Thesis (M.S.)--Københavns universitet, 1996. / Title from title screen (viewed on July 9, 2008). Title from document title page. Includes bibliographical references. Available in PDF format via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-09-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:12:27Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 woitekjunior_m_me_ift.pdf: 9022411 bytes, checksum: 88726cc3ceec91a0d503f0b0557e5add (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Uma das características mais importantes das teorias de gauge não-Abelianas é a não-linearidade das equações de campo clássicas. Mostra-se no contexto da teoria de Yang-Mills que essa característica pode fazer com que o campo de gauge apresente comportamento caótico. Isso pode acontecer mesmo quando estivermos considerando a dinâmica do campo na ausência de fontes, isto é, o vácuo da teoria de Yang-Mills. Discutimos a relação entre os comportamentos caótico e ergódico. Em seguida, introduzimos a formulação de Berdichevsky da Mecânica Estatística Clássica para sistemas dinâmicos Hamiltonianos que são ergódicos e possuem poucos graus de liberdade. A Mecânica Estatística de Berdichevsky é usada para estudar a situação mais simples numa teoria de gauge não-Abeliana onde as variáveis de campo são caóticas e o espaço de fase correspondente tem a propriedade geométrica necessária. Mostramos que, para os propósitos desse estudo, um par de campos escalares complexos deve ser incluído no problema. Mais precisamente, analisamos o modelo de Higgs não-Abeliano; a Lagrangiana da teoria considerada possui uma simetria SU(2). A transição de uma descrição dinâmica do sistema de YangMills-Higgs (fora do equilíbrio termodinâmico) para uma descrição termodinâmica (quando ele atingiu o equilíbrio) é investigada numericamente. Mostra-se que depois de um tempo suficientemente longo as soluções numéricas se comportam de tal maneira que o sistema pode ser descrito de um jeito mais simples através de grandezas como a temperatura, calculadas de acordo com as prescriçõees da Mecânica Estatística de equilíbrio. Estas são previstas analiticamente para comparção com os resultados numéricos... / One of the most important features of non-Abelian gauge theories is the non-linearity of the classical field equations. In the context of Yang-Mills theory it is shown that this feature can cause the gauge field to show chaotic behavior. That can happen even when we are considering the field dynamics in the absence of sources, i.e., the vacuum of the Yang-Mills theory. We discuss the connection between chaotic and ergodic behaviors. Then we introduce Berdichevsky’s formulation of Classical Statistical Mechanics for Hamiltonian dynamical systems that are both ergodic and low-dimensional. Berdichevsky’s theory of Statistical Mechanics is used to study the simplest situation in a non-Abelian gauge theory where the field variables are chaotic and the corresponding phase space has the necessary geometric property. We show that, for the purposes of this study, a pair of complex scalar fields must be introduced in the problem. More precisely, we analyse the so-called non-Abelian Higgs model; the Lagrangian of the theory we are considering has a SU(2) symmetry. The transition from a non-equilibrium dynamical description of the Yang-Mills-Higgs system to a thermodynamical description when it reaches equilibrium is numerically investigated. It is shown that after a sufficiently long time the numerical solutions behave in such a manner that the system can be described by quantities like the temperature, determined in accordance with the prescriptions of equilibrium Statistical Mechanics. These are predicted analytically for comparison with the numerical results. It is verified that there is agreement between analytical and numerical predictions so that the thermalization of the Yang-Mills-Higgs system can be explained with the aid of Berdichevsky’s Statistical Mechanics. A dynamical approach to the study... