G. J. Conduit

Strategies for improving the efficiency of quantum Monte Carlo calculations.

We describe a number of strategies for minimizing and calculating accurately the statistical uncertainty in quantum Monte Carlo calculations. We investigate the impact of the sampling algorithm on the efficiency of the variational Monte Carlo method. We then propose a technique to maximize the efficiency of the linear extrapolation of diffusion Monte Carlo results to zero time step, finding that a relative time-step ratio of 1:4 is optimal. Finally, we discuss the removal of serial correlation from data sets by reblocking, setting out criteria for the choice of block length and quantifying the effects of the uncertainty in the estimated correlation length.

Repulsive atomic gas in a harmonic trap on the border of itinerant ferromagnetism.

Alongside superfluidity, itinerant (Stoner) ferromagnetism remains one of the most well-characterized phases of correlated Fermi systems. A recent experiment has reported the first evidence for novel phase behavior on the repulsive side of the Feshbach resonance in a two-component ultracold Fermi gas. By adapting recent theoretical studies to the atomic trap geometry, we show that an adiabatic ferromagnetic transition would take place at a weaker interaction strength than is observed in experiment. This discrepancy motivates a simple nonequilibrium theory that takes account of the dynamics of magnetic defects and three-body losses. The formalism developed displays good quantitative agreement with experiment.

Ferromagnetic spin correlations in a few-fermion system

We study the spin correlations of a few fermions in a quasi one-dimensional trap. Exact diagonalization calculations demonstrate that repulsive interactions between the two species drives ferromagnetic correlations. The ejection probability of an atom provides an experimental probe of the spin correlations. With more than five atoms trapped, the system approaches the itinerant Stoner limit. Losses to Feshbach molecules are suppressed by the discretization of energy levels when fewer than seven atoms are trapped.

Line of Dirac monopoles embedded in a Bose-Einstein condensate

The gauge field of a uniform line of magnetic monopoles is created using a single Laguerre-Gauss laser mode and a gradient in the physical magnetic field. We study the effect of these monopoles on a Bose condensed atomic gas, whose vortex structure transforms when more than six monopoles are trapped within the cloud. Finally, we study this transition with the collective modes.

Itinerant ferromagnetism in an interacting Fermi gas with mass imbalance

We study the emergence of itinerant ferromagnetism in an ultracold atomic gas with a variable mass ratio between the up- and down-spin species. Mass imbalance breaks the SU(2) spin symmetry, leading to a modified Stoner criterion. We first elucidate the phase behavior in both the grand canonical and canonical ensembles. Second, we apply the formalism to a harmonic trap to demonstrate how a mass imbalance delivers unique experimental signatures of ferromagnetism. These could help future experiments to better identify the putative ferromagnetic state. Furthermore, we highlight how a mass imbalance suppresses the three-body loss processes that handicap the formation of a ferromagnetic state. Finally, we study the time-dependent formation of the ferromagnetic phase following a quench in the interaction strength.

Itinerant ferromagnetism in an atomic Fermi gas: Influence of population imbalance

We investigate ferromagnetic ordering in an itinerant ultracold atomic Fermi gas with repulsive interactions and population imbalance. In a spatially uniform system, we show that at zero temperature the transition to the itinerant magnetic phase transforms from first to second order with increasing population imbalance. Drawing on these results, we elucidate the phases present in a trapped geometry, finding three characteristic types of behavior with changing population imbalance. Finally, we outline the potential experimental implications of the findings.

Extracting semiconductor band gap zero-point corrections from experimental data

We present a general harmonic theory for the temperature dependence of phonon-renormalized properties of solids. Firstly, we formulate a perturbation theory in phonon-phonon interactions to calculate the phonon renormalization of physical quantities. Secondly, we propose two new schemes for extrapolating phonon zero-point corrections from temperature dependent data that improve the accuracy by an order of magnitude compared to previous approaches. Finally, we consider the lowtemperature limit of the class of observables that includes the electronic band gap, obtaining a T 4 dependence in three dimensions, T 2 in two dimensions, and T 3/2 in one dimension.

Theory of quantum paraelectrics and the metaelectric transition

We present a microscopic model of the quantum paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transition with a focus on the influence of coupled fluctuating phonon modes. These may drive the continuous phase-transition first order through a metaelectric transition and furthermore stimulate the emergence of a textured phase that preempts the transition. We discuss two further consequences of fluctuations, first for the heat capacity, and second we show that the inverse paraelectric susceptibility displays

A colour contrast assessment system: design for people with visual impairment

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Materials data validation and imputation with an artificial neural network

quantum critical behavior, and can also adopt a characteristic minimum with temperature. Finally, we discuss the observable consequences of our results.