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The CENDARI infrastructure is a research supporting platform designed to provide tools for transnational historical research, focusing on two topics: Medieval culture and World War I. It exposes to the end users modern web-based tools relying on a sophisticated infrastructure to collect, enrich, annotate, and search through large document corpora. Supporting researchers in their daily work is a novel concern for infrastructures. We describe how we gathered requirements through multiple methods to understand the historians' needs and derive an abstract workflow to support them. We then outline the tools we have built, tying their technical descriptions to the user requirements. The main tools are the Note Taking Environment and its faceted search capabilities, the Data Integration platform including the Data API, supporting semantic enrichment through entity recognition, and the environment supporting the software development processes throughout the project to keep both technical partners and researchers in the loop. The outcomes are technical together with new resources developed and gathered, and the research workflow that has been described and documented.

The redistribution of electrical currents in resistor networks after single-bond failures is analyzed in terms of current-redistribution factors that are shown to depend only on the topology of the network and on the values of the bond resistances. We investigate the properties of these current-redistribution factors for regular network topologies (e.g. $d$-dimensional hypercubic lattices) as well as for small-world networks. In particular, we find that the statistics of the current redistribution factors exhibits a fat-tail behavior, which reflects the long-range nature of the current redistribution as determined by Kirchhoff's circuit laws., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures

The analysis of complex networks has so far revolved mainly around the role of nodes and communities of nodes. However, the dynamics of interconnected systems is commonly focalised on edge processes, and a dual edge-centric perspective can often prove more natural. Here we present graph-theoretical measures to quantify edge-to-edge relations inspired by the notion of flow redistribution induced by edge failures. Our measures, which are related to the pseudo-inverse of the Laplacian of the network, are global and reveal the dynamical interplay between the edges of a network, including potentially non-local interactions. Our framework also allows us to define the embeddedness of an edge, a measure of how strongly an edge features in the weighted cuts of the network. We showcase the general applicability of our edge-centric framework through analyses of the Iberian Power grid, traffic flow in road networks, and the C. elegans neuronal network., Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures

We present the software library libCreme which we have previously used to successfully calculate convex-roof entanglement measures of mixed quantum states appearing in realistic physical systems. Evaluating the amount of entanglement in such states is in general a non-trivial task requiring to solve a highly non-linear complex optimization problem. The algorithms provided here are able to achieve to do this for a large and important class of entanglement measures. The library is mostly written in the Matlab programming language, but is fully compatible to the free and open-source Octave platform. Some inefficient subroutines are written in C/C++ for better performance. This manuscript discusses the most important theoretical concepts and workings of the algorithms, focussing on the actual implementation and usage within the library. Detailed examples in the end should make it easy for the user to apply libCreme to specific problems., Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure. The program code can be downloaded either from the CPC Library (http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk) or directly at http://quantumtheory.physik.unibas.ch/people/roethlisberger/libCreme.zip

We study fracture processes within a stochastic fiber-bundle model where it is assumed that after the failure of a fiber, each intact fiber obtains a random fraction of the failing load. Within a Markov approximation, the breakdown properties of this model can be reduced to the solution of an integral equation. As examples we consider two different versions of this model that both can interpolate between global and local load redistribution. For the strength thresholds of the individual fibers, we consider a Weibull distribution and a uniform distribution, both truncated below a given initial stress. The breakdown behavior of our models is compared with corresponding results of other fiber-bundle models., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures

A new class of probabilistic models for cascading failure propagation in interconnected systems is proposed. The models take into account important characteristics of real systems that are not considered in existing generic approaches. Specifically, it is assumed that the load increments after a failure are proportional to the failed load and that the load redistribution among the remaining elements is stochastic. The models are solved analytically in terms of generalized branching processes, and the failure propagation properties of a prototype example are analyzed in detail., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures

We present two ready-to-use numerical algorithms to evaluate convex-roof extensions of arbitrary pure-state entanglement monotones. Their implementation leaves the user merely with the task of calculating derivatives of the respective pure-state measure. We provide numerical tests of the algorithms and demonstrate their good convergence properties. We further employ them in order to investigate the entanglement in particular few-spins systems at finite temperature. Namely, we consider ferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange-coupled spin-1/2 rings subject to an inhomogeneous in-plane field geometry obeying full rotational symmetry around the axis perpendicular to the ring through its center. We demonstrate that highly entangled states can be obtained in these systems at sufficiently low temperatures and by tuning the strength of a magnetic field configuration to an optimal value which is identified numerically., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures

