Direct, Loss-Tolerant Characterization of Nonclassical Photon Statistics

We experimentally investigate a method of directly characterizing the photon number distribution of nonclassical light beams that is tolerant to losses and makes use only of standard binary detectors. This is achieved in a single measurement by calibrating the detector using some small amount of prior information about the source. We demonstrate the technique on a freely propagating heralded two-photon number state created by conditional detection of a two-mode squeezed state generated by a parametric downconverter.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Measurement of geometric phase for mixed states using single photon interferometry

Geometric phase may enable inherently fault-tolerant quantum computation. However, due to potential decoherence effects, it is important to understand how such phases arise for {\it mixed} input states. We report the first experiment to measure mixed-state geometric phases in optics, using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and polarization mixed states that are produced in two different ways: decohering pure states with birefringent elements; and producing a nonmaximally entangled state of two photons and tracing over one of them, a form of remote state preparation.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. 4 pages, 3 figure

In Vitro Formation of Urinary Stones : Generation of Spherulites of Calcium Phosphate in Gel and Overgrowth with Calcium Oxalate Using a New Flow Model of Crystallization

Calcium phosphate (CaP) has been detected in the majority of urinary stones containing predominantly calcium oxalate (CaOx). Therefore, crystal phases of CaP might play an important role with respect to the formation of urinary calcium stones in general. Very often, CaP found in stones or tissue of human kidney occurs in the shape of small spherulites. In this paper, we report on a new flow model of crystallization (FMCG), which has been used to generate spherulites of CaP in a gel matrix of 1% agar-agar at 37°C from a supersaturated, metastable solution continuously flowing over the gel surface. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and microscopic Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the particles formed (diameter: up to 200 μm) consisted of a poorly crystal-line core of carbonatoapatite which was partly surrounded by a well-crystallized shell of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) showing radially oriented sheet-like structures. Subsequently, CaOx was grown on these spherulites from a flow of a correspondingly supersaturated solution conducted over the gel matrix. It could be shown by SEM that growth of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) was characteristically induced by the OCP shell. Radial sheet-like forms of OCP were directly continued by COM showing a certain radial orientation. The model of crystallization in gel matrices applied here should be well-suited to simulate the process of urinary stone formation under in vitro conditions

Fiber-assisted detection with photon number resolution

We report the development of a photon-number resolving detector based on a fiber-optical setup and a pair of standard avalanche photodiodes. The detector is capable of resolving individual photon numbers, and operates on the well-known principle by which a single mode input state is split into a large number (eight) of output modes. We reconstruct the photon statistics of weak coherent input light from experimental data, and show that there is a high probability of inferring the input photon number from a measurement of the number of detection events on a single run.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; Submitted for publicatio

Photon number resolving detection using time-multiplexing

Detectors that can resolve photon number are needed in many quantum information technologies. In order to be useful in quantum information processing, such detectors should be simple, easy to use, and be scalable to resolve any number of photons, as the application may require great portability such as in quantum cryptography. Here we describe the construction of a time-multiplexed detector, which uses a pair of standard avalanche photodiodes operated in Geiger mode. The detection technique is analysed theoretically and tested experimentally using a pulsed source of weak coherent light.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, accepted to Journal of Modern Optic

Fast quantum key distribution with decoy number states

We investigate the use of photon number states to identify eavesdropping attacks on quantum key distribution (QKD) schemes. The technique is based on the fact that different photon numbers traverse a channel with different transmittivity. We then describe two QKD schemes that utilize this method, one of which overcomes the upper limit on the key generation rate imposed by the dead time of detectors when using a heralded source of photons.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; Accepted to J. Mod. Op

Empiric treatment of pulmonary TB in the Xpert era: Correspondence of sputum culture, Xpert MTB/RIF, and clinical diagnoses.

BackgroundClinical tuberculosis diagnosis and empiric treatment have traditionally been common among patients with negative bacteriologic test results. Increasing availability of rapid molecular diagnostic tests, including Xpert MTB/RIF and the new Xpert Ultra cartridge, may alter the role of empiric treatment.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled outpatients age > = 15 who were evaluated for pulmonary tuberculosis at three health facilities in Kampala, Uganda. Using sputum mycobacterial culture, interviews, and clinical record abstraction, we estimated the accuracy of clinical diagnosis relative to Xpert and sputum culture and assessed the contribution of clinical diagnosis to case detection.ResultsOver a period of 9 months, 99 patients were diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and subsequently completed sputum culture; they were matched to 196 patients receiving negative tuberculosis evaluations in the same facilities. Xpert was included in the evaluation of 291 (99%) patients. Compared to culture, Xpert had a sensitivity of 92% (95% confidence interval 83-97%) and specificity of 95% (92-98%). Twenty patients with negative Xpert were clinically diagnosed with tuberculosis and subsequently had their culture status determined; two (10%) were culture-positive. Considering all treated patients regardless of Xpert and culture data completeness, and considering treatment initiations before a positive Xpert (N = 4) to be empiric, 26/101 (26%) tuberculosis treatment courses were started empirically. Compared to sputum smear- or Xpert-positive patients with positive cultures, empirically-treated, Xpert-negative patients with negative cultures had higher prevalence of HIV (67% versus 37%), shorter duration of cough (median 4 versus 8 weeks), and lower inflammatory markers (median CRP 7 versus 101 mg/L).ConclusionJudged against sputum culture in a routine care setting of high HIV prevalence, the accuracy of Xpert was high. Clinical judgment identified a small number of additional culture-positive cases, but with poor specificity. Although clinicians should continue to prescribe tuberculosis treatment for Xpert-negative patients whose clinical presentations strongly suggest pulmonary tuberculosis, they should also carefully consider alternative diagnoses