Question
Driving systems named for this man at high frequencies prevents heating as part of a namesake prethermalization. For 10 points each:
[10h] Give this physicist whose namesake systems have Hamiltonians subject to time-periodic driving. A theorem named after this man gives a fundamental solution to the differential equation “x-dot equals A-times-x,” where A is periodic in time.
ANSWER: Gaston Floquet (“flo-KAY”) [or Achille Marie Gaston Floquet; accept Floquet systems or Floquet states or Floquet prethermalization]
[10m] Floquet prethermalization can be understood using linear response theory and this rule. The transition rate is proportional to the square of the driving amplitude times the square of the transition matrix elements according to this rule.
ANSWER: Fermi’s golden rule [prompt on Fermi’s rule]
[10e] Heating in Floquet systems is hard to control because they do not obey this law. The first law of thermodynamics is a formulation of this conservation law.
ANSWER: conservation of energy
<Physics>
Summary
| 2025 ACF Nationals | 04/19/2025 | Y | 8 | 16.25 | 100% | 38% | 25% |
Data
| UC Berkeley A | Arizona State | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| Chicago B | Rutgers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Indiana | Illinois B | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Chicago A | Minnesota | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
| Columbia B | Texas | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| Georgia State | UC Berkeley B | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Iowa State | WUSTL A | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| British Columbia | Winona State | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |