Chaotic Scattering Research Articles

Measure for Chaotic Scattering Amplitudes.

We propose a novel measure of chaotic scattering amplitudes. It takes the form of a log-normal distribution function for the ratios r_{n}=δ_{n}/δ_{n+1} of (consecutive) spacings δ_{n} between two (consecutive) peaks of the scattering amplitude. We show that the same measure applies to the quantum mechanical scattering on a leaky torus as well as to the decay of highly excited string states into two tachyons. Quite remarkably, the r_{n} obey the same distribution that governs the nontrivial zeros of Riemann ζ function.

Blocky Diagonalized Scattering Matrices in Chaotic Scattering with Direct Processes

Scattering matrices that can be diagonalized by a rotation through an angle θ in 2×2 blocks of independent scattering matrices of rank N, are considered. Assuming that the independent scattering matrices are chosen from one of the circular ensembles, or from the Poisson kernel, the 2N×2N scattering matrix may describe the scattering through chaotic cavities with reduced symmetry in the absence, or presence, of direct processes, respectively. To illustrate the effect of such symmetry, the statistical distribution of the dimensionless conductance through a ballistic chaotic cavity in the presence of direct processes is analyzed for N=1 using analytical calculations. We make a conjecture for N=2 in the absence of direct processes, which is verified by numerical random-matrix theory simulations, and the first two moments are calculated analytically for arbitrary N.

Semiclassical Calculation of Time Delay Statistics in Chaotic Quantum Scattering

Semiclassical Calculation of Time Delay Statistics in Chaotic Quantum Scattering

Semiclassical Limits of Distorted Plane Waves in Chaotic Scattering Without a Pressure Condition

Abstract In this paper, we study the semiclassical behavior of distorted plane waves, on manifolds that are Euclidean near infinity or hyperbolic near infinity, and of non-positive curvature. Assuming that there is a strip without resonances below the real axis, we show that distorted plane waves are bounded in $L^2_{loc}$ independently of $h$ and that they admit a unique semiclassical measure and we prove bounds on their $L^p_{loc}$ norms.

The effect of deformation of absorbing scatterers on Mie-type signatures in infrared microspectroscopy

Mie-type scattering features such as ripples (i.e., sharp shape-resonance peaks) and wiggles (i.e., broad oscillations), are frequently-observed scattering phenomena in infrared microspectroscopy of cells and tissues. They appear in general when the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is of the same order as the size of the scatterer. By use of approximations to the Mie solutions for spheres, iterative algorithms have been developed to retrieve pure absorbance spectra. However, the question remains to what extent the Mie solutions, and approximations thereof, describe the extinction efficiency in practical situations where the shapes of scatterers deviate considerably from spheres. The aim of the current study is to investigate how deviations from a spherical scatterer can change the extinction properties of the scatterer in the context of chaos in wave systems. For this purpose, we investigate a chaotic scatterer and compare it with an elliptically shaped scatterer, which exhibits only regular scattering. We find that chaotic scattering has an accelerating effect on the disappearance of Mie ripples. We further show that the presence of absorption and the high numerical aperture of infrared microscopes does not explain the absence of ripples in most measurements of biological samples.

Chaos: A new mechanism for enhancing the optical generation rate in optically thin solar cells.

The photogenerated current of solar cells can be enhanced by light management with surface structures. For solar cells with optically thin absorbing layers, it is especially important to take advantage of this fact through light trapping. The general idea behind light trapping is to use structures, either on the front surface or on the back, to scatter light rays to maximize their path length in the absorber. In this paper, we investigate the potential of chaotic scattering for light trapping. It is well known that the trajectories close to the invariant set of a chaotic scatterer spend a very long time inside of the scatterer before they leave. The invariant set, also called the chaotic repeller, contains all rays of infinite length that never enter or leave the region of the scatterer. If chaotic repellers exist in a system, a chaotic dynamics is present in the scatterer. As a model system, we investigate an elliptical dome structure placed on top of an optically thin absorbing film, a system inspired by the chaotic Bunimovich stadium. A classical ray-tracing program has been developed to classify the scattering dynamics and to evaluate the absorption efficiency, modeled with Beer-Lambert's law. We find that there is a strong correlation between the enhancement of absorption efficiency and the onset of chaotic scattering in such systems. The dynamics of the systems was shown to be chaotic by their positive Lyapunov exponents and the noninteger fractal dimension of their scattering fractals.

