Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Building A Quantum Engineering Undergraduate Program, Abraham Asfaw, Alexandre Blais, Kenneth R. Brown, Jonathan Candelaria, Christopher Cantwell, Lincoln D. Carr, Joshua Combes, Dripto M. Debroy, John M. Donohue, Sophia E. Economou, Emily Edwards, Michael F. J. Fox, Steven M. Girvin, Alan Ho, Hilary M. Hurst, Zubin Jacob, Blake R. Johnson, Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin, Robert Joynt, Eliot Kapit, Judith Klein-Seetharaman, Martin Laforest, H. J. Lewandowski, Theresa W. Lynn, Corey Rae H. Mcrae, Celia Merzbacher, Spyridon Michalakis, Prineha Narang, William D. Oliver, Jens Palsberg, David P. Pappas, Michael G. Raymer, David J. Reilly, Mark Saffman, Thomas A. Searles, Jeffrey H. Shapiro, Chandralekha Singh

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Contribution: A roadmap is provided for building a quantum engineering education program to satisfy U.S. national and international workforce needs.

Background: The rapidly growing quantum information science and engineering (QISE) industry will require both quantum-aware and quantum-proficient engineers at the bachelor's level.

Research Question: What is the best way to provide a flexible framework that can be tailored for the full academic ecosystem?

Methodology: A workshop of 480 QISE researchers from across academia, government, industry, and national laboratories was convened to draw on best practices; representative authors developed this roadmap.

Findings: 1) For quantum-aware engineers, …

Feedback Induced Magnetic Phases In Binary Bose-Einstein Condensates, Hilary M. Hurst, Shangjie Guo, I. B. Spielman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Weak measurement in tandem with real-time feedback control is a new route toward engineering novel non-equilibrium quantum matter. Here we develop a theoretical toolbox for quantum feedback control of multicomponent Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using backaction-limited weak measurements in conjunction with spatially resolved feedback. Feedback in the form of a single-particle potential can introduce effective interactions that enter into the stochastic equation governing system dynamics. The effective interactions are tunable and can be made analogous to Feshbach resonances -- spin-independent and spin-dependent -- but without changing atomic scattering parameters. Feedback cooling prevents runaway heating due to measurement backaction and we present …

Non-Hermitian Topology Of One-Dimensional Spin-Torque Oscillator Arrays, Benedetta Flebus, Rembert A. Duine, Hilary M. Hurst

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Magnetic systems have been extensively studied both from a fundamental physics perspective and as building blocks for a variety of applications. Their topological properties, in particular those of excitations, remain relatively unexplored due to their inherently dissipative nature. The recent introduction of non-Hermitian topological classifications opens up new opportunities for engineering topological phases in dissipative systems. Here, we propose a magnonic realization of a non-Hermitian topological system. A crucial ingredient of our proposal is the injection of spin current into the magnetic system, which alters and can even change the sign of terms describing dissipation. We show that the magnetic …

Quantum Control With Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates, Hilary M. Hurst

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Understanding and controlling many-body quantum systems in noisy environments is paramount to developing robust quantum technologies. An external environment can be thought of as a measurement reservoir which extracts information about the quantum system. Cold atoms are well suited to examine system-environment interaction via weak (i.e. minimally destructive) measurement techniques, wherein the measurement probe acts as the environment and also provides a noisy record of system dynamics. The measurement record can then be used in a feedback scheme, opening the door to real time control of quantum gases. In this talk I discuss our theoretical proposal to use weak measurement …

Electron-Induced Massive Dynamics Of Magnetic Domain Walls, Hilary M. Hurst, Victor Galitski, Tero T. Heikkilä

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We study the dynamics of domain walls (DWs) in a metallic, ferromagnetic nanowire. We develop a Keldysh collective coordinate technique to describe the effect of conduction electrons on rigid magnetic structures. The effective Lagrangian and Langevin equations of motion for a DW are derived. The DW dynamics is described by two collective degrees of freedom: position and tilt-angle. The coupled Langevin equations therefore involve two correlated noise sources, leading to a generalized fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT). The DW response kernel due to electrons contains two parts: one related to dissipation via FDT, and another `inertial' part. We prove that the latter …

