17,380 research outputs found
Linear-optical processing cannot increase photon efficiency
We answer the question whether linear-optical processing of the states
produced by one or multiple imperfect single-photon sources can improve the
single-photon fidelity. This processing can include arbitrary interferometers,
coherent states, feedforward, and conditioning on results of detections. We
show that without introducing multiphoton components, the single-photon
fraction in any of the single-mode states resulting from such processing cannot
be made to exceed the efficiency of the best available photon source. If
multiphoton components are allowed, the single-photon fidelity cannot be
increased beyond 1/2. We propose a natural general definition of the
quantum-optical state efficiency, and show that it cannot increase under
linear-optical processing.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Decoherence induced by a fluctuating Aharonov-Casher phase
Dipoles interference is studied when atomic systems are coupled to classical
electromagnetic fields. The interaction between the dipoles and the classical
fields induces a time-varying Aharonov-Casher phase. Averaging over the phase
generates a suppression of fringe visibility in the interference pattern. We
show that, for suitable experimental conditions, the loss of contrast for
dipoles can be observable and almost as large as the corresponding one for
coherent electrons. We analyze different trajectories in order to show the
dependence of the decoherence factor with the velocity of the particles.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Stating Appointment Costs in SMS Reminders Reduces Missed Hospital Appointments: Findings from Two Randomised Controlled Trials
BACKGROUND:
Missed hospital appointments are a major cause of inefficiency worldwide. Healthcare providers are increasingly using Short Message Service reminders to reduce 'Did Not Attend' (DNA) rates. Systematic reviews show that sending such reminders is effective, but there is no evidence on whether their impact is affected by their content. Accordingly, we undertook two randomised controlled trials that tested the impact of rephrasing appointment reminders on DNA rates in the United Kingdom.
TRIAL METHODS:
Participants were outpatients with a valid mobile telephone number and an outpatient appointment between November 2013 and January 2014 (Trial One, 10,111 participants) or March and May 2014 (Trial Two, 9,848 participants). Appointments were randomly allocated to one of four reminder messages, which were issued five days in advance. Message assignment was then compared against appointment outcomes (appointment attendance, DNA, cancellation by patient).
RESULTS:
In Trial One, a message including the cost of a missed appointment to the health system produced a DNA rate of 8.4%, compared to 11.1% for the existing message (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.89, P<0.01). Trial Two replicated this effect (DNA rate 8.2%), but also found that expressing the same concept in general terms was significantly less effective (DNA rate 9.9%, OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.00-1.48, P<0.05). Moving from the existing reminder to the more effective costs message would result in 5,800 fewer missed appointments per year in the National Health Service Trust in question, at no additional cost. The study's main limitations are that it took place in a single location in England, and that it required accurate phone records, which were only obtained for 20% of eligible patients. We conclude that missed appointments can be reduced, for no additional cost, by introducing persuasive messages to appointment reminders. Future studies could examine the impact of varying reminder messages in other health systems.
TRIAL REGISTRATION:
Controlled-Trials.com 49432571
Multiple jet impingement heat transfer characteristic: Experimental investigation of in-line and staggered arrays with crossflow
Heat transfer characteristics were obtained for configurations designed to model the impingement cooled midchord region of air cooled gas turbine airfoils. The configurations tested were inline and staggered two-dimensional arrays of circular jets with ten spanwise rows of holes. The cooling air was constrained to exit in the chordwise direction along the channel formed by the jet orifice plate and the heat transfer surface. Tests were run for chordwise jet hole spacings of five, ten, and fifteen hole diameters; spanwise spacings of four, six, and eight diameters; and channel heights of one, two, three, and six diameters. Mean jet Reynolds numbers ranged from 5000 to 50,000. The thermal boundary condition at the heat transfer test surface was isothermal. Tests were run for sets of geometrically similar configurations of different sizes. Mean and chordwise resolved Nusselt numbers were determined utilizing a specially constructed test surface which was segmented in the chordwise direction
Spin interference effects in ring conductors subject to Rashba coupling
Quantum interference effects in rings provide suitable means for controlling
spin at mesoscopic scales. Here we apply such control mechanisms to coherent
spin-dependent transport in one- and two-dimensional rings subject to Rashba
spin-orbit coupling. We first study the spin-induced modulation of unpolarized
currents as a function of the Rashba coupling strength. The results suggest the
possibility of all-electrical spintronic devices. Moreover, we find signatures
of Berry phases in the conductance previously unnoticed. Second, we show that
the polarization direction of initially polarized, transmitted spins can be
tuned via an additional small magnetic control flux. In particular, this
enables to precisely reverse the polarization direction at half a flux quantum.