Reflection Time Difference as a Probe of S-Matrix Zeroes in Chaotic Resonance Scattering

Motivated by recent interest in the zeroes of S-matrix entries in the complex energy plane, I use the Heidelberg model of resonance scattering to introduce the notion of Reflection Time Difference which is shown to play the same role for the {\it zeroes} as the Wigner time delay plays for the S- matrix {\it poles}.

Distribution of Off-Diagonal Cross Sections in Quantum Chaotic Scattering: Exact Results and Data Comparison.

The recently derived distributions for the scattering-matrix elements in quantum chaotic systems are not accessible in the majority of experiments, whereas the cross sections are. We analytically compute distributions for the off-diagonal cross sections in the Heidelberg approach, which is applicable to a wide range of quantum chaotic systems. Thus, eventually, we fully solve a problem that already arose more than half a century ago in compound-nucleus scattering. We compare our results with data from microwave and compound-nucleus experiments, particularly addressing the transition from isolated resonances towards the Ericson regime of strongly overlapping ones.

Acceleration of the charged particles due to chaotic scattering in the combined black hole gravitational field and asymptotically uniform magnetic field

To test the role of large-scale magnetic fields in accretion processes, we study dynamics of charged test particles in vicinity of a black hole immersed into an asymptotically uniform magnetic field. Using the Hamiltonian formalism of charged particle dynamics, we examine chaotic scattering in the effective potential related to the black hole gravitational field combined with the uniform magnetic field. Energy interchange between the translational and oscillatory modes od the charged particle dynamics provides mechanism for charged particle acceleration along the magnetic field lines. This energy transmutation is an attribute of the chaotic charged particle dynamics in the combined gravitational and magnetic fields only, the black hole rotation is not necessary for such charged particle acceleration. The chaotic scatter can cause transition to the motion along the magnetic field lines with small radius of the Larmor motion or vanishing Larmor radius, when the speed of the particle translational motion is largest and can be ultra-relativistic. We discuss consequences of the model of ionization of test particles forming a neutral accretion disc, or heavy ions following off-equatorial circular orbits, and we explore the fate of heavy charged test particles after ionization where no kick of heavy ions is assumed and only switch-on effect of the magnetic field is relevant. We demonstrate that acceleration and escape of the ionized particles can be efficient along the Kerr black hole symmetry axis parallel to the magnetic field lines. We show that strong acceleration of ionized particles to ultra-relativistic velocities is preferred in the direction close to the magnetic field lines. Therefore, the process of ionization of Keplerian discs around Kerr black holes can serve as a model of relativistic jets.

Chaotic Scattering: Exact Results and Microwave Experiments

Chaotic Scattering: Exact Results and Microwave Experiments

Emergence of Chaotic Scattering in Ultracold Er and Dy.

We show that for ultracold magnetic lanthanide atoms chaotic scattering emerges due to a combination of anisotropic interaction potentials and Zeeman coupling under an external magnetic field. This scattering is studied in a collaborative experimental and theoretical effort for both dysprosium and erbium. We present extensive atom-loss measurements of their dense magnetic Feshbach-resonance spectra, analyze their statistical properties, and compare to predictions from a random-matrix-theory-inspired model. Furthermore, theoretical coupled-channels simulations of the anisotropic molecular Hamiltonian at zero magnetic field show that weakly bound, near threshold diatomic levels form overlapping, uncoupled chaotic series that when combined are randomly distributed. The Zeeman interaction shifts and couples these levels, leading to a Feshbach spectrum of zero-energy bound states with nearest-neighbor spacings that changes from randomly to chaotically distributed for increasing magnetic field. Finally, we show that the extreme temperature sensitivity of a small, but sizable fraction of the resonances in the Dy and Er atom-loss spectra is due to resonant nonzero partial-wave collisions. Our threshold analysis for these resonances indicates a large collision-energy dependence of the three-body recombination rate.