Transport Signatures Of Dirac States In Topological Insulator - Ferromagnet Heterostructures, Hilary M. Hurst

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Measurement-Induced Dynamics And Stabilization Of Spinor-Condensate Domain Walls, Hilary M. Hurst, I. B. Spielman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Weakly measuring many-body systems and allowing for feedback in real-time can simultaneously create and measure new phenomena in strongly correlated quantum systems. We study the dynamics of a continuously measured two-component Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) potentially containing a domain wall, and focus on the trade-off between usable information obtained from measurement and quantum backaction. Each weakly measured system yields a measurement record from which we extract real-time dynamics of the domain wall. We show that quantum backaction due to measurement causes two primary effects: domain wall diffusion and overall heating. The system dynamics and signal-to-noise ratio depend on the choice of …

Variability In X-Ray Line Ratios In Helium-Like Ions Of Massive Stars: The Wind-Driven Case, Richard Ignace, Z. Damrau, K. T. Hole

ETSU Faculty Works

Context. High spectral resolution and long exposure times are providing unprecedented levels of data quality of massive stars at X-ray wavelengths.

Aims. A key diagnostic of the X-ray emitting plasma are the fir lines for He-like triplets. In particular, owing to radiative pumping effects, the forbidden-to-intercombination line luminosity ratio, R = f∕i, can be used to determine the proximity of the hot plasma to the UV-bright photospheres of massive stars. Moreover, the era of large observing programs additionally allows for investigation of line variability.

Methods. This contribution is the second to explore how variability in the line …

Induced Quantum Dot Probe For Material Characterization, Yun-Pil Shim, Rusko Ruskov, Hilary M. Hurst, Charles Tahan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We propose a non-destructive means of characterizing a semiconductor wafer via measuring parameters of an induced quantum dot on the material system of interest with a separate probe chip that can also house the measurement circuitry. We show that a single wire can create the dot, determine if an electron is present, and be used to measure critical device parameters. Adding more wires enables more complicated (potentially multi-dot) systems and measurements. As one application for this concept we consider silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor and silicon/silicon-germanium quantum dot qubits relevant to quantum computing and show how to measure low-lying excited states (so-called "valley" …

Status Of The Los Alamos Room Temperature Neutorn Electric Dipole Moment Search, Robert W. Pattie Jr.

ETSU Faculty Works

A discovery of the neutron's permanent electric dipole moment larger than the standard model prediction of d_n ≈ 10^-31 e·cm would signal a new source of CP-violation and help explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. Tightening the limits on d_n constrain extensions to the standard model in a complementary fashion to the atomic and electron EDM searches. The recent upgrade of the Los Alamos ultracold neutron source makes it possible for a new room temperature search with the statistical reach to improve upon current limits by a factor of 10 or more. During the 2018 LANSCE …

Coordinated Uv And X-Ray Spectroscopic Observations Of The O-Type Giant Ξ Per: The Connection Between X-Rays And Large-Scale Wind Structure, Derek Massa, Lidi Oskinova, Raman Prinja, Richard Ignace

ETSU Faculty Works

We present new, contemporaneous Hubble Space Telescope STIS and XMM-Newton observations of the O7 III(n)((f)) star ξ Per. We supplement the new data with archival IUE spectra, to analyze the variability of the wind lines and X-ray flux of ξ Per. The variable wind of this star is known to have a 2.086-day periodicity. We use a simple, heuristic spot model that fits the low-velocity (near-surface) IUE wind line variability very well, to demonstrate that the low-velocity absorption in the new STIS spectra of N iv λ1718 and Si iv λ1402 vary with the same 2.086-day period. It …

The Polarization Mode Of The Auroral Radio Emission From The Early-Type Star Hd 142301, P. Leto, C. Trigilio, Lidi M. Oskinova, Richard Ignace, C. S. Buemi, G. Umana, F. Cavallaro, A. Ingallinera, F. Bufano, N. M. Phillips, C. Agliozzo, L. Cerrigone, H. Todt, S. Riggi, F. Leone

