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Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Gradient Echo Quantum Memory in Warm Atomic Vapor
Published on: November 11, 2013
Kovacs-like memory effect in driven granular gases
1Física Teórica, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado de Correos 1065, E-41080 Sevilla, Spain and Université Paris-Sud, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modèles Statistiques, UMR CNRS 8626, 91405 Orsay, France.
Abstract:
While memory effects have been reported for dense enough disordered systems such as glasses, we show here by a combination of analytical and simulation techniques that they are also intrinsic to the dynamics of dilute granular gases. By means of a certain driving protocol, we prepare the gas in a state where the granular temperature T coincides with its long time limit. However, T does not subsequently remain constant but exhibits a nonmonotonic evolution before reaching its nonequilibrium steady value. The corresponding so-called Kovacs hump displays a normal behavior for weak dissipation (as observed in molecular systems) but is reversed under strong dissipation, where it, thus, becomes anomalous.
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