This thesis reports on the final measurement of the flavor-mixing phase in decays of strange-bottom mesons (B_s) into J/psi and phi mesons performed in high-energy proton-antiproton collisions recorded by the Collider Experiment at Fermilab. Interference occurs between direct decays and decays following virtual particle-antiparticle transitions (B_s-antiB_s). The phase difference between transition amplitudes ("mixing phase") is observable and extremely sensitive to contributions from non-standard-model particles or interactions that may be very hard to detect otherwise - a fact that makes the precise measurement of the B_s mixing phase one of the most important goals of particle physics. The results presented include a precise determination of the mixing phase and a suite of other important supplementary results. All measurements are among the most precise available from a single experiment and provide significantly improved constraints on the phenomenology of new particles and interactions.

This book explores alternative ways of accomplishing secure information transfer with incoherent multi-photon pulses in contrast to conventional Quantum Key Distribution techniques. Most of the techniques presented in this book do not need conventional encryption. Furthermore, the book presents a technique whereby any symmetric key can be securely transferred using the polarization channel of an optical fiber for conventional data encryption. The work presented in this book has largely been practically realized, albeit in a laboratory environment, to offer proof of concept rather than building a rugged instrument that can withstand the rigors of a commercial environment.

This book surveys some of the important research work carried out by Indian scientists in the field of pure and applied probability, quantum probability, quantum scattering theory, group representation theory and general relativity. It reviews the axiomatic foundations of probability theory by A.N. Kolmogorov and how the Indian school of probabilists and statisticians used this theory effectively to study a host of applied probability and statistics problems like parameter estimation, convergence of a sequence of probability distributions, and martingale characterization of diffusions. It will be an important resource to students and researchers of Physics and Engineering, especially those working with Advanced Probability and Statistics.

It may tum out that, like certain other phenomena studied by sociologists, bouts of interest in the foundations of quantum mechanics tend to come in 60-year cycles. It is hardly surprising that in the first decade or so of the subject the conceptual puzzles generated by this strange new way of looking at the world should have generated profound interest, not just among professional physicists themselves but also among philosophers and informed laymen; but this intense interest was followed by a fallow period in the forties and fifties when the physics establishment by and large took the view that the only puzzles left were the product either of incompetent application of the formalism or of bad philosophy, and only a few brave individualists like the late David Bohm dared to suggest that maybe there really was something there after all to worry about. As Bell and Nauenberg, surveying the scene in 1966, put it: "The typical physicist feels that [these questions 1 have long ago been answered, and that he will fully understand how if ever he can spare twenty minutes to think about it. " But gradually, through the sixties and seventies, curiosity did revive, and the last ten years or so have seen a level of interest in foundational questions, and an involvement in them by some of the leading figures of contemporary physics, which is probably unparalleled since the earliest days.

This is the third and final volume of a three volumes book series devoted to photorefractive effects, photorefractive materials and their applications. Since the publication of our first two Springer books on Photorefractive Materials and Their Applications (Topics in Applied Physics, Vols 61 and 62) almost 20 years ago a lot of research has been done in this area. New and often unexpected effects have been discovered, theoretical models developed, known effects could be finally explained and novel applications had been proposed. We believe that the field has now reached a high level of maturity, even if research continues in all areas mentioned above and with new discoveries arriving quite regularly. We therefore have decided to invite some of the top experts in the field to put together the state of the art in their respective fields. This after we had been encouraged to do so for more than ten years by the publisher, due to the fact that the former volumes were out of print since long time. The first volume is devoted to the description of the basic effects leading to photoinduced refractive index changes in electro-optical materials. of photorefractive materials is reviewed and the parameters, which govern the photorefractive nonlinearity are highlighted. This third volume deals with the applications of the photorefractive effects and of materials. Starting about 35 years ago the attractivity of the photorefractive effect for data storage, for optical metrology, optical signal processing and nonlinear optical applications has been recognized. One of the main reasons for this is the large nonlinearity or refractive index change, which can be induced by low light intensities by using the photoinduced space-charge fields in electro-optical materials. Many new concepts have been demonstrated in the laboratories over all these years. Several of these concepts have been proved useful also in other areas of nonlinear optics. Particularly interesting was the observation of a large energy from pump beams to the signal beam in two- and fourwave mixing experiments. information and to self-pumped optical phase conjugation with applications in the area of wavefront correction of self-induced optical resonators. In this third volume, a series of applications of photorefractive nonlinear optics and of optical data storage are presented in several chapters. This and the other two volumes on photorefractive effects, materials and applications have been prepared mainly for researchers in the field, but also for physics, engineering and materials science students. Several chapters contain sufficient introductory material for those not so familiar with the topic to obtain a thorough understanding of the photorefractive effect. We hope that for researchers active in the field these books should provide a useful reference source for their work.

