Strong Coupling Phenomena Research Articles

Nano-Mechanical Probing of Synaptic Activity at Dendritic Spines

Dendritic spines are small structures found covering the dendrites of neurons, forming excitatory synapses throughout the brain. These structures are a fundamental element in neural circuits, allowing many synaptic inputs to be processed by a single neuron. Due to their sub-micron size, however, it is very difficult to study the individual synaptic properties of spines using conventional methods such as electrophysiology and optical measurements. In particular, direct measurement of the membrane depolarization that occurs in the spines is needed to fully understand their function. While probing spines with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) we have observed spontaneous, mechanical events at the spine head which last for ∼10ms. During these events, the apparent height of spines increases abruptly with a temporal pattern that exhibits features similar to action potentials. Using different AFM recording modes we have measured changing forces between the AFM tip and spine head that accompany these height changes. We have used these measurements to test a mechanical model of the spine that can explain the observed behavior. Our observations suggest a strong electromechanical coupling phenomenon occurring specifically at spines that may facilitate non-invasive probing of individual synaptic activity by AFM.

Strong-coupling electrostatic theory of polymer counterions close to planar charges.

Strong-coupling phenomena, such as like-charge macroion attraction, opposite-charged macroion repulsion, charge renormalization, and charge inversion, are known to be mediated by multivalent counterions. Most theories treat the counterions as point charges and describe the system by a single coupling parameter that measures the strength of the Coulomb interactions. In many biological systems, the counterions are highly charged and have finite sizes and can be well-described by polyelectrolytes. The shapes and orientations of these polymer counterions play a major role in the thermodynamics of these systems. In this work we apply a field-theoretic description in the strong-coupling regime to the polymer counterions in the presence of a fixed charge distribution. We work out the special cases of rodlike polymer counterions confined by one, and two charged walls, respectively. The effects of the geometry of the rodlike counterions and the excluded volume of the walls on the density, pressure, and free energy of the rodlike counterions are discussed.

Cavity-Induced Modifications of Molecular Structure in the Strong-Coupling Regime

In most theoretical descriptions of collective strong coupling of organic molecules to a cavity mode, the molecules are modeled as simple two-level systems. This picture fails to describe the rich structure provided by their internal rovibrational (nuclear) degrees of freedom. We investigate a first-principles model that fully takes into account both electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, allowing an exploration of the phenomenon of strong coupling from an entirely new perspective. First, we demonstrate the limitations of applicability of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation in strongly coupled molecule-cavity structures. For the case of two molecules, we also show how dark states, which within the two-level picture are effectively decoupled from the cavity, are indeed affected by the formation of collective strong coupling. Finally, we discuss ground-state modifications in the ultra-strong coupling regime and show that some molecular observables are affected by the collective coupling strength, while others only depend on the single-molecule coupling constant.

Strong coupling between surface plasmon polaritons and emitters: a review

In this review we look at the concepts and state-of-the-art concerning the strong coupling of surface plasmon-polariton modes to states associated with quantum emitters such as excitons in J-aggregates, dye molecules and quantum dots. We explore the phenomenon of strong coupling with reference to a number of examples involving electromagnetic fields and matter. We then provide a concise description of the relevant background physics of surface plasmon polaritons. An extensive overview of the historical background and a detailed discussion of more recent relevant experimental advances concerning strong coupling between surface plasmon polaritons and quantum emitters is then presented. Three conceptual frameworks are then discussed and compared in depth: classical, semi-classical and fully quantum mechanical; these theoretical frameworks will have relevance to strong coupling beyond that involving surface plasmon polaritons. We conclude our review with a perspective on the future of this rapidly emerging field, one we are sure will grow to encompass more intriguing physics and will develop in scope to be of relevance to other areas of science.

Schwinger–Dyson equation and NJL approximation in massive gauge theory with fermions

We consider massive SU(N) gauge theory with fermions. Gauge bosons become massive due to the interaction with the scalar field, whose vacuum average provides the spontaneous breakdown of gauge symmetry. We investigate Dyson–Schwinger equation for the fermion propagator written in ladder approximation and in Landau gauge. Our analysis demonstrates that the chiral symmetry breaking in the considered theory is the strong coupling phenomenon. There are the indications that there appears the second order phase transition between chirally broken and symmetric phases of the theory at the value of coupling constant αc=(1+γ)×π3×12C2(F), where 0<γ<1, and γ depends on the scale, at which the fluctuations of the scalar field destroy the gauge boson mass. In the broken phase near the critical value of α the Dyson–Schwinger equation is approximated well by the gap equation of the effective Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model with the value of cutoff around gauge boson mass M and the effective four-fermion coupling constant 4παM2×2C2(F)N. The dynamical fermion mass m may be essentially smaller than M.

