We analyse diffusion at low temperature by bringing the fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) to bear on a physically natural, viscous response-function R(t). The resulting diffusion-law exhibits several distinct regimes of time and temperature, each with its own characteristic rate of spreading. As with earlier analyses, we find logarithmic spreading in the quantum regime, indicating that this behavior is robust. A consistent R(t) must satisfy the key physical requirements of Wightman positivity and passivity, and we prove that ours does so. We also prove in general that these two conditions are equivalent when the FDT holds. Given current technology, our diffusion law can be tested in a laboratory with ultra cold atoms.

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We investigate the time dependent orbital diamagnetic moment of a charged particle in a magnetic field in a viscous medium via the Quantum Langevin Equation. We study how the interplay between the cyclotron frequency and the viscous damping rate governs the dynamics of the orbital magnetic moment in the high temperature classical domain and the low temperature quantum domain for an Ohmic bath. These predictions can be tested via state of the art cold atom experiments with hybrid traps for ions and neutral atoms. We also study the effect of a confining potential on the dynamics of the magnetic moment. We obtain the expected Bohr Van Leeuwen limit in the high temperature, asymptotic time (γt −→ ∞, where γ is the viscous damping coefficient) limit.PACS numbers:

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We investigate the Brownian motion of a charged particle in a magnetic field. We study this in the high temperature classical and low temperature quantum domains. In both domains, we observe a transition of the mean square displacement from a monotonic behaviour to a damped oscillatory behaviour as one increases the strength of the magnetic field. When the strength of the magnetic field is negligible, the mean square displacement grows linearly with time in the classical domain and logarithmically with time in the quantum domain. We notice that these features of the mean square displacement are robust and remain essentially the same for an Ohmic dissipation model and a single relaxation time model for the memory kernel. The predictions stemming from our analysis can be tested against experiments in trapped cold ions.

We analyse the long time tails of a charged quantum Brownian particle in a harmonic potential in the presence of a magnetic field using the Quantum Langevin Equation as a starting point. We analyse the long time tails in the position autocorrelation function, position-velocity correlation function and velocity autocorrelation function. We study these correlations for a Brownian particle coupled to the Ohmic and Drude baths, via position coordinate coupling. At finite temperatures we notice a crossover from a power-law to an exponentially decaying behaviour around the thermal time scale k B T . We analyse how the appearance of the cyclotron frequency in our study of a charged quantum Brownian particle affects the behaviour of the long time tails and contrast it with the case of a neutral quantum Brownian particle.

Quantum mechanics manifests in experimental observations in several ways. Hauge et al. (1987) and Leavens et al. (1989) had pointed out that interference effects dominate a physical quantity called injectance. We show that, very paradoxically, the interference related term vanish in a quantum regime making semi-classical formula for injectance exact in this regime. This can have useful implications to experimentalists as semi-classical formulas are much more simple. There are other puzzling facts in this regime like an ensemble of particles can be transmitted without any time delay or negative time delays, whereas the reflected particles are associated with a time delay.

Since the experimental observation of quantum mechanical scattering phase shift in mesoscopic systems, several aspects of it has not yet been understood. The experimental observations has also accentuated many theoretical problems related to Friedel sum rule and negativity of partial density of states. We address these problems using the concepts of Argand diagram and Burgers circuit. We can prove the possibility of negative partial density of states in mesoscopic systems. Such a conclusive and general evidence cannot be given in one, two or three dimensions. We can show a general connection between phase drops and exactness of semi classical Friedel sum rule. We also show Argand diagram for a scattering matrix element can be of few classes based on their topology and all observations can be classified accordingly.