This book captures cutting-edge research in semiconductor quantum dot devices, discussing preparation methods and properties, and providing a comprehensive overview of their optoelectronic applications. Quantum dots (QDs), with particle sizes in the nanometer range, have unique electronic and optical properties. They have the potential to open an avenue for next-generation optoelectronic methods and devices, such as lasers, biomarker assays, field effect transistors, LEDs, photodetectors, and solar concentrators. By bringing together leaders in the various application areas, this book is both a comprehensive introduction to different kinds of QDs with unique physical properties as well as their preparation routes, and a platform for knowledge sharing and dissemination of the latest advances in a novel area of nanotechnology.

Solitary wave physics plays a significant role from modern optical physics to optical communication, optical switching and optical storage. This book gives an updated overview of optical solitons, as a reference and guide for advanced students and scientists working in the field.

Key features: Presents the first elementary introduction to quantum geometry Explores how to understand quantum geometry without prior knowledge beyond bachelor level physics and mathematics. Contains exercises, problems and solutions to supplement and enhance learning

This book tackles quantum gravity via the so-called background field method and its effective action functional. The author presents an explicitly covariant and effective technique to calculate the de Witt coefficients and to analyze the Schwinger-de Wit asymptotic expansion of the effective action. He also investigates the ultraviolet behaviour of higher-derivative quantum gravity.The book addresses theoretical physicists, graduate students as well as researchers, but should also be of interest to physicists working in mathematical or elementary particle physics.

This volume presents a selection of 434 letters from and to the Dutch physicist and Nobel Prize winner Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853-1928), covering the period from 1883 until a few months before his death in February 1928. The sheer size of the available correspondence (approximately 6000 letters from and to Lorentz) preclude a full publication. The letters included in this volume have been selected according to various criteria, the most important of which is scientific importance. A second criterion has been the availability of letters both from and to Lorentz, so that the reader can follow the exchange between Lorentz and his correspondent. Within such correspondences a few unimportant items, dealing with routine administrative or organizational matters, have been omitted. An exception to the scientific criterion is the exchange of letters between Lorentz and Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Woldemar Voigt, and Wilhelm Wien during World War I: these letters have been included because they shed important light on the disruption of the scientific relations during the war and on the political views of these correspondents as well as of Lorentz. similar reasons the letters exchanged with Einstein and Planck on post-war political issues have been included. Biographical sketch Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was born on July 18, 1853 in the Dutch town of Arnhem. He was the son of a relatively well-to-do owner of a nursery.

Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, Twelve Lectures in Quantum Mechanics presents theoretical physics with a breathtaking array of examples and anecdotes. Basdevant's style is clear and stimulating, in the manner of a brisk classroom lecture that students can follow with ease and enjoyment. Here is a sample of the book's style, from the opening of Chapter 1: If one were to ask a passer-by to quote a great formula of physics, chances are that the answer would be E = mc2. In fact, of the three watershed years for physics toward the beginning of the 20th century - 1905: the Special Relativity of Einstein, Lorentz and Poincare; 1915: the General Relativity of Einstein, with its extraordinary reflections on gravitation, space and time; and 1925: the development of Quantum Mechanics; it is surely the last which has the most profound implications for the development of science and technology. There is no way around it: all physics is quantum, from elementary particles, to stellar physics and the Big Bang, not to mention semiconductors and solar cells. and Chair of the Department of Physics at the Ecole Polytechnique, and Director of Research for the CNRS. Specializing in the theoretical physics of elementary particles, quantum field theory and astrophysics, Prof. Basdevant works in the Leprince-Ringuet Laboratory at the Ecole Polytechnique.

This thesis develops fundamental ideas and advanced techniques for studying the Higgs boson's interactions with the known matter and force particles. The Higgs boson appears as an excitation of the Higgs field, which permeates the vacuum. Several other phenomena in our Universe, such as dark energy, dark matter, and the abundance of matter over antimatter, remain unexplained. The Higgs field may prove to be the connection between our known world and the "dark" world, and studies of the Higgs boson's interactions are essential to reveal possible new phenomena. The unique feature of this work is simultaneous measurement of the Higgs boson's associated production (its context, to use the language of the title) and its decay (its end), while allowing for multiple parameters sensitive to new phenomena. This includes computer simulation with Monte Carlo techniques of the complicated structure of the Higgs boson interactions, the matrix-element calculation of per-event likelihoods for optimal observables, and advanced fitting methods with hundreds of intricate components that cover all possible parameters and quantum mechanical interference. This culminates in the most advanced analysis of LHC data in the multi-parameter approach to Higgs physics in its single golden four-lepton decay channel to date. Optimization of the CMS detector's silicon-based tracking system, essential for these measurements, is also described.