Hadrons on the worldline, holography, and Wilson flow

Holographic principles have impacted the way we look at strong coupling phenomena in quantum chromodynamics, strongly interacting extensions of the standard model, and {condensed-matter} physics. In real world settings, however, we still lack understanding of why and when such an approach is justified. Therefore, here, without invoking any such principle a priori, we demonstrate how such a picture arises in the worldline formulation of quantum field theory. Among other connections to holographic models, a warped AdS5 geometry, a quantum mechanical picture, and hidden local symmetry emerge, as well as a Wilson flow (gradient flow), which extends the four-dimensional sources to five-dimensional fields and a link to the Gutzwiller trace formula. The worldline formulation also reproduces the non-relativistic case, which is important for condensed-matter physics.

Fabrication of ZnSe‐based microcavities for lasing in the strong coupling regime and polariton confinement

AbstractWe report on the realization of monolithic, i.e. fully epitaxial ZnSe‐based microcavities with a 1λ‐cavity and a 3λ‐cavity for the investigation of strong coupling phenomena. A crucial building block is the fabrication of a lattice matched distributed Bragg reflector for the blue spectral region, consisting of quaternary ZnMgSSe layers as the high‐index material and a MgS/ZnCdSe superlattice as the low‐index material. Strong coupling at low temperatures was achieved with a vacuum Rabi splitting of 19 meV for the 1λ‐cavity (at 70K) and of 40 meV for the 3λ‐cavity (at 7 K).Microstructures such as micropillars, waveguides, ringresonators, and molecule chains were fabricated using focused ion‐beam etching. Discrete optical modes in micropillars were observed for both cavity lengths confirming three‐dimensional optical confinement. Q‐factors up to 6500 indicate a high optical quality. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Boundary layer effects on the vortex shedding in a Donaldson- type hydrofoil

Fluid - Structure Interaction (FSI) phenomena is becoming a relevant study field for the design or revamping of hydropower plants. The generalized trend of increasing flow rates and reducing rotor blades/stay vanes thickness in order to improve the efficiency of the machine together with a major push from plant owners/operators for production flexibility (partial load operation is more common nowadays) make the FSI between the vortex shedding phenomenon and the vanes/blades of the machine an area of interest. From a design point of view, the machine structure has to resist all the hydrodynamic forces generated and maintain tension stresses under the fatigue limit to ensure a machine lifetime of several decades. To accomplish that goal, designers have to assure there is no presence of strong coupling phenomena (lock-in) between the vortex shedding frequency and the eigenfrequencies of the structure.As the vortex street is directly related to the state of the boundary layer along the hydrofoil, in this paper the effect of the boundary layer on the vortex shedding in a Donaldson-type hydrofoil is studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The development of the boundary layer along the Donaldson trailing edge hydrofoil chord is presented under lock-off conditions. The results are validated against previously obtained experimental results. Since the Donaldson trailing edge is non-symmetric, the boundary layer velocity profiles are reported for the suction and pressure side of the hydrofoil. In addition, the effect of the Donaldson trailing edge on laminar-to-turbulent transition on both sides of the hydrofoil is studied.

Strong coupling behavior of the neutron resonance mode in unconventional superconductors

We analyze whether and how the neutron resonance mode in unconventional superconductors is affected by higher order corrections in the coupling between spin excitations and fermionic quasiparticles and find that in general such corrections cannot be ignored. In particular, we find that in two spatial dimensions (d=2) the corrections are of same order as the leading, weak coupling contributions demonstrating that the neutron resonance mode in unconventional superconductors is a strong coupling phenomenon. The origin of this behavior lies in the quantum-critical nature of the low energy spin dynamics in the superconducting state and the feedback of the resonance mode onto the fermionic excitations. While quantum critical fluctuations occur in any dimensionality smaller than the upper critical dimension d_{uc}=3, they can be analyzed in a controlled fashion by means of the \epsilon-expansion (\epsilon =3-d), such that the leading corrections to the resonance mode position are small. Regardless of the strong coupling nature of the resonance mode we show that it emerges only if the phase of the superconducting gap function varies on the Fermi surface, making it a powerful tool to investigate the microscopic structure of the pair condensate.