ETSU Faculty Works

We report the detection of the auroral radio emission from the early-type magnetic star HD 142301. New VLA observations of HD 142301 detected highly polarized amplified emission occurring at fixed stellar orientations. The coherent emission mechanism responsible for the stellar auroral radio emission amplifies the radiation within a narrow beam, making the star where this phenomenon occurs similar to a radio lighthouse. The elementary emission process responsible for the auroral radiation mainly amplifies one of the two magneto-ionic modes of the electromagnetic wave. This explains why the auroral pulses are highly circularly polarized. The auroral radio emission of HD 142301 …

Asymmetric Shapes Of Radio Recombination Lines From Ionized Stellar Winds, Richard Ignace

ETSU Faculty Works

Recombination line profile shapes are derived for ionized spherical stellar winds at radio wavelengths. It is assumed that the wind is optically thick owing to free-free opacity. Emission lines of arbitrary optical depth are obtained assuming that the free-free photosphere forms in the outer, constant expansion portion of the wind. Previous works have derived analytic results for isothermal winds when the line and continuum source functions are equal. Here, semi-analytic results are derived for unequal source functions to reveal that line shapes can be asymmetric about line center. A parameter study is presented and applications discussed.

On The Apparent Absence Of Wolf–Rayet+Neutron Star Systems: The Curious Case Of Wr124, Jesus A. Toala, Lidi Oskinova, W.R. Hamann, Richard Ignace, A.A. C. Sander, H. Todt, Y.H. Chu, M. A. Guerrero, R. Hainich, R. Hainich, J. M. Terrejon

ETSU Faculty Works

Among the different types of massive stars in advanced evolutionary stages is the enigmatic WN8h type. There are only a few Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars with this spectral type in our Galaxy. It has long been suggested that WN8h-type stars are the products of binary evolution that may harbor neutron stars (NS). One of the most intriguing WN8h stars is the runaway WR 124 surrounded by its magnificent nebula M1-67. We test the presence of an accreting NS companion in WR 124 using ~100 ks long observations by the Chandra X-ray observatory. The hard X-ray emission from WR 124 with a …

Monte Carlo Of Trapped Ultracold Neutrons In The Ucnτ Trap, Nathan Callahan, Chen-Yu Liu, Fransisco Gonzalez, Evan Adamek, James D. Bowman, Leah J. Broussard, S. M. Clayton, S. Currie, C. Cude-Woods, E. B. Dees, X. Ding, E. M. Egnel, D. Fellers, W. Fox, Peter Geltenbort, Kevin P. Hickerson, M. A. Hoffbauer, A. T. Holley, A. Komives, S. W.T. Macdonald, Marc Makela, C. L. Morris, J. D. Ortiz, Robert W. Pattie Jr., J. Ramsey, D. J. Salvat, A. Saunders, Susan J. Seestrom, E. I. Sharapov, Sky L. Sjue, Z. Tang, J. Vanderwerp, B. Vogelaar, P. L. Walstrom, Z. Wang, H. Weaver, W. Wei, J. Wexler, A. R. Young, B. A. Zeck

ETSU Faculty Works

In the UCNτ experiment, ultracold neutrons (UCN) are confined by magnetic fields and the Earth’s gravitational field. Field-trapping mitigates the problem of UCN loss on material surfaces, which caused the largest correction in prior neutron experiments using material bottles. However, the neutron dynamics in field traps differ qualitatively from those in material bottles. In the latter case, neutrons bounce off material surfaces with significant diffusivity and the population quickly reaches a static spatial distribution with a density gradient induced by the gravitational potential. In contrast, the field-confined UCN—whose dynamics can be described by Hamiltonian mechanics—do not exhibit the stochastic behaviors …

Probing The Rotational Velocity Of Galactic Wo Stars With Spectropolarimetry, H. F. Stevance, Richard Igance, P. A. Crowther, J. R. Maund, B. Davies, G. Rate