At the outset of the research leading to this book I held a position somewhere close to 'the standard Copenhagen interpretation' of QM. I was strongly attracted to, in particular, the philosophy of Niels Bohr. However, being aware of some of the problematic sides and ambiguities of his views and of new developments which have taken place in QM after his time, the main challenge would be to develop a more up to date version version of his approach and express it in a philosophically unobjectionable way. Traces of this original attitude can still be found in views I hold nowadays. For instance, I think that I now know a satisfactory and correct way of dealing with features like 'complementarity', and I still see this as a relevant subject. In many other respects, however, there have been major changes in my position. In fact, during certain stages of my research my views simply started moving and kept on doing so at an irritating pace and for uncomfortably long periods of time. I learned, for example that at least some of the classical ideas about theory structure are much better than I had realized, and cannot just be pushed aside for anything even as impressive as empirical success.

The description of quantum systems is fundamental to an understanding of many problems in chemistry and physics. This volume records a representative slection of the papers delivered at the second European Workshop on Quantum Systems in Chemistry and Physics which was held at Jesus College, Oxford, April 6-9, 1997. The purpose of this international Workshop was to bring together chemists and physicists with a common interest--the quantum mechanical many-body problem--and to encourage collaboration and exchange of ideas on the fundamentals by promoting innovative theory and conceptual development rather than improvements in computatorial techniques and routine applications.
Key Features
* Covers the following topics:
* Density matrices and density functional theory
* Electron correlation
* Relativistic effects
* Valence theory
* Nuclear motion
* Response theory
* Condensed matter
* Chemical reactions

Practical quantum computing still seems more than a decade away, and researchers have not even identified what the best physical implementation of a quantum bit will be. There is a real need in the scientific literature for a dialogue on the topic of lessons learned and looming roadblocks. This reprint from Quantum Information Processing is dedicated to the experimental aspects of quantum computing and includes articles that 1) highlight the lessons learned over the last 10 years, and 2) outline the challenges over the next 10 years. The special issue includes a series of invited articles that discuss the most promising physical implementations of quantum computing. The invited articles were to draw grand conclusions about the past and speculate about the future, not just report results from the present.

4. 2 Variance of Quantum Matrix Elements. 125 4. 3 Berry's Trick and the Hyperbolic Case 126 4. 4 Nonhyperbolic Case . . . . . . . 128 4. 5 Random Matrix Theory . . . . . 128 4. 6 Baker's Map and Other Systems 129 4. 7 Appendix: Baker's Map . . . . . 129 5 Error Terms 133 5. 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 5. 2 The Riemann Zeta Function in Periodic Orbit Theory 135 5. 3 Form Factor for Primes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 5. 4 Error Terms in Periodic Orbit Theory: Co-compact Case. 138 5. 5 Binary Quadratic Forms as a Model . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 6 Co-Finite Model for Quantum Chaology 141 6. 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . 141 6. 2 Co-finite Models . . . . . 141 6. 3 Geodesic Triangle Spaces 144 6. 4 L-Functions. . . . . . . . 145 6. 5 Zelditch's Prime Geodesic Theorem. 146 6. 6 Zelditch's Pseudo Differential Operators 147 6. 7 Weyl's Law Generalized 148 6. 8 Equidistribution Theory . . . . . . . . . 150 7 Landau Levels and L-Functions 153 7. 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 7. 2 Landau Model: Mechanics on the Plane and Sphere. 153 7. 3 Landau Model: Mechanics on the Half-Plane 155 7. 4 Selberg's Spectral Theorem . . . . . . . . . . . 157 7. 5 Pseudo Billiards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 7. 6 Landau Levels on a Compact Riemann Surface 159 7. 7 Automorphic Forms . . . . . 160 7. 8 Maass-Selberg Trace Formula 162 7. 9 Degeneracy by Selberg. . . . 163 7. 10 Hecke Operators . . . . . . . 163 7. 11 Selberg Trace Formula for Hecke Operators 167 7. 12 Eigenvalue Statistics on X . . . . 169 7. 13 Mesoscopic Devices. . . . . . . . 170 7. 14 Hall Conductance on Leaky Tori 170 7.

