scholarly journals Unveiling Signatures of Topological Phases in Open Kitaev Chains and Ladders

Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Maiellaro ◽  
Francesco Romeo ◽  
Carmine Antonio Perroni ◽  
Vittorio Cataudella ◽  
Roberta Citro

In this work, the general problem of the characterization of the topological phase of an open quantum system is addressed. In particular, we study the topological properties of Kitaev chains and ladders under the perturbing effect of a current flux injected into the system using an external normal lead and derived from it via a superconducting electrode. After discussing the topological phase diagram of the isolated systems, using a scattering technique within the Bogoliubov–de Gennes formulation, we analyze the differential conductance properties of these topological devices as a function of all relevant model parameters. The relevant problem of implementing local spectroscopic measurements to characterize topological systems is also addressed by studying the system electrical response as a function of the position and the distance of the normal electrode (tip). The results show how the signatures of topological order affect the electrical response of the analyzed systems, a subset of which being robust also against the effects of a moderate amount of disorder. The analysis of the internal modes of the nanodevices demonstrates that topological protection can be lost when quantum states of an initially isolated topological system are hybridized with those of the external reservoirs. The conclusions of this work could be useful in understanding the topological phases of nanowire-based mesoscopic devices.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikash Mittal ◽  
Aswathy Raj ◽  
Sanjib Dey ◽  
Sandeep K. Goyal

AbstractDiscrete-time quantum walks are known to exhibit exotic topological states and phases. Physical realization of quantum walks in a lossy environment may destroy these phases. We investigate the behaviour of topological states in quantum walks in the presence of a lossy environment. The environmental effects in the quantum walk dynamics are addressed using the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian approach. We show that the topological phases of the quantum walks are robust against moderate losses. The topological order in one-dimensional split-step quantum walk persists as long as the Hamiltonian respects exact $${{\mathcal {P}}}{{\mathcal {T}}}$$ P T -symmetry. Although the topological nature persists in two-dimensional quantum walks as well, the $${{\mathcal {P}}}{{\mathcal {T}}}$$ P T -symmetry has no role to play there. Furthermore, we observe topological phase transition in two-dimensional quantum walks that is induced by losses in the system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1865
Author(s):  
Gabriel Calassou ◽  
Pierre-Yves Foucher ◽  
Jean-François Léon

Stack emissions from the industrial sector are a subject of concern for air quality. However, the characterization of the stack emission plume properties from in situ observations remains a challenging task. This paper focuses on the characterization of the aerosol properties of a steel plant stack plume through the use of hyperspectral (HS) airborne remote sensing imagery. We propose a new method, based on the combination of HS airborne acquisition and surface reflectance imagery derived from the Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI). The proposed method detects the plume footprint and estimates the surface reflectance under the plume, the aerosol optical thickness (AOT), and the modal radius of the plume. Hyperspectral surface reflectances are estimated using the coupled non-negative matrix factorization (CNMF) method combining HS and MSI data. The CNMF reduces the error associated with estimating the surface reflectance below the plume, particularly for heterogeneous classes. The AOT and modal radius are retrieved using an optimal estimation method (OEM), based on the forward model and allowing for uncertainties in the observations and in the model parameters. The a priori state vector is provided by a sequential method using the root mean square error (RMSE) metric, which outperforms the previously used cluster tuned matched filter (CTMF). The OEM degrees of freedom are then analysed, in order to refine the mask plume and to enhance the quality of the retrieval. The retrieved mean radii of aerosol particles in the plume is 0.125 μμm, with an uncertainty of 0.05 μμm. These results are close to the ultra-fine mode (modal radius around 0.1 μμm) observed from in situ measurements within metallurgical plant plumes from previous studies. The retrieved AOT values vary between 0.07 (near the source point) and 0.01, with uncertainties of 0.005 for the darkest surfaces and above 0.010 for the brightest surfaces.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
Hongduo Zhao