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Gastão Inácio Krein / Banca: Caio H. Lewenkpof / Banca: Gerson Francisco / Resumo: Nesta dissertação tratamos do problema de caos dinâmico na interação de baixas energias de dois monopólos magnéticos não-Abelianos do tipo Bogomol'nyi-PrasadSommerfield (BPS). Monopólos magnéticos BPS são soluções solitônicas das equações clássicas de movimento da teoria de gauge não-Abeliana de Yang-Mills-Higgs SU(2), em que o potencial de Higgs é colocado igual a zero. O movimento clássico de monopólos magnéticos, no limite de velocidades relativas baixas, pode ser descrito por um movimento geodésico no espaço de soluções estáticas de mínima energia em termos de coordenadas coletivas. O conhecimento da métrica para este espaço de coordenadas coletivas é suficiente para determinar a dinâmica de baixas energias de um conjunto de monopólos. Paxa o caso de dois monopólos, a métrica de AtiyahHitchin é a de interesse. O problema pode ser colocado na forma de um sistema dinâmico hamiltoniano não-integrável, em que as soluções das equações de movimento derivadas a partir desta métrica indicam a presença de caos. Superfícies de seção de Poincaré, espectros de potência e expoentes de Lyapunov das soluções dependentes do tempo são calculados numericamente paxa caracterizar soluções caóticas deste sistema dinâmico / Abstract: Abstract In this dissertation we treat the problem of dynamical chaos in the low energy interaction of two non-Abelian magnetic monopoles of the Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) type. BPS magnetic monopoles are solitonic Solutions of the classical equations of motion of the non-Abelian Yang-Mills-Higgs SU(2) gauge theory in which the Higgs potential is taken to be equal to zero. The classical motion of the magnetic monopoles in the limit of low relative speed can be described by a geodesic motion in the space of minimum energy static Solutions in terms of collective coordinates. Knowledge of the metric of this space of collective coordinates is suffcient to determine the low energy dynamics of a set of monopoles. For the case of two monopoles, it is the metric of Atiyah-Hitchin which is of interest. The problem can be formulated as a non-integrable dynamical hamiltonian system, in which the Solutions of the equations of motion derived from this metric indicate the presence of chaos. Poincaré surfaces of section, power spectra and Lyapunov exponents of the time-dependent solutions are calculated numerically to characterize chaotic solutions of this dynamical system / Mestre

In the last few decades, the study of many-body quantum systems far from equilibrium has risen to prominence, with exciting developments on both experimental and theoretical physics fronts. In this dissertation, we will focus particularly on the adiabatic gauge potential (AGP), which is the generator of adiabatic deformations between quantum eigenstates and also related to "fidelity susceptibility", as our lens into the general phenomenon. In the first two projects, the AGP is studied in the context of counter-diabatic driving protocols which present a way of generating adiabatic dynamics at an arbitrary pace. This is quite useful as adiabatic evolution, which is a common strategy for manipulating quantum states, is inherently a slow process and is, therefore, susceptible to noise and decoherence from the environment. However, obtaining and implementing the AGP in many-body systems is a formidable task, requiring knowledge of the spectral properties of the instantaneous Hamiltonians and control of highly nonlocal multibody interactions. We show how an approximate gauge potential can be systematically built up as a series of nested commutators, remaining well-defined in the thermodynamic limit. Furthermore, the resulting counter-diabatic driving protocols can be realized up to arbitrary order without leaving the available control space using tools from periodically-driven (Floquet) systems. In the first project, this driving protocol was successfully implemented on the electronic spin of a nitrogen vacancy in diamond as a proof of concept and in the second project, it was extended to many-body systems, where it was shown the resulting Floquet protocols significantly suppress dissipation and provide a drastic increase in fidelity. In the third project, the AGP is studied in the context of quantum chaos wherein it is found to be an extremely sensitive probe. We are able to detect transitions from non-ergodic to ergodic behavior at perturbation strengths orders of magnitude smaller than those required for standard measures. Using this alternative probe in two generic classes of spin chains, we show that the chaotic threshold decreases exponentially with system size and that one can immediately detect integrability-breaking (chaotic) perturbations by analyzing infinitesimal perturbations even at the integrable point. In some cases, small integrability-breaking is shown to lead to anomalously slow relaxation of the system, exponentially long in system size. This work paves the way for further studies in various areas such as quantum computation, quantum state preparation and quantum chaos.