ETSU Faculty Works

Oxygen sequence Wolf-Rayet stars (WO) are thought to be the final evolution phase of some high-mass stars, as such they may be the progenitors of Type Ic SNe as well as potential progenitors of broad-lined Ic and long gamma-ray bursts. We present the first spectropolarimetric observations of the Galactic WO stars WR93b and WR102 obtained with FORS1 on the Very Large Telescope. We find no sign of a line effect, which could be expected if these stars were rapid rotators. We also place constraints on the amplitude of a potentially undetected line effect. This allows us to derive upper limits …

A Study Of Hα Line Profile Variations In Β Lyr, Richard Ignace, Sharon K. Gray, Macno A. Magno, Gary D. Henson, Derek Massa

ETSU Faculty Works

We examine over 160 archival Hα spectra from the Ritter Observatory for the interacting binary β Lyr obtained between 1996 and 2000. The emission is characteristically double-peaked, but asymmetric, and with an absorption feature that is persistently blueshifted. Using a set of simplifying assumptions, phase varying emission line profiles are calculated for Hα formed entirely in a Keplerian disk, and separately for the line formed entirely from an off-center bipolar flow. However, a dynamic spectrum of the data indicates that the blueshifted feature is not always present, and the data are even suggestive of a drift of the …

An X-Ray Study Of Two B+B Binaries: Ah Cep And Cw Cep, Richard Ignace, K. T. Hole, Lidia M. Oskinova, J. P. Rotter

ETSU Faculty Works

AH Cep and CW Cep are both early B-type binaries with short orbital periods of 1.8 days and 2.7 days, respectively. All four components are B0.5V types. The binaries are also double-lined spectroscopic and eclipsing. Consequently, solutions for orbital and stellar parameters make the pair of binaries ideal targets for a study of the colliding winds between two B stars. Chandra ACIS-I observations were obtained to determine X-ray luminosities. AH Cep was detected with an unabsorbed X-ray luminosity at a 90% confidence interval of erg s−1, or , relative to the combined Bolometric luminosities of the two components. While formally …

Limb Darkening And Planetary Transits: Testing Center-To-Limb Intensity Variations And Limb-Darkening Directly From Model Stellar Atmospheres, Hilding R. Neilson, Joseph T. Mcneil, Richard Ignace, John B. Lester

ETSU Faculty Works

The transit method, employed by Microvariability and Oscillation of Stars (MOST), Kepler, and various ground-based surveys has enabled the characterization of extrasolar planets to unprecedented precision. These results are precise enough to begin to measure planet atmosphere composition, planetary oblateness, starspots, and other phenomena at the level of a few hundred parts per million. However, these results depend on our understanding of stellar limb darkening, that is, the intensity distribution across the stellar disk that is sequentially blocked as the planet transits. Typically, stellar limb darkening is assumed to be a simple parameterization with two coefficients that are derived …

On The Binary Nature Of Massive Blue Hypergiants: High-Resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy Suggests That Cyg Ob2 12 Is A Colliding Wind Binary - Iopscience, Lidia M. Oskinova, David P. Huenemoerder, Wolf-Rainer Hamann, Tomer Shenar, A. A.C. Sander, Richard Ignace, H. Todt, R. Hainich

ETSU Faculty Works

The blue hypergiant Cyg OB2 12 (B3Ia+) is a representative member of the class of very massive stars in a poorly understood evolutionary stage. We obtained its high-resolution X-ray spectrum using the Chandra observatory. PoWR model atmospheres were calculated to provide realistic wind opacities and to establish the wind density structure. We find that collisional de-excitation is the dominant mechanism depopulating the metastable upper levels of the forbidden lines of the He-like ions Si xivand Mg xii. Comparison between the model and observations reveals that X-ray emission is produced in a dense plasma, which could reside only at the photosphere …

Kinetic Theory Of Dark Solitons With Tunable Friction, Hilary M. Hurst, Dimitry K. Efimkin, I. B. Spielman, Victor Galitski

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We study controllable friction in a system consisting of a dark soliton in a one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate coupled to a non-interacting Fermi gas. The fermions act as impurity atoms, not part of the original condensate, that scatter off of the soliton. We study semi-classical dynamics of the dark soliton, a particle-like object with negative mass, and calculate its friction coefficient. Surprisingly, it depends periodically on the ratio of interspecies (impurity-condensate) to intraspecies (condensate-condensate) interaction strengths. By tuning this ratio, one can access a regime where the friction coefficient vanishes. We develop a general theory of stochastic dynamics for negative mass …

