Anomalous time delays and quantum weak measurements in optical micro-resonators.

Quantum weak measurements, wavepacket shifts and optical vortices are universal wave phenomena, which originate from fine interference of multiple plane waves. These effects have attracted considerable attention in both classical and quantum wave systems. Here we report on a phenomenon that brings together all the above topics in a simple one-dimensional scalar wave system. We consider inelastic scattering of Gaussian wave packets with parameters close to a zero of the complex scattering coefficient. We demonstrate that the scattered wave packets experience anomalously large time and frequency shifts in such near-zero scattering. These shifts reveal close analogies with the Goos-Hänchen beam shifts and quantum weak measurements of the momentum in a vortex wavefunction. We verify our general theory by an optical experiment using the near-zero transmission (near-critical coupling) of Gaussian pulses propagating through a nano-fibre with a side-coupled toroidal micro-resonator. Measurements demonstrate the amplification of the time delays from the typical inverse-resonator-linewidth scale to the pulse-duration scale.

Speed and efficiency limits of multilevel incoherent heat engines.

We present a comprehensive theory of heat engines (HE) based on a quantum-mechanical "working fluid" (WF) with periodically modulated energy levels. The theory is valid for any periodicity of driving Hamiltonians that commute with themselves at all times and do not induce coherence in the WF. Continuous and stroke cycles arise in opposite limits of this theory, which encompasses hitherto unfamiliar cycle forms, dubbed here hybrid cycles. The theory allows us to discover the speed, power, and efficiency limits attainable by incoherently operating multilevel HE depending on the cycle form and the dynamical regimes.

Unified theory of dynamically suppressed qubit decoherence in thermal baths.

We develop a unified theory of dynamically suppressed decay and decoherence by external fields in qubits coupled to arbitrary thermal baths and dephasing sources. This general theory does not invoke the rotating-wave approximation, which fails for ultrafast field-induced modulations of qubit-bath coupling. Considerations for optimizing the dynamical suppression are outlined.

Dynamical control of macroscopic quantum tunneling.

We show that the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects are realizable for macroscopic quantum tunneling by current-bias modulation in Josephson junctions (and their analogs in atomic condensates).

Universal dynamical control of quantum mechanical decay: modulation of the coupling to the continuum.

We derive and investigate an expression for the dynamically modified decay of states coupled to an arbitrary continuum. This expression is universally valid for weak temporal perturbations. The resulting insights can serve as useful recipes for optimized control of decay and decoherence.