We present full numerical calculations for realistic two-dimensional ballistic
microstructures and explain our findings in a simple analytical model for
one-dimensional rings.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. B, final versio
Holonomic quantum computation in the presence of decoherence
We present a scheme to study non-abelian adiabatic holonomies for open
Markovian systems. As an application of our framework, we analyze the
robustness of holonomic quantum computation against decoherence. We pinpoint
the sources of error that must be corrected to achieve a geometric
implementation of quantum computation completely resilient to Markovian
decoherence.Comment: I. F-G. Now publishes under name I. Fuentes-Schuller Published
versio
Screening of charged singularities of random fields
Many types of point singularity have a topological index, or 'charge',
associated with them. For example the phase of a complex field depending on two
variables can either increase or decrease on making a clockwise circuit around
a simple zero, enabling the zeros to be assigned charges of plus or minus one.
In random fields we can define a correlation function for the charge-weighted
density of singularities. In many types of random fields, this correlation
function satisfies an identity which shows that the singularities 'screen' each
other perfectly: a positive singularity is surrounded by an excess of
concentration of negatives which exactly cancel its charge, and vice-versa.
This paper gives a simple and widely applicable derivation of this result. A
counterexample where screening is incomplete is also exhibited.Comment: 12 pages, no figures. Minor revision of manuscript submitted to J.
Phys. A, August 200
Quantum Phase Interference in Magnetic Molecular Clusters
The Landau Zener model has recently been used to measure very small tunnel
splittings in molecular clusters of Fe8, which at low temperature behaves like
a nanomagnet with a spin ground state of S = 10. The observed oscillations of
the tunnel splittings as a function of the magnetic field applied along the
hard anisotropy axis are due to topological quantum interference of two tunnel
paths of opposite windings. Transitions between quantum numbers M = -S and (S -
n), with n even or odd, revealed a parity effect which is analogous to the
suppression of tunnelling predicted for half integer spins. This observation is
the first direct evidence of the topological part of the quantum spin phase
(Berry or Haldane phase) in a magnetic system. We show here that the quantum
interference can also be measured by ac susceptibility measurements in the
thermal activated regime.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, conference proceedings of LT22 (Helsinki,
Finland, August 4-11, 199
Reversing Single Sessions
Session-based communication has gained a widespread acceptance in practice as
a means for developing safe communicating systems via structured interactions.
In this paper, we investigate how these structured interactions are affected by
reversibility, which provides a computational model allowing executed
interactions to be undone. In particular, we provide a systematic study of the
integration of different notions of reversibility in both binary and multiparty
single sessions. The considered forms of reversibility are: one for completely
reversing a given session with one backward step, and another for also
restoring any intermediate state of the session with either one backward step
or multiple ones. We analyse the costs of reversing a session in all these
different settings. Our results show that extending binary single sessions to
multiparty ones does not affect the reversibility machinery and its costs
Dynamical diffraction in sinusoidal potentials: uniform approximations for Mathieu functions
Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of Mathieu's equation are found in the short
wavelength limit using a uniform approximation (method of comparison with a
`known' equation having the same classical turning point structure) applied in
Fourier space. The uniform approximation used here relies upon the fact that by
passing into Fourier space the Mathieu equation can be mapped onto the simpler
problem of a double well potential. The resulting eigenfunctions (Bloch waves),
which are uniformly valid for all angles, are then used to describe the
semiclassical scattering of waves by potentials varying sinusoidally in one
direction. In such situations, for instance in the diffraction of atoms by
gratings made of light, it is common to make the Raman-Nath approximation which
ignores the motion of the atoms inside the grating. When using the
eigenfunctions no such approximation is made so that the dynamical diffraction
regime (long interaction time) can be explored.Comment: 36 pages, 16 figures. This updated version includes important
references to existing work on uniform approximations, such as Olver's method
applied to the modified Mathieu equation. It is emphasised that the paper
presented here pertains to Fourier space uniform approximation
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