Effect of chiral symmetry on chaotic scattering from Majorana zero modes.

In many of the experimental systems that may host Majorana zero modes, a so-called chiral symmetry exists that protects overlapping zero modes from splitting up. This symmetry is operative in a superconducting nanowire that is narrower than the spin-orbit scattering length, and at the Dirac point of a superconductor-topological insulator heterostructure. Here we show that chiral symmetry strongly modifies the dynamical and spectral properties of a chaotic scatterer, even if it binds only a single zero mode. These properties are quantified by the Wigner-Smith time-delay matrix Q=-iℏS^{†}dS/dE, the Hermitian energy derivative of the scattering matrix, related to the density of states by ρ=(2πℏ)^{-1}TrQ. We compute the probability distribution of Q and ρ, dependent on the number ν of Majorana zero modes, in the chiral ensembles of random-matrix theory. Chiral symmetry is essential for a significant ν dependence.

Distribution of Scattering Matrix Elements in Quantum Chaotic Scattering

Scattering is an important phenomenon which is observed in systems ranging from the micro- to macroscale. In the context of nuclear reaction theory, the Heidelberg approach was proposed and later demonstrated to be applicable to many chaotic scattering systems. To model the universal properties, stochasticity is introduced to the scattering matrix on the level of the Hamiltonian by using random matrices. A long-standing problem was the computation of the distribution of the off-diagonal scattering-matrix elements. We report here an exact solution to this problem and present analytical results for systems with preserved and with violated time-reversal invariance. Our derivation is based on a new variant of the supersymmetry method. We also validate our results with scattering data obtained from experiments with microwave billiards.

Delay-time and thermopower distributions at the spectrum edges of a chaotic scatterer

We study chaotic scattering outside the wide band limit, as the Fermi energy $E_F$ approaches the band edges $E_B$ of a one-dimensional lattice embedding a scattering region of M sites. We show that the delay-time and thermopower distributions differ near the edges from the universal expressions valid in the bulk. To obtain the asymptotic universal forms of these edge distributions, one must keep constant the energy distance $E_F-E_B$ measured in units of the same energy scale proportional to $\propto M^{-1/3}$ which is used for rescaling the energy level spacings at the spectrum edges of large Gaussian matrices. In particular the delay-time and the thermopower have the same universal edge distributions for arbitrary M as those for an M=2 scatterer, which we obtain analytically.

Non-adiabatic pumping in classical and quantum chaotic scatterers

We study directed transport in periodically forced scattering systems in the regime of fast and strong driving where the dynamics is mixed to chaotic and adiabatic approximations do not apply. The model employed is a square potential well undergoing lateral oscillations, alternatively as two- or single-parameter driving. Mechanisms of directed transport are analyzed in terms of asymmetric irregular scattering processes. Quantizing the system in the framework of Floquet scattering theory, we calculate directed currents on the basis of transmission and reflection probabilities obtained by numerical wavepacket scattering. We observe classical as well as quantum transport beyond linear response, manifest in particular in a non-zero current for single-parameter driving where according to adiabatic theory, it should vanish identically.

