Quantum versus classical descriptions of sub-Poissonian light generation in three-wave mixing

Sub-Poissonian light generation in the non-degenerate three-wave mixing is studied numerically and analytically within quantum and classical approaches. Husimi Q-functions and their classical trajectory simulations are analysed to reveal a special regime corresponding to the time-stable sub-Poissonian photocount statistics of the sum-frequency mode. Conditions for observation of this regime are discussed. Theoretical predictions of the Fano factor and explanation of the extraordinary stabilization of the sub-Poissonian photocount behavior are obtained analytically by applying the classical trajectories. Scaling laws for the maximum sub-Poissonian behavior are found. Noise suppression levels in the non-degenerate vs degenerate three-wave mixing are discussed on different time scales compared to the revival times. It is shown that the non-degenerate conversion offers much better stabilization of the suppressed noise in comparison to that of degenerate process.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, to be published in J. Optics

Current-Mode CCII+ Based Oscillator Circuits using a Conventional and a Modified Wien-Bridge with All Capacitors Grounded

The paper deals with a pair of current-mode sine-wave oscillator circuits. Both these circuits are implemented using positive second-generation current conveyors (CCII+). The principle of the first oscillator is based on a conventional Wien-bridge network. However, this implementation suffers from the use of a floating capacitor, which can be unacceptable in the case of on-chip integration. This drawback is solved in the second variant via a slight modification of the Wien-bridge network, which then allows the use of all capacitors grounded. The modified circuit version was manufactured by means of the socalled diamond transistors, which play the role of CCII+ active building blocks. The circuit behavior was analyzed theoretically, with particular emphasis on the identification of real effects and their elimination, and subsequently verified experimentally. The experimental results are included in the paper

Modification of the 6-Hydroxydopamine Technique for the Correct Determination of Superoxide Dismutase

Heikkila & Cabbat (Anal. Biochem. 75, 356-362 (1976)) have proposed the autoxidation of the 6-hydroxydopamine as a method to test Superoxide dismutase activity in biological samples. This method has several advantages but in some instances leads to incorrect determinations. We present here a necessary modification of the method to avoid bias.Peer Reviewe

Qubit-induced phonon blockade as a signature of quantum behavior in nanomechanical resonators

The observation of quantized nanomechanical oscillations by detecting femtometer-scale displacements is a significant challenge for experimentalists. We propose that phonon blockade can serve as a signature of quantum behavior in nanomechanical resonators. In analogy to photon blockade and Coulomb blockade for electrons, the main idea for phonon blockade is that the second phonon cannot be excited when there is one phonon in the nonlinear oscillator. To realize phonon blockade, a superconducting quantum two-level system is coupled to the nanomechanical resonator and is used to induce the phonon self-interaction. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the dynamics of the induced nonlinear oscillator is studied via the Cahill-Glauber $s$-parametrized quasiprobability distributions. We show how the oscillation of the resonator can occur in the quantum regime and demonstrate how the phonon blockade can be observed with currently accessible experimental parameters

The analytic structure of 2D Euler flow at short times

Using a very high precision spectral calculation applied to the incompressible and inviscid flow with initial condition $\psi_0(x_1, x_2) = \cos x_1+\cos 2x_2$, we find that the width $\delta(t)$ of its analyticity strip follows a $\ln(1/t)$ law at short times over eight decades. The asymptotic equation governing the structure of spatial complex-space singularities at short times (Frisch, Matsumoto and Bec 2003, J.Stat.Phys. 113, 761--781) is solved by a high-precision expansion method. Strong numerical evidence is obtained that singularities have infinite vorticity and lie on a complex manifold which is constructed explicitly as an envelope of analyticity disks.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, published versio

Prevalence and abundance of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia spp. in wild rural rodents from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland

