Posted in 2012
Advanced Quantum Mechanics Book
is been processed enourmously fast: perhaps Cambridge University Press started to use computers. Anyway, we have the proofs!
Therefore: if you are interested in an informal evaluation copy, please contact me.
“Statistics of radiation” becomes the editor suggestion
Our long paper with Chiprian and Fabian "Statistics of radiation at
Josephson parametric resonance" will appear in
Phys. Rev. B 86, 054514 (2012)
It has been promoted to the Editor’s Suggestion, as it is usual with Ciprian.
You can read it at http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1112.4159
Post-doc opening in INFERNOS: Yes!
You’re never know with this European commission, perhaps they would change their mind, but one could perhaps say carefully that one of the collaborative project I’m in got granted.
Its terrifying name is Infernos, that should be understood as Information, Fluctuations, and Energy Control in Small Systems. Our team opt to manufacture Maxwell daemons, and consist of the groups from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, NL and US.
This gives me an opportunity to start looking for a post-doc, 2 years position. My part of the reseach is theoretical and concerns non-equilibrium thermodynamics and quantum information flows: please apply if interested in these subjects. Most likely, you would be able to start in February 2013 if in a hurry.
Ferdinand Grapperhaus
has presented the results of his bachelor eindproject on Monday, Aug
20, 11:00. The project with some interruptions lasted from March. It was in the field of nanomechanics where we wanted to understand better the interpaly between torsion and bending in the oscillations of carbon nanotube resonators.
He impressed us with his presentation that had some elaborated structure
and provoked deep and provocative questions: given the fact that it was
perhaps the first presentation of a kind in his life. During the closed
part of the defence, he answered quickly and correctly on my classic
question about the rainbow, a question no master student could answer
without substantial hints. With this, and his persistence and enthusiasm
during the project time no wonder he got a pretty good mark. After this, he said he enjoyed time spent in our group: perhaps he was sincere.
Good luck, Ferdinand, with your master studies!
Releasing the queue
While having much news I did not blog recently: was again under stress preparing another little-chance-to-get grant application. Today I’m realising the accumulated information.
Statistics of radiation accepted
Our long paper with Chiprian and Fabian "Statistics of radiation at Josephson parametric resonance" has been accepted for Physical Review B. You can read it at http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1112.4159
Quantum synchronization out
Alina and me have finally submitted our work on quantum synchronization, a contribution that revives some nice ideas from the golden age of Josephson quantum mechanics.
Please read it here.
Quantum synchronization and transresistance quantization in superconducting devices
Abstract:
We show theoretically the possibility of quantum synchronization of Josephson and Bloch oscillations in a superconducting device. One needs an LC oscillator to achieve exponentially small rate of synchronization errors. The synchronization leads to quantization of transresistance similar to that in (Fractional) Quantum Hall Effect.
Exam Quantum Transport
was graded by me yesterday. This completed the semester! That was really endless this year.
Everybody has passed, although the overall marks are rather average, with a single-student exception. I’d like to have more exceptions like this in coming years. There was a graduate student taking the course and the exam. He can use the credits for his graduate education.
Wish to thank everybody who took the course this year.
Exam Advanced Statistical Mechanics
has been graded today. It has brought quite opposite feelings to me.
The exam appeared to be reasonably popular. As to results, an overwhelming majority have passed while the marks turned to be more average than I could expect, with an exception of a single student who manage to get an exceptional mark.
It was rewarding to see that the "theoretical" part of the course, that outlined during the lectures, went much better than expected. It was rather troubling to see that the problem-solving sessions that were so popular and costed so much effort did not quite get through. An apparent stumbling block were unusual and unpredictable mathematical deficiencies that ranged from mistakes while diffirentiating log function to inability to recognize the relation between summation and integration, and/or to apply a Fourier transform. Less obvious and more difficult problem is to access the ability of a student to expand the knowledge gained just by one step further.
I’ve also contibuted to the confusion: I’ve spell-checked the text of multiple choice questions but managed to print out the previous version of the file. So I got many remarks concerning the spelling: fortunately, this did not seem to lead to any misunderstanding of questions.
For those interested, I’ll upload the exam and solutions later today.
Last lectures of this semester
I have read today. I still have to prepare two exams.
The time period from March to now has been difficult for me, this havs also reflected on the education. I could not blog the educational activities, for instance. It must become better next year.
During the semester, I enjoyed very much from the communications with a group of devoted students, I wish to thank them.