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Michael VanValkenburgh

Publications and source records attributed to Michael VanValkenburgh.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2017

Length spectra of sub-Riemannian metrics on compact Lie groups

Length spectra for Riemannian metrics are well studied, while sub-Riemannian length spectra have been largely unexplored. Here we give the length spectrum for a canonical sub-Riemannian structure attached to any compact Lie group by restricting its Killing form to the sum of the root spaces. Surprisingly, the shortest loops are the same in both the Riemannian and sub-Riemannian cases. We provide specific calculations for SU(2) and SU(3).

math.DG↗
arXiv2015

Linear Symplectomorphisms as R-Lagrangian Subspaces

The graph of a real symplectic linear transformation is an R-Lagrangian subspace of a complex symplectic vector space. The restriction of the complex symplectic form is thus purely imaginary and may be expressed in terms of the generating function of the transformation. We provide explicit formulas; moreover, as an application, we give an explicit general formula for the metaplectic representation of the real symplectic group.

math.SG↗
arXiv2014

The Pseudospectrum of the Zakharov-Shabat System

We study the pseudospectrum of the non-selfadjoint Zakharov-Shabat system in the semiclassical regime. The pseudospectrum may be defined as the union of the spectra of perturbations of the Zakharov-Shabat system, thus it is relevant to the numerical computation of true eigenvalues.

nlin.SI↗
arXiv2009

Manipulation of Semiclassical Laguerre-Gaussian Modes: a Model Case

We continue the study, from a semiclassical viewpoint, of Calvo and Picon's operators, as manipulating photon states in quantum communication. In a previous paper, we defined a one-dimensional model operator and studied it analytically before moving on to Calvo and Picon's full two-dimensional operators. In the present paper, we show how the one-dimensional operator may also be useful as an experimental model, since it allows manipulations of two-dimensional Laguerre-Gaussian modes; the intensity distributions (in physical space) of the Laguerre-Gaussian modes then approximately flow along the elliptic curves studied earlier. Since the Wigner transform is fundamental in the study of Laguerre-Gaussian modes, we give a slightly expanded and improved treatment of the semiclassical Wigner transform, which was only briefly mentioned in the previous paper.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2008

Exponential Lower Bounds for Quasimodes of Semiclassical Schrödinger Operators

We prove quantitative unique continuation results for the semiclassical Schrodinger operator on smooth, compact domains. These take the form of exponentially decreasing (in h) local L^{2} lower bounds for exponentially precise quasimodes. We also show that these lower bounds are sharp in h, and that, moreover, the hypothesized quasimode accuracy is also sharp.

math.AP↗
arXiv2008

Manipulation of Semiclassical Photon States

Gabriel F. Calvo and Antonio Picon defined a class of operators, for use in quantum communication, that allows arbitrary manipulations of the three lowest two-dimensional Hermite-Gaussian modes {|0,0>,|1,0>,|0,1>}. Our paper continues the study of those operators, and our results fall into two categories. For one, we show that the generators of the operators have infinite deficiency indices, and we explicitly describe all self-adjoint realizations. And secondly we investigate semiclassical approximations of the propagators. The basic method is to start from a semiclassical Fourier integral operator ansatz and then construct approximate solutions of the corresponding evolution equations. In doing so, we give a complete description of the Hamilton flow, which in most cases is given by elliptic functions. We find that the semiclassical approximation behaves well when acting on sufficiently localized initial conditions, for example, finite sums of semiclassical Hermite-Gaussian modes, since near the origin the Hamilton trajectories trace out the bounded components of elliptic curves.

math-ph↗
arXiv2008

Laguerre-Gaussian Modes and the Wigner Transform

Recent developments in laser physics have called renewed attention to Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams of paraxial light. In this paper we consider the corresponding LG modes for the two-dimensional harmonic oscillator, which appear in the transversal plane at the laser beam's waist. We see how they arise as Wigner transforms of Hermite-Gaussian modes, and we proceed to find a closed form for their own Wigner transforms, providing an alternative to the methods of Simon and Agarwal. Our main observation is that the Wigner transform intertwines the creation and annihilation operators for the two classes of modes.

quant-ph↗