Change detection method based on fractal model and wavelet transform for multitemporal SAR images

The interaction is quite complex between a ground object and an electromagnetic wave transmitted by synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In a ground resolution cell illuminated by a radar beam, there are many chaotic scatterers and the whole scattering echo has the chaotic characteristics which is usually described with the fractal theory, and the fractal dimension can be used to detect the change information for multitemporal SAR images. In order to improve the change detection effect with fractal model, this paper proposes a new multitemporal SAR image change detection algorithm based on the fractal model and wavelet transform (called FMWT algorithm). The FMWT algorithm has two advantages. One is insensitive to speckle noise; the other is that the change detection accuracy is improved, comparing with a general fractal change detection (GFCD) algorithm. Since the FMWT algorithm adopts the two-dimensional discrete stationary wavelet transform (TDDSWT) technique, it can obtain different direction sub-images and avoid down-sampling of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In the paper, not only the simulative data test has been carried out, but also the real natural disaster SAR images have been checked. Experimental results verify that the FMWT algorithm is feasible for multitemporal SAR image change detection, it is not sensitive to speckle noise of SAR images, and the performance of it is better than that of the GFCD algorithm. At the same time, the size of a sliding window will bring some affection in counting fractal dimensions.

Noise-Enhanced Trapping in Chaotic Scattering

We show that noise enhances the trapping of trajectories in scattering systems. In fully chaotic systems, the decay rate can decrease with increasing noise due to a generic mismatch between the noiseless escape rate and the value predicted by the Liouville measure of the exit set. In Hamiltonian systems with mixed phase space we show that noise leads to a slower algebraic decay due to trajectories performing a random walk inside Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser islands. We argue that these noise-enhanced trapping mechanisms exist in most scattering systems and are likely to be dominant for small noise intensities, which is confirmed through a detailed investigation in the Hénon map. Our results can be tested in fluid experiments, affect the fractal Weyl's law of quantum systems, and modify the estimations of chemical reaction rates based on phase-space transition state theory.

Semiclassical Resolvent Estimates in Chaotic Scattering

We prove resolvent estimates for semiclassical operators such as − h 2 Δ + V(x) in scattering situations. Provided the set of trapped classical trajectories supports a chaotic flow and is sufficiently filamentary, the analytic continuation of the resolvent is bounded by h − M in a strip whose width is determined by a certain topological pressure associated with the classical flow. This polynomial estimate has applications to local smoothing in Schrodinger propagation and to energy decay of solutions to wave equations.

Dynamical trapping and chaotic scattering of the harmonically driven barrier

A detailed analysis of the classical nonlinear dynamics of a single driven square potential barrier with harmonically oscillating position is performed. The system exhibits dynamical trapping which is associated with the existence of a stable island in phase space. Due to the unstable periodic orbits of the KAM structure, the driven barrier is a chaotic scatterer and shows stickiness of scattering trajectories in the vicinity of the stable island. The transmission function of a suitably prepared ensemble yields results which are very similar to tunneling resonances in the quantum mechanical regime. However, the origin of these resonances is different in the classical regime.

Chaotic scattering by steep repelling potentials

Consider a classical two-dimensional scattering problem: a ray is scattered by a potential composed of several tall, repelling, steep mountains of arbitrary shape. We study when the traditional approximation of this nonlinear far-from-integrable problem by the corresponding simpler billiard problem, of scattering by hard-wall obstacles of similar shape, is justified. For one class of chaotic scatterers, named here regular Sinai scatterers, the scattering properties of the smooth system indeed limit to those of the billiards. For another class, the singular Sinai scatterers, these two scattering problems have essential differences: though the invariant set of such singular scatterers is hyperbolic (possibly with singularities), that of the smooth flow may have stable periodic orbits, even when the potential is arbitrarily steep. It follows that the fractal dimension of the scattering function of the smooth flow may be significantly altered by changing the ratio between the steepness parameter and a parameter which measures the billiards' deviation from a singular scatterer. Thus, even in this singular case, the billiard scattering problem is utilized as a skeleton for studying the properties of the smooth flow. Finally, we see that corners have nontrivial and significant impact on the scattering functions.