This thesis describes in detail the search for new phenomena in mono-jet final states with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The final state is considered the golden channel in the searches for large extra dimensions (LED) but also allows access to a very rich SUSY-related phenomenology pertaining to the production of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPS), SUSY Dark Matter candidates, GMSB SUSY models with very light gravitino masses, as well as stop an sbottom pair production in compressed scenarios (with nearly degenerated squarks and the lightest neutralino), and also invisible Higgs searches, among others. Here, a number of these scenarios are explored. The measurements presented yield new powerful constraints on the existence of extra spatial dimensions, the pair production of WIMPs, and also provide the best limit to date on the gravitino mass.

As the growing number of conference proceedings, preprints, periodicals and popular journal articles are being joined by various electronic forms of dissemination of research, the series Progress in Low Temperature Physics assumes a particular responsibility in providing excellent reviews, guiding the reading of the literature and providing direction for future research possibilities. In this most recent volume, the main theme is research on superfluid and adsorbed phases of helium.

In five chapters the following topics are dealt with. Chapter one is a review of one of the essential characteristics of superfluid 4He, the Landau critical velocity. Chapter two reviews the amazing properties of coherent spin dynamics in superfluid 3He. The next chapter examines a unique situation with a number of thermodynamic transitions between superfluid states and discusses the current experimental and theoretical situation. Properties of phases of 3He adsorbed on graphite are discussed in the following chapter, and in a complementary final chapter a review is presented on the properties of multilayer 3He-4He mixture films.

This thesis introduces readers to the type II superstring theories in the AdS5xS5 and AdS4xCP3 backgrounds. Each chapter exemplifies a different computational approach to measuring observables (conformal dimensions of single-trace operators and expectation values of Wilson loop operators) relevant for two supersymmetric theories: the N=4 super Yang-Mills theory and the N=6 Chern-Simons-matter (ABJM) theory. Perturbative techniques have traditionally been used to make quantitative predictions in quantum field theories, but they are only reliable as long as the interaction strengths are weak. The anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence realizes physicists' dream of studying strongly coupled quantum field theories with "enhanced" symmetries, using the methods provided by string theory. The first part of the thesis sets up the semiclassical quantization of worldsheet sigma-model actions around string solutions of least area in AdS space. This machinery is used to capture quantum corrections at large coupling to next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading order by solving the determinants of partial differential operators and by computing Feynman diagrams, respectively. In turn, the second part presents an innovative approach based on Monte Carlo simulations to finite coupling for a lattice-discretized model of the AdS5xS5 superstring action. The thesis focuses on fundamental aspects, as well as on applications previously published by the author, and offers a valuable reference work for anyone interested in the most recent developments in this field.

This book addresses several mathematical models from the most relevant class of kp-Schroedinger systems. Both mathematical models and state-of-the-art numerical methods for adequately solving the arising systems of differential equations are presented. The operational principle of modern semiconductor nano structures, such as quantum wells, quantum wires or quantum dots, relies on quantum mechanical effects. The goal of numerical simulations using quantum mechanical models in the development of semiconductor nano structures is threefold: First they are needed for a deeper understanding of experimental data and of the operational principle. Secondly, they allow us to predict and optimize in advance the qualitative and quantitative properties of new devices in order to minimize the number of prototypes needed. Semiconductor nano structures are embedded as an active region in semiconductor devices. Thirdly and finally, the results of quantum mechanical simulations of semiconductor nano structures can be used with upscaling methods to deliver parameters needed in semi-classical models for semiconductor devices, such as quantum well lasers. This book covers in detail all these three aspects using a variety of illustrative examples. Readers will gain detailed insights into the status of the multiband effective mass method for semiconductor nano structures. Both users of the kp method as well as advanced researchers who want to advance the kp method further will find helpful information on how to best work with this method and use it as a tool for characterizing the physical properties of semiconductor nano structures. The book is primarily intended for graduate and Ph.D. students in applied mathematics, mathematical physics and theoretical physics, as well as all those working in quantum mechanical research or the semiconductor / opto-electronic industry who are interested in new mathematical aspects.