Experimental Validation of Resonant Microwave Transmission Through Subwavelength Ridged Circular Apertures in Thin Conducting Screen

ABSTRACTThe resonant microwave transmission characteristics through subwavelength ridged circular apertures (SRCAs) are investigated based on experimental observations beyond the near‐field (NF) region. The measured received power levels at the far‐field (FF) region for several SRCA arrangements are also confirmed using numerically calculated FF values transformed from the scattered NF of the SRCAs. The measured enhancements in the power throughputs for the multiple SRCA arrangements clearly confirm strong mutual coupling phenomena among the SRCAs, as previously predicted theoretically. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2497–2501, 2013

Room-Temperature Polariton Lasing from GaN Nanowire Array Clad by Dielectric Microcavity

Room-temperature polariton lasing from a GaN-dielectric microcavity is demonstrated with optical excitation. The device is fabricated with a GaN nanowire array clad by Si3N4/SiO2-distributed Bragg reflectors. The nanowire array is initially grown on silicon substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. A distinct nonlinearity in the lower polariton emission is observed at a threshold optical energy density of 625 nJ/cm(2), accompanied by significant line width narrowing to 5 meV and a small blue shift of ~1 meV. The measured polariton dispersion is characterized by a Rabi splitting of 40 meV and a cavity exciton detuning of -17 meV. The device described here is a demonstration of exciton-photon strong coupling phenomenon in an array of light emitters and paves the way for the realization of a room temperature electrically injected polariton laser.

Gluing branes — II: flavour physics and string duality

Recently we discussed new aspects of degenerate brane configurations, which can appear in the context of heterotic strings, perturbative type II, or M/F-theory. Here we continue our study of degenerate brane configurations, focussing on two applications. First we show how the notion of gluing can be viewed as a tool to engineer flavour structures in F-theory and type IIb, such as models with bulk matter and with Yukawa textures arising from the holomorphic zero mechanism. We find that there is in principle enough structure to solve some of the major flavour problems without generating exotics. In particular, we show how this addresses the μ-problem, doublet/triplet splitting and proton decay. Secondly, we describe the Fourier-Mukai transform of heterotic monad constructions, which occur in the large volume limit of heterotic linear sigma model vacua. Degenerate structures again often appear. One may use this to explore strong coupling phenomena using heterotic/F-theory duality.

Theory of strong coupling between quantum emitters and propagating surface plasmons.

Here we present the theoretical foundation of the strong coupling phenomenon between quantum emitters and propagating surface plasmons observed in two-dimensional metal surfaces. For that purpose, we develop a quantum framework that accounts for the coherent coupling between emitters and surface plasmons and incorporates the presence of dissipation and dephasing. Our formalism is able to reveal the key physical mechanisms that explain the reported phenomenology and also determine the physical parameters that optimize the strong coupling. A discussion regarding the classical or quantum nature of this phenomenon is also presented.

Complex (dusty) plasmas—kinetic studies of strong coupling phenomena

“Dusty plasmas” can be found almost everywhere—in the interstellar medium, in star and planet formation, in the solar system in the Earth’s atmosphere, and in the laboratory. In astrophysical plasmas, the dust component accounts for only about 1% of the mass, nevertheless this component has a profound influence on the thermodynamics, the chemistry, and the dynamics. Important physical processes are charging, sputtering, cooling, light absorption, and radiation pressure, connecting electromagnetic forces to gravity. Surface chemistry is another important aspect. In the laboratory, there is great interest in industrial processes (e.g., etching, vapor deposition) and—at the fundamental level—in the physics of strong coupling phenomena. Here, the dust (or microparticles) are the dominant component of the multi-species plasma. The particles can be observed in real time and space, individually resolved at all relevant length and time scales. This provides an unprecedented means for studying self-organisation processes in many-particle systems, including the onset of cooperative phenomena. Due to the comparatively large mass of the microparticles (10-12to10-9g), precision experiments are performed on the ISS. The following topics will be discussed: Phase transitions, phase separation, electrorheology, flow phenomena including the onset of turbulence at the kinetic level.

The quantum mechanics of perfect fluids

We consider the canonical quantization of an ordinary fluid. The resulting long-distance effective field theory is derivatively coupled, and therefore strongly coupled in the UV. The system however exhibits a number of peculiarities, associated with the vortex degrees of freedom. On the one hand, these have formally a vanishing strong-coupling energy scale, thus suggesting that the effective theory's regime of validity is vanishingly narrow. On the other hand, we prove an analog of Coleman's theorem, whereby the semiclassical vacuum has no quantum counterpart, thus suggesting that the vortex premature strong-coupling phenomenon stems from a bad identification of the ground state and of the perturbative degrees of freedom. Finally, vortices break the usual connection between short distances and high energies, thus potentially impairing the unitarity of the effective theory.