We investigate the creation of highly entangled ground states in a system of three exchange-coupled qubits arranged in a ring geometry. Suitable magnetic field configurations yielding approximate GHZ and exact W ground states are identified. The entanglement in the system is studied at finite temperature in terms of the mixed-state tangle tau. By adapting a steepest-descent optimization algorithm we demonstrate that tau can be evaluated efficiently and with high precision. We identify the parameter regime for which the equilibrium entanglement of the tripartite system reaches its maximum., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures

Spin qubits offer one of the most promising routes to the implementation of quantum computers. Very recent results in semiconductor quantum dots show that electrically-controlled gating schemes are particularly well-suited for the realization of a universal set of quantum logical gates. Scalability to a larger number of qubits, however, remains an issue for such semiconductor quantum dots. In contrast, a chemical bottom-up approach allows one to produce identical units in which localized spins represent the qubits. Molecular magnetism has produced a wide range of systems with tailored properties, but molecules permitting electrical gating have been lacking. Here we propose to use the polyoxometalate [PMo12O40(VO)2]q-, where two localized spins-1/2 can be coupled through the electrons of the central core. Via electrical manipulation of the molecular redox potential, the charge of the core can be changed. With this setup, two-qubit gates and qubit readout can be implemented., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Nature Nanotechnology

We consider electrical transport through molecules with Heisenberg-coupled spins arranged in a ring structure in the presence of an easy-axis anisotropy. The molecules are coupled to two metallic leads and a gate. In the charged state of the ring, a Zener double-exchange mechanism links transport properties to the underlying spin structure. This leads to a remarkable contact-site dependence of the current, which for an antiferromagnetic coupling of the spins can lead to a total suppression of the zero-bias conductance when the molecule is contacted at adjacent sites., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

We study within the spin-boson dynamics the synchronization of quantum tunneling with an external periodic driving signal. As a main result we find that at a sufficiently large system-bath coupling strength (Kondo parameter a>1) the thermal noise plays a constructive role in yielding both a frequency and a phase synchronization in a symmetric two-level system. Such riveting synchronization occurs when the driving frequency supersedes the zero temperature tunneling rate. As an application evidencing the effect, we consider a charge transfer dynamics in molecular complexes.

We consider cotunneling through a quantum dot in the presence of spin-flip processes induced by the coupling to acoustic phonons of the surrounding. An expression for the phonon-assisted cotunneling current is derived by means of a generalized Schrieffer-Wolff transformation. The influence of the spin-phonon coupling on the heating of the dot is considered. The result is evaluated for the case of a parabolic semiconductor quantum dot with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling and a method for the determination of the spin-phonon relaxation rate is proposed., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Minor changes: typos corrected and references added. Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B

We investigate the role of noise in the phenomenon of stochastic synchronization of switching events in a rocked, overdamped bistable potential driven by white Gaussian noise, the archetype description of Stochastic Resonance. We present a new approach to the stochastic counting process of noise-induced switching events: starting from the Markovian dynamics of the nonstationary, continuous particle dynamics one finds upon contraction onto two states a non-Markovian renewal dynamics. The output frequency is determined as the velocity of the underlying discrete phase dynamics. The phenomenon of noise-assisted phase synchronization is investigated in terms of an effective, instantaneous phase diffusion. The theory is applied to rectangular-shaped rocking signals versus increasing input-noise strengths. Precise numerical simulations corroborate very favorably our analytical results. The novel theoretical findings are also compared with prior findings., Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures

We explore the prospects to control by use of time-dependent fields quantum transport phenomena in nanoscale systems. In particular, we study for driven conductors the electron current and its noise properties. We review recent corresponding theoretical descriptions which are based on Floquet theory. Alternative approaches, as well as various limiting approximation schemes are investigated and compared. The general theory is subsequently applied to different representative nanoscale devices, like the non-adiabatic pumps, molecular gates, molecular quantum ratchets, and molecular transistors. Potential applications range from molecular wires under the influence of strong laser fields to microwave-irradiated quantum dots., Comment: 82 pages, 19 figures, elsart.cls, solved LaTeX/hyperref problems

