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Papers by Joachim Nsofini

A review of discrete quantum walk with two particle is given. The use of different states encount... more A review of discrete quantum walk with two particle is given. The use of different states encountered in identical particle, and the idea of entanglement and superposition is explored to explored the interesting dynamics of two particle quantum walk. Boundary conditions can specify certain dynamics and so a survey of periodic boundary condition (circle) is presented. A simulation for a Hadamard walk for different periods of a circle is considered and results are compared for various periods and for a case with absorbing boundaries.

Advances in High Energy Physics, 2015

The physical origin of the dark energy that causes the accelerated expansion rate of the universe... more The physical origin of the dark energy that causes the accelerated expansion rate of the universe is one of the major open questions of cosmology. One set of theories postulates the existence of a self-interacting scalar field for dark energy coupling to matter. In the chameleon dark energy theory, this coupling induces a screening mechanism such that the field amplitude is nonzero in empty space but is greatly suppressed in regions of terrestrial matter density. However measurements performed under appropriate vacuum conditions can enable the chameleon field to appear in the apparatus, where it can be subjected to laboratory experiments. Here we report the most stringent upper bound on the free neutron-chameleon coupling in the strongly-coupled limit of the chameleon theory using neutron interferometric techniques. Our experiment sought the chameleon field through the relative phase shift it would induce along one of the neutron paths inside a perfect crystal neutron interferometer. The amplitude of the chameleon field was actively modulated by varying the millibar pressures inside a dual-chamber aluminum cell. We report a 95 % confidence level upper bound on the neutron-chameleon coupling β ranging from β < 4.7 × 10 6 for a Ratra-Peebles index of n = 1 in the nonlinear scalar field potential to β < 2.4 × 10 7 for n = 6, one order of magnitude more sensitive than the most recent free neutron limit for intermediate n. Similar experiments can explore the full parameter range for chameleon dark energy in the foreseeable future.

– In recent years, studies on cyclic molecular nanomagnets have captivated the attention of resea... more – In recent years, studies on cyclic molecular nanomagnets have captivated the attention of researchers. These magnets are finite in size and contain very large spins. They are interesting because they possess macroscopic quantum tunneling of Néel vectors. For antiferromagnetic molecular nanomagnets with finite number of even-numbered coupled spins, tunneling involves two classical localized Néel ground states separated by a magnetic energy barrier. The question is: can such phenomena be observed in nanomagnets with odd number of magnetic ions? The answer is not directly obvious because cyclic chains with odd-numbered coupled spins are frustrated as one cannot obtain a perfect Néel order. These frustrated spins can indeed be observed experimentally, so they are of interest. In this Letter, we theoretically investigate macroscopic quantum tunneling in these odd spin systems with arbitrary spins s, in the presence of a magnetic field applied along the plane of the magnet. In contrast to systems with an even-numbered coupled spins, the ground state of the cyclic odd-spin system contains a topological soliton due to spin frustration. Thus the classical ground state is 2N-fold degenerate as the soliton can be placed anywhere along the ring with total Sz = ±s. Small quantum fluctuations delocalize the soliton with a formation of an energy band. We obtain this energy band using degenerate perturbation theory at order 2s. We show that the soliton ground state is chiral for half-odd integer spins and non-chiral for integer spins. From the structure of the energy band we infer that as the value of the spin increases the inelastic polarized neutron-scattering intensity may increase or decrease depending on the strengths of the parameters of the Hamiltonian.

In this Communication, we investigate a toy model of three-dimensional topological insulator surf... more In this Communication, we investigate a toy model of three-dimensional topological insulator surface, coupled homogeneously to a fictitious pseudo spin-1 2 particle. We show that this toy model captures the interesting features of topological insulator surface states, which include topological quantum phase transition and quantum spin hall effect. We further incorporate an out-of-plane magnetic field and obtain the Landau levels.

