapted (SA) SU(2) coherent states (SACS) the critical behavior can be described for a finite number of atoms. A variation after projection treatment, involving a numerical minimization of the SA energy surface, associates the finite number phase transition with a discontinuity in the order parameters, which originates from a competition between two local minima in the SA energy surface.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

On the Superradiant Phase in Field-Matter Interactions

We show that semi-classical states adapted to the symmetry of the Hamiltonian are an excellent approximation to the exact quantum solution of the ground and first excited states of the Dicke model. Their overlap to the exact quantum states is very close to 1 except in a close vicinity of the quantum phase transition. Furthermore, they have analytic forms in terms of the model parameters and allow us to calculate analytically the expectation values of field and matter observables. Some of these differ considerably from results obtained via the standard coherent states, and by means of Holstein-Primakoff series expansion of the Dicke Hamiltonian. Comparison with exact solutions obtained numerically support our results. In particular, it is shown that the expectation values of the number of photons and of the number of excited atoms have no singularities at the phase transition. We comment on why other authors have previously found otherwise.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

No singularities at the phase transition in the Dicke model

The Dicke Hamiltonian describes the simplest quantum system with atoms interacting with photons: N two level atoms inside a perfectly reflecting cavity which allows only one electromagnetic mode. It has also been successfully employed to describe superconducting circuits which behave as artificial atoms coupled to a resonator. The system exhibits a transition to a superradiant phase at zero temperature. When the interaction strength reaches its critical value, both the number of photons and of atoms in excited states in the cavity, together with their fluctuations, exhibit a sudden increase from zero. Employing symmetry-adapted coherent states it is shown that these properties scale with the number of atoms, that their reported divergences at the critical point represent the limit when this number goes to infinity, and that in this limit they remain divergent in the superradiant phase. Analytical expressions are presented for all observables of interest, for any number of atoms. Comparisons with exact numerical solutions strongly support the results.

quant-ph↗