Self-protection of massive cosmological gravitons

Relevant deformations of gravity present an exciting window of opportunity to probe the rigidity of gravity on cosmological scales. For a single-graviton theory, the leading relevant deformation constitutes a graviton mass term.In this paper, we investigate the classical and quantum stability of massive cosmologicalgravitons on generic Friedman backgrounds. For a Universe expanding towards a deSitter epoch, we find that massive cosmological gravitons are self-protected againstunitarity violations by a strong coupling phenomenon.

Superfluid density of states and pseudogap phenomenon in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a superfluid Fermi gas

We investigate single-particle excitations and strong-coupling effects in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a superfluid Fermi gas. Including phase and amplitude fluctuations of the superfluid order parameter within a $T$-matrix theory, we calculate the superfluid density of states (DOS), as well as single-particle spectral weight, over the entire BCS-BEC crossover region below the superfluid transition temperature $T_{\rm c}$. We clarify how the pseudogap in the normal state evolves into the superfluid gap, as one passes through $T_{\rm c}$. While the pseudogap in DOS continuously evolves into the superfluid gap in the weak-coupling BCS regime, the superfluid gap in the crossover region is shown to appear in DOS after the pseudogap disappears below $T_{\rm c}$. In the phase diagram with respect to the temperature and interaction strength, we determine the region where strong pairing fluctuations dominate over single-particle properties of the system. Our results would be useful for the study of strong-coupling phenomena in the BCS-BEC crossover regime of a superfluid Fermi gas.

Up on the Jaynes–Cummings ladder of a quantum-dot/microcavity system

In spite of their different natures, light and matter can be unified under the strong-coupling regime, yielding superpositions of the two, referred to as dressed states or polaritons. After initially being demonstrated in bulk semiconductors and atomic systems, strong-coupling phenomena have been recently realized in solid-state optical microcavities. Strong coupling is an essential ingredient in the physics spanning from many-body quantum coherence phenomena, such as Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity, to cavity quantum electrodynamics. Within cavity quantum electrodynamics, the Jaynes-Cummings model describes the interaction of a single fermionic two-level system with a single bosonic photon mode. For a photon number larger than one, known as quantum strong coupling, a significant anharmonicity is predicted for the ladder-like spectrum of dressed states. For optical transitions in semiconductor nanostructures, first signatures of the quantum strong coupling were recently reported. Here we use advanced coherent nonlinear spectroscopy to explore a strongly coupled exciton-cavity system. We measure and simulate its four-wave mixing response, granting direct access to the coherent dynamics of the first and second rungs of the Jaynes-Cummings ladder. The agreement of the rich experimental evidence with the predictions of the Jaynes-Cummings model is proof of the quantum strong-coupling regime in the investigated solid-state system.

Complex plasmas: An interdisciplinary research field

Complex (dusty) plasmas are composed of a weakly ionized gas and charged microparticles and represent the plasma state of soft matter. Complex plasmas have several remarkable features: Dynamical time scales associated with microparticles are ``stretched'' to tens of milliseconds, yet the microparticles themselves can be easily visualized individually. Furthermore, since the background gas is dilute, the particle dynamics in strongly coupled complex plasmas is virtually undamped, which provides a direct analogy to regular liquids and solids in terms of the atomistic dynamics. Finally, complex plasmas can be easily manipulated in different ways---also at the level of individual particles. Altogether, this gives us a unique opportunity to go beyond the limits of continuous media and study---at the kinetic level---various generic processes occurring in liquids or solids, in regimes ranging from the onset of cooperative phenomena to large strongly coupled systems. In the first part of the review some of the basic and new physics are highlighted which complex plasmas enable us to study, and in the second (major) part strong coupling phenomena in an interdisciplinary context are examined. The connections with complex fluids are emphasized and a number of generic liquid and solid-state issues are addressed. In summary, application oriented research is discussed.

The partonic nature of instantons

In both Yang-Mills theories and sigma models, instantons are endowed with degrees of freedom associated to their scale size and orientation. It has long been conjectured that these degrees of freedom have a dual interpretation as the positions of partonic constituents of the instanton. These conjectures are usually framed in d=3+1 and d=1+1 dimensions respectively where the partons are supposed to be responsible for confinement and other strong coupling phenomena. We revisit this partonic interpretation of instantons in the context of d=4+1 and d=2+1 dimensions. Here the instantons are particle-like solitons and the theories are non-renormalizable. We present an explicit and calculable model in d=2+1 dimensions where the single soliton in the CP^N sigma-model can be shown to be a multi-particle state whose partons are identified with the ultra-violet degrees of freedom which render the theory well-defined at high energies. We introduce a number of methods which reveal the partons inside the soliton, including deforming the sigma model and a dual version of the Bogomolnyi equations. We conjecture that partons inside Yang-Mills instantons hold the key to understanding the ultra-violet completion of five-dimensional gauge theories.