Neutron interferometry enables precision measurements that are typically operated within elaborat... more Neutron interferometry enables precision measurements that are typically operated within elaborate , multi-layered facilities which provide substantial shielding from environmental noise. These facilities are necessary to maintain the coherence requirements in a perfect crystal neutron interfer-ometer which is extremely sensitive to local environmental conditions such as temperature gradients across the interferometer, external vibrations, and acoustic waves. The ease of operation and breadth of applications of perfect crystal neutron interferometry would greatly benefit from a mode of operation which relaxes these stringent isolation requirements. Here, the INDEX Collaboration and National Institute of Standards and Technology demonstrates the functionality of a neutron inter-ferometer in vacuum and characterize the use of a compact vacuum chamber enclosure as a means to isolate the interferometer from spatial temperature gradients and time-dependent temperature fluctuations. The vacuum chamber is found to have no depreciable effect on the performance of the interferometer (contrast) while improving system stability, thereby showing that it is feasible to replace large temperature isolation and control systems with a compact vacuum enclosure for perfect crystal neutron interferometry.

We propose a method to prepare an entangled spin-orbit state between the spin and the orbital ang... more We propose a method to prepare an entangled spin-orbit state between the spin and the orbital angular momenta of a neutron wavepacket. This spin-orbit state is created by passing neutrons through the center of a quadrupole magnetic field, which provides a coupling between the spin and orbital degrees of freedom. A Ramsey fringe type measurement is suggested as a means of verifying the spin-orbit correlations.

We present a simplified model for dynamical diffraction of particles through a periodic thick per... more We present a simplified model for dynamical diffraction of particles through a periodic thick perfect crystal based on repeated application of a coherent beam splitting unitary at coarse-grained lattice sites. By demanding translational invariance and a computationally tractable number of sites in the coarse-graining we show how this approach reproduces many results typical of dynamical diffraction theory and experiments. This approach has the benefit of being applicable in the thick, thin, and intermediate crystal regimes. The method is applied to a three-blade neutron interferometer to predict the output beam profiles, interference patterns, and contrast variation.

A review of discrete quantum walk with two particle is given. The use of different states encount... more A review of discrete quantum walk with two particle is given. The use of different states encountered in identical particle, and the idea of entanglement and superposition is explored to explored the interesting dynamics of two particle quantum walk. Boundary conditions can specify certain dynamics and so a survey of periodic boundary condition (circle) is presented. A simulation for a Hadamard walk for different periods of a circle is considered and results are compared for various periods and for a case with absorbing boundaries.

Advances in High Energy Physics, 2015

The physical origin of the dark energy that causes the accelerated expansion rate of the universe... more The physical origin of the dark energy that causes the accelerated expansion rate of the universe is one of the major open questions of cosmology. One set of theories postulates the existence of a self-interacting scalar field for dark energy coupling to matter. In the chameleon dark energy theory, this coupling induces a screening mechanism such that the field amplitude is nonzero in empty space but is greatly suppressed in regions of terrestrial matter density. However measurements performed under appropriate vacuum conditions can enable the chameleon field to appear in the apparatus, where it can be subjected to laboratory experiments. Here we report the most stringent upper bound on the free neutron-chameleon coupling in the strongly-coupled limit of the chameleon theory using neutron interferometric techniques. Our experiment sought the chameleon field through the relative phase shift it would induce along one of the neutron paths inside a perfect crystal neutron interferometer. The amplitude of the chameleon field was actively modulated by varying the millibar pressures inside a dual-chamber aluminum cell. We report a 95 % confidence level upper bound on the neutron-chameleon coupling β ranging from β < 4.7 × 10 6 for a Ratra-Peebles index of n = 1 in the nonlinear scalar field potential to β < 2.4 × 10 7 for n = 6, one order of magnitude more sensitive than the most recent free neutron limit for intermediate n. Similar experiments can explore the full parameter range for chameleon dark energy in the foreseeable future.