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<p dir="ltr">Complex physical systems provide a fertile ground for exploring various phenomena owing to the quantum nature inherent in their structure. Atoms and molecules not only serve as realistic systems for experimental investigation, but also exhibit a complexity stemming from their many-body interactions which is of significant theoretical interest. This thesis delves into the domain of ultracold collisions between different interacting species (where temperature T < 1mK), and introduces novel applications for probing such systems, particularly focusing on molecular formation via photoassociation. Molecular interactions, in comparison to their atomic counterparts, present heightened complexity. The interplay of electrostatic forces among electrons and nuclei intricately couples all degrees of freedom within a single molecule. Historically, the exploration of quantum dynamics between molecules was pioneered by Born and Oppenheimer. Their seminal work involved solving Schrödinger’s equation in two steps. First step is addressing a portion of the molecular Hamiltonian where the nuclei are clamped in space (adiabatic). This adiabatic solution yields effective potentials between nuclei, encapsulating the integrated influence of the surrounding electronic cloud. The second step is to solve for the nuclear degrees of freedom in the vicinity of the effective potentials. The validity of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation stems from the substantial mass disparity between electrons and nuclei, enabling a quasi-separation of the electronic and nuclear Hamiltonians. The first order Born-Oppenheimer approximation assumes a partial separation of the molecular wave function Ψmolecule ≈ ΞvibrationYrotationalΦelectronic.</p><p dir="ltr"> A comprehensive treatment is provided for systems with numerous degrees of freedom, elucidating how the Born-Oppenheimer approximation manifests when applied to molecules. This chapter also encapsulates the principal findings from collision theory and photoassociation spectroscopy, as well as foundational techniques underpinning this thesis. Spectroscopic investigations encompass four relevant transition types: boundbound (Rabi oscillations), bound-free (photoionization), free-free (elastic scattering), and free-bound (photoassociation) transitions. Photoassociation (PA) spectroscopy probes laserinduced processes where the reactants interact through a channel |i〉, and can absorb one or more photons causing a transition to a bound state in an excited channel |f〉. The excited complex usually decays with a high probability to the ground state of the formed molecule. The same process can be utilized experimentally to prepare a cold molecule in its vibrational ground state . Diatomic PA has been of great theoretical and experimental interest in recent years. Herein, we present a theoretical inquiry into photoassociation within triatomic systems, with a particular focus on alkali atom-dimer systems, and introduce a method for calculating PA rates.</p><p dir="ltr">Moreover, this thesis presents different methods for shielding polar molecules from their short-range interactions where inelastic collisions and chemical reactions can occur with high probability. Shielding polar molecules has been shown to suppress inelastic collisions substantially between two molecules. A technique to shield two polar molecules in their ground state is studied and applied to model collisions in a gas of ground state (NaCs) molecules at temperatures T ≈ 100nK. The results show a region of interactions between two polar molecules that has an extremely long-range nature and is well isolated from the short-range losses, allowing for long-range spectroscopic studies. A new long-range regime of molecular physics arises in the study of shielded molecules where long-range vibrational tetramer states form. Different tetramer formation pathways are studied within a range of different shielding parameters. In fact, microwave shielding provides a region to study collisions between polar molecules, and controls their dynamics without worrying about shortrange losses. It has also been applied in the observation of a Bose gas of polar molecules.</p>

The de Broglie-Bohm (BB) approach to quantum mechanics gives trajectories similar to classical trajectories except that they are also determined by a quantum potential. The quantum potential is a "fictitious potential" in the sense that it is part of the quantum kinetic energy. We use quantum trajectories to treat quantum chaos in a manner similar to classical chaos. For the kicked rotor, which is a bounded system, we use the Benettin et al. method to calculate both classical and quantum Lyapunov exponents as a function of control parameter K and find chaos in both cases. Within the chaotic sea we find in both cases nonchaotic stability regions for K equal to multiples of π. For even multiples of π the stability regions are associated with classical accelerator mode islands and for odd multiples of π they are associated with new oscillator modes. We examine the structure of these regions. Momentum diffusion of the quantum kicked rotor is studied with both BB and standard quantum mechanics (SQM). A general analytical expression is given for the momentum diffusion at quantum resonance of both BB and SQM. We obtain agreement between the two approaches in numerical experiments. For the case of nonresonance the quantum potential is not zero and must be included as part of the quantum kinetic energy for agreement. The numerical data for momentum diffusion of classical kicked rotor is well fit by a power law DNβ in the number of kicks N. In the anomalous momentum diffusion regions due to accelerator modes the exponent β(K) is slightly less than quadratic, except for a slight dip, in agreement with an upper bound (K2/2)N2. The corresponding coefficient D(K) in these regions has three distinct sections, most likely due to accelerator modes with period greater than one. We also show that the local Lyapunov exponent of the classical kicked rotor has a plateau for a duration that depends on the initial separation and then decreases asymptotically as O(t-1lnt), where t is the time. This behavior is consistent with an upper bound that is determined analytically.