This book is based upon the lectures delivered from 18 to 22 June 2007 at the INFN-LaboratoriNazionali di Frascati School on Attractor Mechanism, directed by Stefano Bellucci, with the participation of prestigious lecturers, including S. Ferrara, M. Gnaydin, P. Levay, T. Mohaupt, and A. Zichichi. All lectures were given at a pedagogical, introductory level, a feature which is re?ected in the s- ci?c "?avor" of this volume, which has also bene?ted much from the extensive discussions and related reworking of the various contributions. This is the fourth volume in a series of books on the general topics of sup- symmetry, supergravity, black holes, and the attractor mechanism. Indeed, based on previous meetings, three volumes have already been published: BELLUCCI S. (2006). Supersymmetric Mechanics - Vol. 1: Supersymmetry, NoncommutativityandMatrixModels.(vol.698, pp.1-229).ISBN:3-540-33313-4. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag (Germany). Springer Lecture Notes in Physics Vol. 698. BELLUCCIS., S.FERRARA, A.MARRANI.(2006).SupersymmetricMech- ics - Vol. 2: The Attractor Mechanism and Space Time Singularities. (vol. 701, pp. 1-242). ISBN-13: 9783540341567. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag (G- many). Springer Lecture Notes in Physics Vol. 701. BELLUCCIS.(2008).SupersymmetricMechanics-Vol.3: AttractorsandBlack HolesinSupersymmetricGravity.(vol.755, pp.1-373).ISBN-13:9783540795223. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Verlag (Germany). Springer Lecture Notes in Physics 755. In this volume, we have included two contributions originating from short p- sentations of recent original results given by participants, i.e., Wei Li and Filipe Moura.

During its forty year lifespan, string theory has always had the power to divide, being called both a 'theory of everything' and a 'theory of nothing'. Critics have even questioned whether it qualifies as a scientific theory at all. This book adopts an objective stance, standing back from the question of the truth or falsity of string theory and instead focusing on how it came to be and how it came to occupy its present position in physics. An unexpectedly rich history is revealed, with deep connections to our most well-established physical theories. Fully self-contained and written in a lively fashion, the book will appeal to a wide variety of readers from novice to specialist.

"Fundamental Tests of Physics with Optically Trapped Microspheres "details experiments on studying the Brownian motion of an optically trapped microsphere with ultrahigh resolution and the cooling of its motion towards the quantum ground state.
Glass microspheres were trapped in water, air, and vacuum with optical tweezers; and a detection system that can monitor the position of a trapped microsphere with Angstrom spatial resolution and microsecond temporal resolution was developed to study the Brownian motion of a trapped microsphere in air over a wide range of pressures. The instantaneous velocity of a Brownian particle, in particular, was studied for the very first time, and the results provide direct verification of the Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution and the energy equipartition theorem for a Brownian particle. For short time scales, the ballistic regime of Brownian motion is observed, in contrast to the usual diffusive regime.
In vacuum, active feedback is used to cool the center-of-mass motion of an optically trapped microsphere from room temperature to a minimum temperature of about 1.5 mK. This is an important step toward studying the quantum behaviors of a macroscopic particle trapped in vacuum.

This volume reviews recent developments in conformal quantum field theory in D-dimensions, and focuses on two main aims. Firstly, the promising trend is followed toward constructing an exact solution for a certain class of models. Work on the conformal Ward identities in a D-dimensional space in the late '70s suggests a parallel with the null-vectors which determine the minimal models in the two-dimensional field theory. Recent research has also indicated the possible existence of an infinite parameter algebra analogous to the Virasoro algebra in spaces of higher dimensions D>=3. Each of these models contains parameters similar to the central charge of the two-dimensional theory, due to special fields which occur in the commutator of the components of the energy-momentum tensor. As a first step, a special formalism is suggested which allows finding an exact solution of these models for any space dimension. Then it is shown that in each model closed differential equations can be obtained for higher correlators, as well as the algebraic equations for scale dimensions of fields, and dimensionless parameters similar to the central charge. Secondly, this work aims to give a survey of some special aspects of conformal quantum field theory in D-dimensional space. Included are the survey of conformal methods of approximate calculation of critical indices in a three-dimensional space, an analysis and solution of a renormalised system of Schwinger-Dyson equations, a derivation of partial wave expansions, among other topics. Special attention is given to the development of the apparatus of quantum conform theory of gauge fields. Audience: This book will be of interest to graduate students andresearchers whose work involves quantum field theory.

"Medical scientists use the word `iatrogenic' to refer to disabilities that are the consequence of medical treatment. We believe that some such word might be coined to refer to philosophical difficulties for which philosophers themselves are responsible" Sir Peter Medawar Arguing that quantum theory as it stands is perhaps the most comprehensive, well-verified, and successful theory in the history of science, the author clears away the impression that it is an incomplete, philosophically flawed, and self-contradictory theory. In simple terms accessible to anyone with a little prior knowledge of science, Wallace examines the numerous "paradoxes" and "difficulties" claimed for quantum mechanics, and shows that they are due to excesses of interpretation that have been imposed on the theory.