– In recent years, studies on cyclic molecular nanomagnets have captivated the attention of resea... more – In recent years, studies on cyclic molecular nanomagnets have captivated the attention of researchers. These magnets are finite in size and contain very large spins. They are interesting because they possess macroscopic quantum tunneling of Néel vectors. For antiferromagnetic molecular nanomagnets with finite number of even-numbered coupled spins, tunneling involves two classical localized Néel ground states separated by a magnetic energy barrier. The question is: can such phenomena be observed in nanomagnets with odd number of magnetic ions? The answer is not directly obvious because cyclic chains with odd-numbered coupled spins are frustrated as one cannot obtain a perfect Néel order. These frustrated spins can indeed be observed experimentally, so they are of interest. In this Letter, we theoretically investigate macroscopic quantum tunneling in these odd spin systems with arbitrary spins s, in the presence of a magnetic field applied along the plane of the magnet. In contrast to systems with an even-numbered coupled spins, the ground state of the cyclic odd-spin system contains a topological soliton due to spin frustration. Thus the classical ground state is 2N-fold degenerate as the soliton can be placed anywhere along the ring with total Sz = ±s. Small quantum fluctuations delocalize the soliton with a formation of an energy band. We obtain this energy band using degenerate perturbation theory at order 2s. We show that the soliton ground state is chiral for half-odd integer spins and non-chiral for integer spins. From the structure of the energy band we infer that as the value of the spin increases the inelastic polarized neutron-scattering intensity may increase or decrease depending on the strengths of the parameters of the Hamiltonian.

In this Communication, we investigate a toy model of three-dimensional topological insulator surf... more In this Communication, we investigate a toy model of three-dimensional topological insulator surface, coupled homogeneously to a fictitious pseudo spin-1 2 particle. We show that this toy model captures the interesting features of topological insulator surface states, which include topological quantum phase transition and quantum spin hall effect. We further incorporate an out-of-plane magnetic field and obtain the Landau levels.

Neutron interferometry enables precision measurements that are typically operated within elaborat... more Neutron interferometry enables precision measurements that are typically operated within elaborate , multi-layered facilities which provide substantial shielding from environmental noise. These facilities are necessary to maintain the coherence requirements in a perfect crystal neutron interfer-ometer which is extremely sensitive to local environmental conditions such as temperature gradients across the interferometer, external vibrations, and acoustic waves. The ease of operation and breadth of applications of perfect crystal neutron interferometry would greatly benefit from a mode of operation which relaxes these stringent isolation requirements. Here, the INDEX Collaboration and National Institute of Standards and Technology demonstrates the functionality of a neutron inter-ferometer in vacuum and characterize the use of a compact vacuum chamber enclosure as a means to isolate the interferometer from spatial temperature gradients and time-dependent temperature fluctuations. The vacuum chamber is found to have no depreciable effect on the performance of the interferometer (contrast) while improving system stability, thereby showing that it is feasible to replace large temperature isolation and control systems with a compact vacuum enclosure for perfect crystal neutron interferometry.

We propose a method to prepare an entangled spin-orbit state between the spin and the orbital ang... more We propose a method to prepare an entangled spin-orbit state between the spin and the orbital angular momenta of a neutron wavepacket. This spin-orbit state is created by passing neutrons through the center of a quadrupole magnetic field, which provides a coupling between the spin and orbital degrees of freedom. A Ramsey fringe type measurement is suggested as a means of verifying the spin-orbit correlations.

We present a simplified model for dynamical diffraction of particles through a periodic thick per... more We present a simplified model for dynamical diffraction of particles through a periodic thick perfect crystal based on repeated application of a coherent beam splitting unitary at coarse-grained lattice sites. By demanding translational invariance and a computationally tractable number of sites in the coarse-graining we show how this approach reproduces many results typical of dynamical diffraction theory and experiments. This approach has the benefit of being applicable in the thick, thin, and intermediate crystal regimes. The method is applied to a three-blade neutron interferometer to predict the output beam profiles, interference patterns, and contrast variation.