One of the phenomenal results emerging from string theory is the AdS/CFT correspondence or gauge-gravity duality: In certain cases a theory of gravity is equivalent to a "dual" gauge theory, very similar to the one describing non-gravitational interactions of fundamental subatomic particles. A difficult problem on one side can be mapped to a simpler and solvable problem on the other side using this correspondence. Thus one of the theories can be understood better using the other. The mapping between theories of gravity and gauge theories has led to new approaches to building models of particle physics from string theory. One of the important features to model is the phenomenon of confinement present in strong interaction of particle physics. This feature is not present in the gauge theory arising in the simplest of the examples of the duality. However this N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills gauge theory enjoys the property of being integrable, i.e. it can be exactly solved in terms of conserved charges. It is expected that if a more realistic theory turns out to be integrable, solvability of the theory would lead to simple analytical expressions for quantities like masses of the hadrons in the theory. In this thesis we show that the existing models of confinement are all nonintegrable--such simple analytic expressions cannot be obtained. We moreover show that these nonintegrable systems also exhibit features of chaotic dynamical systems, namely, sensitivity to initial conditions and a typical route of transition to chaos. We proceed to study the quantum mechanics of these systems and check whether their properties match those of chaotic quantum systems. Interestingly, the distribution of the spacing of meson excitations measured in the laboratory have been found to match with level-spacing distribution of typical quantum chaotic systems. We find agreement of this distribution with models of confining strong interactions, conforming these as viable models of particle physics arising from string theory.

Spectral and wave function statistics of the quantum directed graph, QdG, are studied. The crucial feature of this model is that the direction of a bond (arc) corresponds to the direction of the waves propagating along it. We pay special attention to the full Neumann digraph, FNdG, which consists of pairs of antiparallel arcs between every node, and differs from the full Neumann graph, FNG, in that the two arcs have two incommensurate lengths. The spectral statistics of the FNG (with incommensurate bond lengths) is believed to be universal, i.e. to agree with that of the random matrix theory, RMT, in the limit of large graph size. However, the standard perturbative treatment of the field theoretical representation of the 2-point correlation function [1, 2] for a FNG, does not account for this behaviour. The nearest-neighbor spacing distribution of the closely related FNdG is studied numerically. An original, efficient algorithm for the generation of the spectrum of large graphs allows for the observation that the distribution approaches indeed universality at increasing graph size (although the convergence cannot be ascertained), in particular "level repulsion" is confirmed. The numerical technique employs a new secular equation which generalizes the analogous object known for undirected graphs [3, 4], and is based on an adaptation to digraphs of the idea of wave function continuity. In view of the contradiction between the field theory [2] and the strong indications of universality, a non-perturbative approach to analysing the universal limit is presented. The substitution of the FNG by the FNdG results in a field theory with fewer degrees of freedom. Despite this simplification, the attempt is inconclusive. Possible applications of this approach are suggested. Regarding the wave function statistics, a field theoretical representation for the spectral average of the wave intensity on an fixed arc is derived and studied in the universal limit. The procedure originates from the study of wave function statistics on disordered metallic grains [5] and is used in conjunction with the field theory approach pioneered in [2].