Coherent atomic matter waves - Ondes de matiere coherentes

Coherent atomic matter waves - Ondes de matiere coherentes

Author: R. Kaiser

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2007-07-03

Total Pages: 717

ISBN-13: 3540453385

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Progress in atomic physics has been so vigorous during the past decade that one is hard pressed to follow all the new developments. In the early 1990s the first atom interferometers opened a new field in which we have been able to use the wave nature of atoms to probe fundamental quantum me chanics questions as well as to make precision measurements. Coming fast on the heels of this development was the demonstration of Bose Einstein condensation in dilute atomic vapors which intensified research interest in studying the wave nature of matter, especially in a domain in which "macro scopic" quantum effects (vortices, stimulated scattering of atomic beams) are visible. At the same time there has been much progress in our understanding of the behavior of waves (notably electromagnetic) in complex media, both periodic and disordered. An obvious topic of speculation and probably of future research is whether any new insight or applications will develop if one examines the behavior of de Broglie waves in analogous situations. Finally, our ability to manipulate atoms has allowed us not only to create macroscopically occupied quantum states but also to exercise fine control over the quantum states of a small number of atoms. This has advanced to the study of quantum entanglement and its relation to the theory of measurement and the theory of information. The 1990s have also seen an explosion of interest in an exciting potential application of this fine control: quantum computation and quantum cryptography.


Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use

Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use

Author: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Scientific and Technical Information Division

Publisher:

Published: 1965

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13:

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Brief definitions "intended to be as clear as possible to the non-expert, but accuracy has not been compromised for the sake of readability. Mathematics has been used where necessary to avoid ambiguity."--Intro. Published 1965.


Surprises in Theoretical Physics

Surprises in Theoretical Physics

Author: Rudolf Ernst Peierls

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 1979-11-21

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9780691082424

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Problems in theoretical physics often lead to paradoxical answers; yet closer reasoning and a more complete analysis invariably lead to the resolution of the paradox and to a deeper understanding of the physics involved. Drawing primarily from his own experience and that of his collaborators, Sir Rudolf Peierls selects examples of such "surprises" from a wide range of physical theory, from quantum mechanical scattering theory to the theory of relativity, from irreversibility in statistical mechanics to the behavior of electrons in solids. By studying such surprises and learning what kind of possibilities to look for, he suggests, scientists may be able to avoid errors in future problems. In some cases the surprise is that the outcome of a calculation is contrary to what physical intuition seems to demand. In other instances an approximation that looks convincing turns out to be unjustified, or one that looks unreasonable turns out to be adequate. Professor Peierls does not suggest, however, that theoretical physics is a hazardous game in which one can never foresee the surprises a detailed calculation might reveal. Rather, he contends, all the surprises discussed have rational explanations, most of which are very simple, at least in principle. This book is based on the author's lectures at the University of Washington in the spring of 1977 and at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire, University de Paris-Sud, Orsay, during the winter of 1977-1978.