Prevalence and abundance of Cryptosporodium parvum and Giardia spp. were studied in 3 species of rodents from forests and abandoned agricultural fields in N.E. Poland (Clethrionomys glareolus n=459; Microtus arvalis n=274; Apodemus flavicollis n=209). Overall prevalence was consistently higher in the voles compared with A. flavicollis (70±6, 73±0 and 27±8% respectively for C. parvum and 93±9, 96±3 and 48±3% respectively for Giardia spp.). Prevalence and abundance of infection also varied markedly across 3 years with 1998 being a year of higher prevalence and abundance with both species. Fewer older animals (especially C. glareolus and M. arvalis) carried infection with C. parvum and infections in these animals were relatively milder. Although seasonal differences were significant, no consistent pattern of changes was apparent. Host sex did not influence prevalence or abundance of infection with C. parvum, but made a small contribution to a 4-way interaction (in 5-way ANOVA) with other factors in the case of Giardia spp. The 2 species co-occurred significantly and in animals carrying both parasites there was a highly signficant positive correlation between abundance of infection with each, even with between-year, seasonal, host age, sex and species differences taken into account. Quantitative associations were confined to the 2 vole species in the study. These results are discussed in relation to the importance of wild rodents as reservoir hosts and sources of infection for local human communities

Quantum noise and mixedness of a pumped dissipative non-linear oscillator

Evolutions of quantum noise, characterized by quadrature squeezing parameter and Fano factor, and of mixedness, quantified by quantum von Neumann and linear entropies, of a pumped dissipative non-linear oscillator are studied. The model can describe a signal mode interacting with a thermal reservoir in a parametrically pumped cavity with a Kerr non-linearity. It is discussed that the initial pure states, including coherent states, Fock states, and finite superpositions of coherent states evolve into the same steady mixed state as verified by the quantum relative entropy and the Bures metric. It is shown analytically and verified numerically that the steady state can be well approximated by a nonclassical Gaussian state exhibiting quadrature squeezing and sub-Poissonian statistics for the cold thermal reservoir. A rapid increase is found in the mixedness, especially for the initial Fock states and superpositions of coherent states, during a very short time interval, and then for longer evolution times a decrease in the mixedness to the same, for all the initial states, and relatively low value of the nonclassical Gaussian state.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure

Wehrl information entropy and phase distributions of Schrodinger cat and cat-like states

The Wehrl information entropy and its phase density, the so-called Wehrl phase distribution, are applied to describe Schr\"odinger cat and cat-like (kitten) states. The advantages of the Wehrl phase distribution over the Wehrl entropy in a description of the superposition principle are presented. The entropic measures are compared with a conventional phase distribution from the Husimi Q-function. Compact-form formulae for the entropic measures are found for superpositions of well-separated states. Examples of Schr\"odinger cats (including even, odd and Yurke-Stoler coherent states), as well as the cat-like states generated in Kerr medium are analyzed in detail. It is shown that, in contrast to the Wehrl entropy, the Wehrl phase distribution properly distinguishes between different superpositions of unequally-weighted states in respect to their number and phase-space configuration.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Variation in the helminth community structure in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from three comparable localities in the Mazury Lake District region of Poland

We tested the null hypothesis that populations of hosts trapped in isolated neighbouring locations showing comparable habitat quality, should support similar helminth parasite communities. The study was undertaken in a 2-week period in late summer in NE Poland in a single year, thereby eliminating seasonal and between-year variation in parasite burdens. A total of 139 Clethrionomys glareolus (bank vole) were sampled from 3 forest sites of similar habitat quality. Total species richness was 11 (6 nematodes and 5 cestodes) with 85±6% of the voles carrying at least 1 species and an overall mean species richness of 1±4. At the component community level, the fewest species of helminths were recorded from site 2 (n=6, compared with 9 at each of the other sites), but site 3 had the lowest Berger-Parker Dominance Index and the highest Simpson's Index of Diversity. At the infracommunity level, site 3 had the highest mean no. of helminthspecies}vole, the highest mean Brillouin's Index of Diversity but the lowest mean no. of helminths/vole. Voles from sites 1 and 3 differed in the nematodes that were most common (site 1, Heligmosomum mixtum ± 95%; site 3, Heligmosomoides glareoli ± 79±3%). At site 2 no species exceeded 50% but prevalence of Syphacia petrusewiczi was higher than at the other sites. The prevalence of cestodes was too low to test reliably (12±9%), but the highest prevalence of adult cestodes was recorded at site 1 (22±5%compared with 4±9 and 1±7%for sites 2 and 3 respectively). Host sex did not ifluence infection, but mean species richness increased with age. The different sites were responsible for most of the variation in our data, and the intrinsic factors (sex and age) were less important in shaping the component community structure of helminths. We conclude that even locations in relative close proximity to one another (13±25 km), selected on the basis of similar habitat quality, have rodent populations that differ in their helminth parasite communities, although for reasons other than the factors quantified in the present study