The objective of this paper is to investigate the characterization of moisture diffusion inside early-age concrete slabs subjected to curing. Time-dependent relative humidity (RH) distributions of three mixture proportions subjected to three different curing methods (i.e., air curing, water curing, and membrane-forming compounds curing) and sealed condition were measured for 28 days. A one-dimensional nonlinear moisture diffusion partial differential equation (PDE) based on Fick’s second law, which incorporates the effect of curing in the Dirichlet boundary condition using a concept of curing factor, is developed to simulate the diffusion process. Model parameters are calibrated by a genetic algorithm (GA). Experimental results show that the RH reducing rate inside concrete under air curing is greater than the rates under membrane-forming compound curing and water curing. It is shown that the effect of water-to-cement (w/c) ratio on self-desiccation is significant. Lower w/c ratio tends to result in larger RH reduction. RH reduction considering both effect of diffusion and self-desiccation in early-age concrete is not sensitive to w/c ratio, but to curing method. Comparison between model simulation and experimental results indicates that the improved model is able to reflect the effect of curing on moisture diffusion in early-age concrete slabs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 817-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Stoelzle ◽  
K. Stahl ◽  
M. Weiler

Abstract. Streamflow recession has been investigated by a variety of methods, often involving the fit of a model to empirical recession plots to parameterize a non-linear storage–outflow relationship based on the dQ/dt−Q method. Such recession analysis methods (RAMs) are used to estimate hydraulic conductivity, storage capacity, or aquifer thickness and to model streamflow recession curves for regionalization and prediction at the catchment scale. Numerous RAMs have been published, but little is known about how comparably the resulting recession models distinguish characteristic catchment behavior. In this study we combined three established recession extraction methods with three different parameter-fitting methods to the power-law storage–outflow model to compare the range of recession characteristics that result from the application of these different RAMs. Resulting recession characteristics including recession time and corresponding storage depletion were evaluated for 20 meso-scale catchments in Germany. We found plausible ranges for model parameterization; however, calculated recession characteristics varied over two orders of magnitude. While recession characteristics of the 20 catchments derived with the different methods correlate strongly, particularly for the RAMs that use the same extraction method, not all rank the catchments consistently, and the differences among some of the methods are larger than among the catchments. To elucidate this variability we discuss the ambiguous roles of recession extraction procedures and the parameterization of the storage–outflow model and the limitations of the presented recession plots. The results suggest strong limitations to the comparability of recession characteristics derived with different methods, not only in the model parameters but also in the relative characterization of different catchments. A multiple-methods approach to investigating streamflow recession characteristics should be considered for applications whenever possible.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 925-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek R. Sturm ◽  
Kevin J. Caputo ◽  
Siyang Liu ◽  
Ronald P. Danner

Abstract Diffusion of penetrants in polyethylene below the melt temperature is heavily dependent on the crystallinity of the polyethylene, the temperature of the experiment, and the concentration of solvent in the polymer. As the crystallinity of the polyethylene increases, there is an increase in the path that the solvent must travel as the solvent cannot penetrate the tightly packed chains in the crystalline domain. This effect is typically accounted for by a tortuosity factor. In this work, a simple and effective characterization of the tortuosity factor based simply on the crystal weight fraction has been developed. Data have been collected for six polyethylenes having densities ranging from 0.912 to 0.961 g/cm3 and for three solvents – isopentane, cyclohexane, and 1-hexene. Diffusivity predictions have been obtained using the free-volume theory of Vrentas and Duda in conjunction with the new tortuosity factor. The polyethylenes had crystallinities varying from 40% to 82% effecting an approximately 60% change in the diffusivity. The decrease resulting from ignoring the crystallinity altogether was in some cases essentially a factor of 5. The error in the predicted diffusivities over all the systems was 25%. For cyclohexane, it is shown that the same model parameters characterize data below the melt temperature (in the semi-crystalline region) as well as above the melt temperature (in the amorphous region).


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Selma Franca ◽  
Fabian Hassler ◽  
Ion Cosma Fulga

We show that scattering from the boundary of static, higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) can be used to simulate the behavior of (time-periodic) Floquet topological insulators. We consider D-dimensional HOTIs with gapless corner states which are weakly probed by external waves in a scattering setup. We find that the unitary reflection matrix describing back-scattering from the boundary of the HOTI is topologically equivalent to a (D-1)-dimensional nontrivial Floquet operator. To characterize the topology of the reflection matrix, we introduce the concept of `nested' scattering matrices. Our results provide a route to engineer topological Floquet systems in the lab without the need for external driving. As benefit, the topological system does not suffer from decoherence and heating.


