Serguey V. Titov

Semiclassical Klein–Kramers and Smoluchowski equations for the Brownian motion of a particle in an external potential

The quantum Brownian motion of a particle in an external potential V(x) is treated using the master equation for the Wigner distribution function W(x, p, t) in phase space (x, p). A heuristic method of determination of diffusion coefficients in the master equation is proposed. The time evolution equation so obtained contains explicit quantum correction terms up to o(4) and in the classical limit, → 0, reduces to the Klein–Kramers equation. For a quantum oscillator, the method yields an evolution equation for W(x, p, t) coinciding with that of Agarwal (1971 Phys. Rev. A 4 739). In the non-inertial regime, by applying the Brinkman expansion of the momentum distribution in Weber functions (Brinkman 1956 Physica 22 29), the corresponding semiclassical Smoluchowski equation is derived.

Quantum master equation in phase space: Application to the Brownian motion in a periodic potential

The quantum Brownian motion of a particle in a periodic potential V(x)=−V0cos(x/x0) is treated using the master equation for the Wigner distribution function W(x, p, t) in phase space (x, p). Explicit equations for the diffusion coefficients of the master equation for this dissipative quantum system are derived. The dynamic structure factor S(k, t) and escape rate Γ are evaluated using matrix continued fractions. The matrix continued fraction calculation for Γ agrees well with the analytical solution of the corresponding quantum Kramers turnover problem.

Nonlinear stationary ac response of the magnetization of uniaxial superparamagnetic nanoparticles

The nonlinear stationary ac response of the magnetization of assemblies consisting of (i) noninteracting uniaxial superparamagnetic nanoparticles with aligned easy axes and (ii) randomly oriented nanoparticles subjected to superimposed ac and dc bias magnetic fields of arbitrary strength and orientation is calculated by averaging Gilbert’s equation augmented by a random field. The magnetization dynamics of uniaxial particles driven by a strong ac field applied at an angle to the easy axis of the particle (so that the axial symmetry is broken) alters drastically leading to new nonlinear effects due to coupling of the thermally activated magnetization reversal mode with the precessional modes via the driving ac field. In particular, the high frequency response reveals significant nonlinear effects in the precessional motion with significant consequences for the dynamic hysteresis and ultra-fast switching of the magnetization following an ultrafast change in the applied field.

Solution of the master equation for Wigner's quasiprobability distribution in phase space for the Brownian motion of a particle in a double well potential

Quantum effects in the Brownian motion of a particle in the symmetric double well potential V(x)=ax(2)2+bx(4)4 are treated using the semiclassical master equation for the time evolution of the Wigner distribution function W(x,p,t) in phase space (x,p). The equilibrium position autocorrelation function, dynamic susceptibility, and escape rate are evaluated via matrix continued fractions in the manner customarily used for the classical Fokker-Planck equation. The escape rate so yielded has a quantum correction depending strongly on the barrier height and is compared with that given analytically by the quantum mechanical reaction rate solution of the Kramers turnover problem. The matrix continued fraction solution substantially agrees with the analytic solution. Moreover, the low-frequency part of the spectrum associated with noise assisted Kramers transitions across the potential barrier may be accurately described by a single Lorentzian with characteristic frequency given by the quantum mechanical reaction rate.

Inertial effects in the orientational relaxation of rodlike molecules in a uniaxial potential.

The inertial rotational Brownian motion and dielectric relaxation of an assembly of noninteracting rodlike polar molecules in a uniaxial potential are studied. The infinite hierarchy of differential-recurrence relations for the equilibrium correlation functions is generated by averaging the governing inertial Langevin equation over its realizations in phase space. The solution of this hierarchy for the one-sided Fourier transforms of the relevant correlation functions is obtained using matrix continued fractions yielding the longitudinal dipole correlation function, the correlation time, and the complex polarizability, which are calculated for typical values of the model parameters. Pronounced inertial effects appear in these characteristics in the high-frequency region for low damping. The exact longitudinal correlation time is compared with the predictions of the Kramers theory of the escape rate of a Brownian particle from a potential well as extended by Melnikov and Meshkov [J. Chem. Phys. 85, 1018 (1986)]. In the low temperature limit, the universal Melnikov and Meshkov formula for the inverse of the escape rate provides a good estimate of the longitudinal correlation time for all values of the dissipation including the very low damping, very high damping, and Kramers turnover regimes. Moreover, the low-frequency part of the spectra of the longitudinal correlation function may be approximated by a single Lorentzian with a halfwidth determined by this universal escape rate formula.