Revealing The Structure Of The Outer Disks Of Be Stars, Robert Klement, Anthony C. Carciofi, Thomas Rivinius, Lynn D. Matthews, Rodrigo G. Vieira, Richard Ignace, Jon E. Bjorkman, B. C. Mota, Daniel M. Faes, A. D. Bratcher, M. Cure, Stanislav Stefl

ETSU Faculty Works

Context. The structure of the inner parts of Be star disks (≲ 20 stellar radii) is well explained by the viscous decretion disk (VDD) model, which is able to reproduce the observable properties of most of the objects studied so far. The outer parts, on the other hand, are not observationally well-explored, as they are observable only at radio wavelengths. A steepening of the spectral slope somewhere between infrared and radio wavelengths was reported for several Be stars that were previously detected in the radio, but a convincing physical explanation for this trend has not yet been provided.

Aims. We …

On The Absence Of Non-Thermal X-Ray Emission Around Runaway O Stars, Jesus A. Toalá, Lidia M. Oskinova, Richard Ignace

ETSU Faculty Works

Theoretical models predict that the compressed interstellar medium around runaway O stars can produce high-energy non-thermal diffuse emission, in particular, non-thermal X-ray and γ-ray emission. So far, detection of non-thermal X-ray emission was claimed for only one runaway star, AE Aur. We present a search for non-thermal diffuse X-ray emission from bow shocks using archived XMM-Newton observations for a clean sample of six well-determined runaway O stars. We find that none of these objects present diffuse X-ray emission associated with their bow shocks, similarly to previous X-ray studies toward ζ Oph and BD+43°3654. We carefully investigated multi-wavelength observations of …

Brownian Motion Of Solitons In A Bose-Einstein Condensate, Lauren M. Aycock, Hilary M. Hurst, Dimitry K. Efimkin, Dina Genkina, Hsin-I Lu, Victor M. Galitski, I. B. Spielman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We observed and controlled the Brownian motion of solitons. We launched solitonic excitations in highly elongated ⁸⁷ Rb Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and showed that a dilute background of impurity atoms in a different internal state dramatically affects the soliton. With no impurities and in one-dimension (1D), these solitons would have an infinite lifetime, a consequence of integrability. In our experiment, the added impurities scatter off the much larger soliton, contributing to its Brownian motion and decreasing its lifetime. We describe the soliton's diffusive behavior using a quasi-1D scattering theory of impurity atoms interacting with a soliton, giving diffusion coefficients consistent …

Real-Space Mean-Field Theory Of A Spin-1 Bose Gas In Synthetic Dimensions, Hilary M. Hurst, Justin H. Wilson, J. H. Pixley, I. B. Spielman, Stefan S. Natu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The internal degrees of freedom provided by ultracold atoms give a route for realizing higher dimensional physics in systems with limited spatial dimensions. Non-spatial degrees of freedom in these systems are dubbed "synthetic dimensions". This connection is useful from an experimental standpoint but complicated by the fact that interactions alter the condensate ground state. Here we use the Gross-Pitaevskii equation to study ground state properties of a spin-1 Bose gas under the combined influence of an optical lattice, spin-orbit coupling, and interactions at the mean field level. The associated phases depend on the sign of the spin-dependent interaction parameter and …

"Blinded By The Lines: Mid-Ir Spectra Of Mira Variables Taken With Spitzer", Dana Baylis-Aguirre, Michelle J. Creech-Eakman, Donald G. Luttermoser, Tina Gueth

ETSU Faculty Works

We present preliminary analysis of mid-infrared spectra of M-type and C-type Mira variables. Due to the brightness of this sample, it is straightforward to monitor changes with phase in the infrared spectral features of these regular pulsators. We have spectra of 25 Mira variables, taken with phase, using the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) high-resolution module. Each star has multiple spectra obtained over a one-year period from 2008-09. This is a rich, unique data set due to multiple observations of each star and the high signal-to-noise ratio from quick exposure times to prevent saturation of the IRS instrument. This paper focuses …

