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9 real negative results, null findings, and replication failures in Physics · Failed Experiment Report. Search the index →

WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record compiled from open scholarly databases; the abstract is shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed, otherwise a short excerpt under fair use. Classifications are automated and approximate.

Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Optimization of STIRAP-based state transfer under dissipation

Ying-Dan Wang, Xiao-Bo Yan, Stefano Chesi · 2016 · arXiv

Using a perturbative treatment, we quantify the influence of non-adiabatic leakage and system dissipation on the transfer fidelity of a stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) process. We find that, optimizing transfer time rather than coupling profiles, leads to a significant improvement of the transfer fidelity. The upper bound of the fidelity has been found as a simple analytical function of system cooperativities. We also provide a systematic approach to reach this upper bound efficiently.

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

An Analysis of the Mapping Approach to Surface Hopping

Jan Vavřín · 2025 · arXiv

Recently, the mapping approach to surface hopping (MASH) was proposed as a method to simulate the non-adiabatic dynamics of two-level systems. It was shown that the method possesses many desirable qualities, both theoretically and through numerical simulations. We explain this success by proving that, out of similar mapping methods, MASH dynamics is unique in guaranteeing correct thermalisation, but that many different "estimators" can be used on top of it. We also show that MASH can successfully calculate multi-time correlation functions, which can be used for the simulation of 2D spectra. We

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Device-scale modeling of valley photovoltaics

Daixi Xia, Hassan Allami, Jacob J. Krich · 2025 · arXiv

We present a Poisson/drift-diffusion model that includes valley scattering effects for simulating valley photovoltaic devices. The valley photovoltaic concept is a novel implementation of a hot-carrier solar cell and leverages the valley scattering effect under large electric field to potentially achieve high voltage and high efficiency. Fabricated devices have shown S-shaped current-voltage curves, low fill factor, and thus low efficiency. We hence develop the first device model for valley photovoltaics. Our model includes electric-field-dependent valley scattering rates extracted from previo

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Deterministic nonlinear quantum evolution. Experimental verification

A. Yu. Samarin · 2017 · arXiv

It is described a nonlocal interaction between entangled quantum objects, which is initiated by a process different from the reduction of the wave function. The scheme of an experiment realizing a deterministic nonlocal quantum evolution is proposed. In the case of the negative result of the experiment, the universal character of the integral wave equation with a kernel in the form of a path integral is questionable, otherwise faster-then-light communication is possible

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Remarks on the empirical accuracy of the optical superposition principle [Engl. transl. of Zh. Russk. Fiz.-Khim. Obshch., Ch. Fiz. 60(1928)555]

S. I. Vavilov · 2017 · arXiv

English translation of a Russian article from 1928. Translator's abstract: The article presents general considerations on the validity of the superposition principle for light in vacuo from out a quantum theoretic point of view. It contains a report on an optical experiment designed to detect the phenomenon of photon-photon scattering. To understand the negative result of the performed experiment, a consideration of the solar corona is undertaken in order to derive an empirical upper limit on the photon-photon scattering rate. Source details: S. I. Vavilov: Zamechaniya ob empiricheskoi tochnos

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Experimental Evaluation of the Claimed Coulomb Rotation (Electrostatic Torque)

D. Bojiloff, M. Tajmar · 2015 · arXiv

In the year 2002 publications of A.V.M. Khachatourian and A.O. Wistrom were released, in which the existence of an electrostatic torque has been claimed. This moment of force should act in a three sphere configuration, where one sphere is held at a constant electric potential. This claim was based on an observed rotation and was supported by a mathematical solution derived by Wistrom and Khachatourian. The theoretical work of Wistrom and Khachatourian as well as the interpretation of the observed rotation were criticized by several scientists who offered alternative explanations for the rotati

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

On the possibility of complete revivals after quantum quenches to a critical point

Khadijeh Najafi, M. A. Rajabpour · 2017 · arXiv

In a recent letter, J. Cardy, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{112}, 220401 (2014), the author made a very interesting observation that complete revivals of quantum states after quantum quench can happen in a period which is a fraction of the system size. This is possible for critical systems that can be described by minimal conformal field theories (CFT) with central charge $c<1$. In this article, we show that these complete revivals are impossible in microscopic realizations of those minimal models. We will prove the absence of the mentioned complete revivals for the critical transverse field Ising

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Self-interaction correction schemes for non-collinear spin-density-functional theory

Nicolas Tancogne-Dejean, Martin Lüders, Carsten A. Ullrich · 2023 · arXiv

We extend some of the well established self-interaction correction (SIC) schemes of density-functional theory to the case of systems with noncollinear magnetism. Our proposed SIC schemes are tested on a set of molecules and metallic clusters in combination with the widely used local spin-density approximation. As expected from the collinear SIC, we show that the averaged-density SIC works well for improving ionization energies but fails to improve more subtle quantities like the dipole moments of polar molecules. We investigate the exchange-correlation magnetic field produced by our extension

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Failed Experiment ReportOpen accessPhysics

Structural and effective charge determination for planar-zigzag beta-poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Nicholas J. Ramer, Kimberly A. Stiso · 2004 · arXiv

We present the computation of structural and polarization for a ferroelectric polymer, specifically, the beta-phase of poly(vinylidene fluoride) or (-CH$_2$-CF$_2$-)$_n$. Two structures have been described in the literature: one containing an undistorted carbon backbone (planar-zigzag) and the other containing alternatively deflected -CF$_2$- groups. Previous studies have indicated that these deflections have no significant effect on calculated elastic properties. We employ density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation to find relaxed atomic positions for the planar-z

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