The influence of an electron-vibrational coupling on the laser control of electron transport through a molecular wire that is attached to several electronic leads is investigated. These molecular vibrational modes induce an effective electron-electron interaction. In the regime where the wire electrons couple weakly to both the external leads and the vibrational modes, we derive within a Hartree-Fock approximation a nonlinear set of quantum kinetic equations. The quantum kinetic theory is then used to evaluate the laser driven, time-averaged electron current through the wire-leads contacts. This novel formalism is applied to two archetypical situations in the presence of electron-vibrational effects, namely, (i) the generation of a ratchet or pump current in a symmetrical molecule by a harmonic mixing field and (ii) the laser switching of the current through the molecule., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, RevTeX4 required

We study the current and the associated noise for the transport through a two-site molecule driven by an external oscillating field. Within a high-frequency approximation, the time-dependent Hamiltonian is mapped to a static one with effective parameters that depend on the driving amplitude and frequency. This analysis allows an intuitive physical picture explaining the nontrivial structure found in the noise properties as a function of the driving amplitude. The presence of dips in the Fano factor permits a control of the noise level by means of an appropriate external driving., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, elsart style

The theory for current fluctuations in ac-driven transport through nanoscale systems is put forward. By use of a generalized, non-Hermitian Floquet theory we derive novel explicit expressions for the time-averaged current and the zero-frequency component of the power spectrum of current fluctuations. A distinct suppression of both the zero-frequency noise and the dc-current occurs for suitably tailored ac-fields. The relative level of transport noise, being characterized by a Fano factor, can selectively be manipulated by ac-sources; in particular, it exhibits both characteristic maxima and minima near current suppression., Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures

We present a novel path-integral method for the determination of time-dependent and time-averaged reaction rates in multidimensional, periodically driven escape problems at weak thermal noise. The so obtained general expressions are evaluated explicitly for the situation of a sinusoidally driven, damped particle with inertia moving in a metastable, piecewise parabolic potential. A comparison with data from Monte-Carlo simulations yields a very good agreement with our analytic results over a wide parameter range., Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, RevTeX4

We investigate the influence of external laser excitations on the average current through bridged molecules. For the computation of the current, we use a numerically very efficient formalism that is based on the Floquet solutions of the time-dependent molecule Hamiltonian. It is found that the current as a function of the laser frequency exhibits characteristic peaks originating from resonant excitations of electrons to bridge levels which are unoccupied in the absence of the radiation. The electrical current through the molecule can exhibit a drastic enhancement by several orders of magnitude., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

We study the influence of laser radiation on the electron transport through a molecular wire weakly coupled to two leads. In the absence of a generalized parity symmetry, the molecule rectifies the laser induced current, resulting in directed electron transport without any applied voltage. We consider two generic ways of dynamical symmetry breaking: mixing of different harmonics of the laser field and molecules consisting of asymmetric groups. For the evaluation of the nonlinear current, a numerically efficient formalism is derived which is based upon the Floquet solutions of the driven molecule. This permits a treatment in the non-adiabatic regime and beyond linear response., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, REVTeX4

We investigate the possibility of optical current control through single molecules which are weakly coupled to leads. A master equation approach for the transport through a molecule is combined with a Floquet theory for the time-dependent molecule. This yields an efficient numerical approach to the evaluation of the current through time-dependent nano-structures in the presence of a finite external voltage. We propose tunable optical current switching in two- and three-terminal molecular electronic devices driven by properly adjusted laser fields, i.e. a novel class of molecular transistors., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, elsart.cls included

The effect of laser fields on the electron transport through a molecular wire being weakly coupled to two leads is investigated. The molecular wire acts as a coherent quantum ratchet if the molecule is composed of periodically arranged, asymmetric chemical groups. This setup presents a quantum rectifier with a finite dc-response in the absence of a static bias. The nonlinear current is evaluated in closed form within the Floquet basis of the isolated, driven wire. The current response reveals multiple current reversals together with a nonlinear dependence (reflecting avoided quasi-energy crossings) on both, the amplitude and the frequency of the laser field. The current saturates for long wires at a nonzero value, while it may change sign upon decreasing its length., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, RevTeX4