Modeling X-Ray Emission Line Profiles From Massive Star Winds - A Review, Richard Igance

ETSU Faculty Works

The Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray telescopes have led to numerous advances in the study and understanding of astrophysical X-ray sources. Particularly important has been the much increased spectral resolution of modern X-ray instrumentation. Wind-broadened emission lines have been spectroscopically resolved for many massive stars. This contribution reviews approaches to the modeling of X-ray emission line profile shapes from single stars, including smooth winds, winds with clumping, optically thin versus thick lines, and the effect of a radius-dependent photoabsorption coefficient.

Transport Of Dirac Electrons In A Random Magnetic Field In Topological Heterostructures, Hilary M. Hurst, Dimitry K. Efimkin, Victor Galitski

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We consider the proximity effect between Dirac states at the surface of a topological insulator and a ferromagnet with easy plane anisotropy, which is described by the XY model and undergoes a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transition. The surface states of the topological insulator interacting with classical magnetic fluctuations of the ferromagnet can be mapped onto the problem of Dirac fermions in a random magnetic field. However, this analogy is only partial in the presence of electron-hole asymmetry or warping of the Dirac dispersion, which results in screening of magnetic fluctuations. Scattering at magnetic fluctuations influences the behavior of the surface …

X-Ray Observations Of Bow Shocks Around Runaway O Stars. The Case Of Ζ Oph And Bd+43°3654, Jesus Toala, Lidia M. Oskinova, A. González-Galán, M. A. Guerrero, Richard Ignace, M. Pohl

ETSU Faculty Works

Non-thermal radiation has been predicted within bow shocks around runaway stars by recent theoretical works. We present X-ray observations toward the runaway stars ζ Oph by Chandra and Suzaku and of BD+43°3654 by XMM-Newton to search for the presence of non-thermal X-ray emission. We found no evidence of non-thermal emission spatially coincident with the bow shocks; nonetheless, diffuse emission was detected in the vicinity of ζ Oph. After a careful analysis of its spectral characteristics, we conclude that this emission has a thermal nature with a plasma temperature of T ≈ 2 × 106 K. The cometary shape of this …

The Mimes Survey Of Magnetism In Massive Stars: Introduction And Overview, G. A. Wade, C. Neiner, E. Alecian, H. H. Grunhunt, V. Petit, B. Batz, D. A. Bohlender, D. H. Cohen, H. F. Henrichs, O. Kochukhov, J. D. Landstreet, N. Manset, F. Martins, S. Mathis, M. E. Oksala, S. P. Owocki, Th. Rivinius, M. E. Schultz, J. O. Sundqvist, R. H.D. Townsend, A. Doula, J. C. Bouret, J. Braithwaite, M. Briquet, A. C. Carciofi, A. David-Uraz, C. P. Folsom, A. W. Fullerton, B. Leroy, W. L.F. Marcolino, A. F.J. Moffat, Y. Naze, N. St Louis, M. Auriere, S. Bagnulo, J. D. Bailey, R. H. Barba, A. Blazere, T. Bohm, C. Catala, J-F Donati, L. Ferrario, D. Harrington, I. D. Howarth, Richard Ignace, L. Kaper, T. Luftinger, R. Prinja, J. S. Vink, W. W. Weiss, I. Yakunin

ETSU Faculty Works

The MiMeS (Magnetism in Massive Stars) project is a large-scale, high-resolution, sensitive spectropolarimetric investigation of the magnetic properties of O- and early B-type stars. Initiated in 2008 and completed in 2013, the project was supported by three Large Program allocations, as well as various programmes initiated by independent principal investigators, and archival resources. Ultimately, over 4800 circularly polarized spectra of 560 O and B stars were collected with the instruments ESPaDOnS (Echelle SpectroPolarimetric Device for the Observation of Stars) at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, Narval at the Télescope Bernard Lyot and HARPSpol at the European Southern Observatory La Silla 3.6 m …