Magnetization reversal time of magnetic nanoparticles at very low damping

The magnetization reversal time of ferromagnetic nanoparticles is investigated in the very low damping regime. The energy-controlled diffusion equation rooted in a generalization of the Kramers escape rate theory for point Brownian particles in a potential to the magnetic relaxation of a macrospin, yields the reversal time in closed integral form. The latter is calculated for a nanomagnet with uniaxial anisotropy with a uniform field applied at an angle to the easy axis and for a nanomagnet with biaxial anisotropy with the field along the easy axis. The results completely agree with those yielded by independent numerical and asymptotic methods.

Quantum effects in the Brownian motion of a particle in a double well potential in the overdamped limit.

Quantum effects in the noninertial Brownian motion of a particle in a double well potential are treated via a semiclassical Smoluchowski equation for the time evolution of the reduced Wigner distribution function in configuration space allowing one to evaluate the position correlation function, its characteristic relaxation times, and dynamic susceptibility using matrix continued fractions and finite integral representations in the manner of the classical Smoluchowski equation treatment. Reliable approximate analytic solutions based on the exponential separation of the time scales of the fast intrawell and slow overbarrier relaxation processes are given. Moreover, the effective and the longest relaxation times of the position correlation function yield accurate predictions of both the low and high frequency relaxation behavior. The low frequency part of the dynamic susceptibility associated with the Kramers escape rate behaves as a single Lorentzian with characteristic frequency given by the quantum-mechanical reaction rate solution of the Kramers problem. As a particular example, quantum effects in the stochastic resonance are estimated.

Phase space master equations for quantum Brownian motion in a periodic potential: comparison of various kinetic models

The dynamics of quantum Brownian particles in a cosine periodic potential are studied using the phase space formalism associated with the Wigner representation of quantum mechanics. Various kinetic phase space master equation models describing quantum Brownian motion in a potential are compared by evaluating the dynamic structure factor and escape rate from the differential recurrence relations generated by the models. The numerical solution is accomplished via matrix continued fractions in the manner customarily used for the classical Fokker–Planck equation. The results of numerical calculations of the escape rate from a well of the cosine potential are compared with those given analytically by the quantum-mechanical reaction rate theory solution of the Kramers turnover problem for a periodic potential, given by Georgievskii and Pollak (1994 Phys. Rev. E49 5098), enabling one to appraise each model.

Phase space equilibrium distribution function for spins

The equilibrium quasiprobability density function W(, ) of spin orientations in a representation (phase) space of the polar and azimuthal angles (, ) (analogous to the Wigner distribution for translational motion of a particle) is given by a finite series of spherical harmonics in the spin number and their associated statistical moments so allowing one to calculate W(, ) for an arbitrary spin system in the equilibrium state described by the canonical distribution . The system with Hamiltonian is treated as a particular example (γ is the gyromagnetic ratio, is Plancks constant, H represents an external magnetic field and B represents an internal field parameter). For a uniaxial system with , the solution may be given in the closed form.

Nonlinear susceptibility and dynamic hysteresis loops of magnetic nanoparticles with biaxial anisotropy

The nonlinear ac susceptibility and dynamic magnetic hysteresis (DMH) of a single domain ferromagnetic particle with biaxial anisotropy subjected to both external ac and dc fields of arbitrary strength and orientation are treated via Browns continuous diffusions model [W. F. Brown, Jr., Phys. Rev. 130, 1677 (1963)] of magnetization orientations. The DMH loops and nonlinear ac susceptibility strongly depend on the dc and ac field strengths, the polar angle between the easy axis of the particle, the external field vectors, temperature, and damping. In contrast to uniaxial particles, the nonlinear ac stationary response and DMH strongly depend on the azimuthal direction of the ac field and the biaxiality parameter Δ.