1992 ◽  
Vol 06 (11n12) ◽  
pp. 2109-2121
Author(s):  
M. CARFORA ◽  
M. MARTELLINI ◽  
A. MARZUOLI

We provide a non-perturbative geometrical characterization of the partition function of ndimensional quantum gravity based on a rough classification of Riemannian geometries. We show that, under natural geometrical constraints, the theory admits a continuum limit with a non-trivial phase structure parametrized by the homotopy types of the class of manifolds considered. The results obtained qualitatively coincide, when specialized to dimension two, with those of two-dimensional quantum gravity models based on random triangulations of surfaces.


Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 370 (6517) ◽  
pp. 701-704
Author(s):  
Lukas J. Maczewsky ◽  
Matthias Heinrich ◽  
Mark Kremer ◽  
Sergey K. Ivanov ◽  
Max Ehrhardt ◽  
...  

A hallmark feature of topological insulators is robust edge transport that is impervious to scattering at defects and lattice disorder. We demonstrate a topological system, using a photonic platform, in which the existence of the topological phase is brought about by optical nonlinearity. The lattice structure remains topologically trivial in the linear regime, but as the optical power is increased above a certain power threshold, the system is driven into the topologically nontrivial regime. This transition is marked by the transient emergence of a protected unidirectional transport channel along the edge of the structure. Our work studies topological properties of matter in the nonlinear regime, providing a possible route for the development of compact devices that harness topological features in an on-demand fashion.


Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 3518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmus Skar ◽  
Assaf Klar ◽  
Eyal Levenberg

The evaluation of soil reaction in geotechnical foundation systems such as concrete pavements, mat- and raft foundations is a challenging task, as the process involves both the selection of a representative mechanical model (e.g., Winkler, Continuum, Pasternak, etc.) and identify its prevailing parameters. Moreover, the support characteristics may change with time and environmental situation. This paper presents a new method for the characterization of plate foundation support using high-resolution fiber-optic distributed strain sensing. The approach involves tracking the location of distinct points of zero and maximum strains, and relating the shift in their location to the changes in soil reaction. The approach may allow the determination of the most suited mechanical model of soil representation as well as model parameters. Routine monitoring using this approach may help to asses the degradation of the subsoil with time as part of structural health monitoring strategies. In this paper, fundamental expressions that relate between the location of distinct strain points and the variation of soil parameters were developed based on various analytical foundation support models. Finally, as an initial validation step and to underpin the idea basics, the proposed method was successfully demonstrated on a simple mechanical setup. It is shown that the approach allows for load-independent characterization of the soil response and, in that sense, it is superior to common identification methods.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 481-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siavash Nejadi ◽  
Juliana Y. Leung ◽  
Japan J. Trivedi ◽  
Claudio Virues

Summary Advancements in horizontal-well drilling and multistage hydraulic fracturing have enabled economically viable gas production from tight formations. Reservoir-simulation models play an important role in the production forecasting and field-development planning. To enhance their predictive capabilities and to capture the uncertainties in model parameters, one should calibrate stochastic reservoir models to both geologic and flow observations. In this paper, a novel approach to characterization and history matching of hydrocarbon production from a hydraulic-fractured shale is presented. This new methodology includes generating multiple discrete-fracture-network (DFN) models, upscaling the models for numerical multiphase-flow simulation, and updating the DFN-model parameters with dynamic-flow responses. First, measurements from hydraulic-fracture treatment, petrophysical interpretation, and in-situ stress data are used to estimate the initial probability distribution of hydraulic-fracture and induced-microfracture parameters, and multiple initial DFN models are generated. Next, the DFN models are upscaled into an equivalent continuum dual-porosity model with analytical techniques. The upscaled models are subjected to the flow simulation, and their production performances are compared with the actual responses. Finally, an assisted-history-matching algorithm is implemented to assess the uncertainties of the DFN-model parameters. Hydraulic-fracture parameters including half-length and transmissivity are updated, and the length, transmissivity, intensity, and spatial distribution of the induced fractures are also estimated. The proposed methodology is applied to facilitate characterization of fracture parameters of a multifractured shale-gas well in the Horn River basin. Fracture parameters and stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) derived from the updated DFN models are in agreement with estimates from microseismic interpretation and rate-transient analysis. The key advantage of this integrated assisted-history-matching approach is that uncertainties in fracture parameters are represented by the multiple equally probable DFN models and their upscaled flow-simulation models, which honor the hard data and match the dynamic production history. This work highlights the significance of uncertainties in SRV and hydraulic-fracture parameters. It also provides insight into the value of microseismic data when integrated into a rigorous production-history-matching work flow.


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