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New physics with evanescent wave atomic mirrors : the van der Waals force and atomic diffraction
(1998)
After a brief introduction to the field of atom optics and to atomic mirrors, we present experimental results obtained in our group during the last two years while studying the reflection of rubidium atoms by an evanescent wave. These involve the first measurement of the van der Waals force between an atom in its ground state and a dielectric wall, as well as the demonstration of a reflection grating for atoms at normal incidence. We also consider the influence of quantum reflection and tunnelling phenomena. Further studies using the atomic mirror as a probe of the van der Waals interaction, and of very small surface roughness are briefly discussed.
The nonlinear interaction of waves excited by the modified two-stream instability (Farley-Buneman instability) is considered. It is found that, during the linear stage of wave growth, the enhanced pressure of the high-frequency part of the waves locally generates a ponderomotive force. This force acts on the plasma particles and redistributes them. Thus an additional electrostatic polarization field occurs, which influences the low-frequency part of the waves. Then, the low-frequency waves also cause a redistribution of the high-frequency waves. In the paper, a self-consistent system of equations is obtained, which describes the nonlinear interaction of the waves. It is shown that the considered mechanism of wave interaction causes a nonlinear stabilization of the high-frequency waves’ growth and a formation of local density structures of the charged particles. The density modifications of the charged particles during the non-linear stage of wave growth and the possible interval of aspect angles of the high-frequency waves are estimated.
We use the concept of phase synchronization for the analysis of noisy nonstationary bivariate data. Phase synchronization is understood in a statistical sense as an existence of preferred values of the phase difference, and two techniques are proposed for a reliable detection of synchronous epochs. These methods are applied to magnetoencephalograms and records of muscle activity of a Parkinsonian patient. We reveal that
Conjugated polymers are organic semiconducting materials that can emit light. These polymers have the advantages of being light, cheap, and easy to process, and in addition the band gap can be tailored. We report the microfabrication of surface light emitting diodes (SLEDs) on silicon substrates in which the electrodes are underneath the organic electroluminescent layer. Patterned electrodes are separated by a 2500Å-thick insulating layer of silicon oxide or are interdigitated with a separation of 10 or 20 µm; the luminescent polymer is spin-coated or solvent cast on top of the electrodes. This fabrication method is completely compatible with conventional silicon processing because the polymer is deposited last and the light is emitted from the upper surface of the diodes. Despite the large spacing between electrodes, and despite the absence of an evaporated top contact, the voltages required for light emission were not much greater than those used in conventional sandwich-type structures
The stability of the quiescent ground state of an incompressible, viscous and electrically conducting fluid sheet, bounded by stress-free parallel planes and driven by an external electric field tangential to the boundaries, is studied numerically. The electrical conductivity varies as cosh–2(x1/a), where x1 is the cross-sheet coordinate and a is the half width of a current layer centered about the midplane of the sheet. For a <~ 0.4L, where L is the distance between the boundary planes, the ground state is unstable to disturbances whose wavelengths parallel to the sheet lie between lower and upper bounds depending on the value of a and on the Hartmann number. Asymmetry of the configuration with respect to the midplane of the sheet, modelled by the addition of an externally imposed constant magnetic field to a symmetric equilibrium field, acts as a stabilizing factor.
The complex behaviour of cardiorespiratory dynamics is shown to be related to the interaction between several physiological oscillators. This study is based on electrocardiogram and respiratory flow data obtained from 3 different subjects during paced breathing at 10 different pacing cycle lengths ranging from 5 s to 12 s. Two different methods ideally suited for the analysis of synchronization pattern of coupled oscillators are applied: 1. Symbolic dynamics based on symbol coding adapted for the detection of respiratory modulation of cardiac parasympathetic activity discloses two regimes of different synchronization behaviour within the frequency area corresponding to the Arnold tongue of 1:1 frequency-locking between respiratory flow and respiratory heartbeat variation (respiratory sinus arrhythmia). 2. The analysis of the phase shift between respiratory flow and respiratory sinus arrhythmia indicates that synchronization is not a static but a dynamic phenomenon. The observed dependence of the phase shift on respiratory cycle length shows large inter-individual variation. These findings turn out to be further hints for the existence of an additional central oscillator in the frequency range of respiration interacting with the central respiratory oscillator driving mechanical respiration.
The bifurcations in a three-dimensional incompressible, electrically conducting fluid with an external forcing of the Roberts type have been studied numerically. The corresponding flow can serve as a model for the convection in the outer core of the Earth and is realized in an ongoing laboratory experiment aimed at demonstrating a dynamo effect. The symmetry group of the problem has been determined and special attention has been paid to symmetry breaking by the bifurcations. The nonmagnetic, steady Roberts flow loses stability to a steady magnetic state, which in turn is subject to secondary bifurcations. The secondary solution branches have been traced until they end up in chaotic states.