619 research outputs found
Maximum likelihood estimation of photon number distribution from homodyne statistics
We present a method for reconstructing the photon number distribution from
the homodyne statistics based on maximization of the likelihood function
derived from the exact statistical description of a homodyne experiment. This
method incorporates in a natural way the physical constraints on the
reconstructed quantities, and the compensation for the nonunit detection
efficiency.Comment: 3 pages REVTeX. Final version, to appear in Phys. Rev. A as a Brief
Repor
The Economic Rationale for Agricultural Regeneration and Rural Infrastructure Investment in South Africa
This paper informs government policy insofar as it relates to the agricultural and rural development sectors and infrastructure investment within these sectors. The paper first quantifies the role of agriculture in the South African economy. This is done within the context of, inter alia, food security, agriculture’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), economic linkages and multipliers with respect to the agricultural sector, as well as agriculture’s employment creation and external stabilisation capacity. Investment in the agricultural and rural sectors are then analysed with a view of supporting the argument that agriculture’s role in the economy is sufficiently important to warrant regenerative strategies, including renewed emphasis on agricultural and rural infrastructure investment by South African policy makers. The quantification of the agricultural sector in relation to the total economy and that of agricultural and rural infrastructure investment are investigated against the backdrop of declining government support, increasing production risks due to a variety of exogenous events like climate change, and increasing dynamic trade impacts. In this paper, the authors offer both supporting arguments in terms of current economic policy and recommendations for more decisive policy measures aimed at agricultural regeneration and rural infrastructure investment.
Broadband detection of squeezed vacuum: A spectrum of quantum states
We demonstrate the simultaneous quantum state reconstruction of the spectral
modes of the light field emitted by a continuous wave degenerate optical
parametric amplifier. The scheme is based on broadband measurement of the
quantum fluctuations of the electric field quadratures and subsequent Fourier
decomposition into spectral intervals. Applying the standard reconstruction
algorithms to each bandwidth-limited quantum trajectory, a "spectrum" of
density matrices and Wigner functions is obtained. The recorded states show a
smooth transition from the squeezed vacuum to a vacuum state. In the time
domain we evaluated the first order correlation function of the squeezed output
field, showing good agreement with the theory.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
Experiencing Short Heat Waves Early in Development Changes Thermal Responsiveness of Turtle Embryos to Later Heat Waves
Although physiological responses to the thermal environment are most frequently investigated using constant temperatures, the incorporation of thermal variability can allow for a more accurate prediction of how thermally sensitive species respond to a rapidly changing climate. In species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), developmental responses to incubation temperature are mediated by several genes involved in gonadal differentiation. Kdm6b and Dmrt1 respond to cool incubation temperatures and are associated with testis development, while Foxl2 and Cyp19A1 respond to warm incubation temperatures and are associated with ovary development. Using fluctuating incubation temperatures, we designed two studies, one investigating how conflicting thermal cues affect the timing of commitment to gonadal development, and another investigating the rapid molecular responses to conflicting thermal cues in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta). Using gene expression as a proxy of timing of commitment to gonadal fate, results from the first study show that exposure to high amounts of conflicting thermal cues during development delays commitment to gonadal fate
Reply on the ``Comment on `Loss-error compensation in quantum- state measurements' ''
The authors of the Comment [G. M. D'Ariano and C. Macchiavello to be
published in Phys. Rev. A, quant-ph/9701009] tried to reestablish a 0.5
efficiency bound for loss compensation in optical homodyne tomography. In our
reply we demonstrate that neither does such a rigorous bound exist nor is the
bound required for ruling out the state reconstruction of an individual system
[G. M. D'Ariano and H. P. Yuen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 2832 (1996)].Comment: LaTex, 2 pages, 1 Figure; to be published in Physical Review
Measuring quantum optical Hamiltonians
We show how recent state-reconstruction techniques can be used to determine
the Hamiltonian of an optical device that evolves the quantum state of
radiation. A simple experimental setup is proposed for measuring the
Liouvillian of phase-insensitive devices. The feasibility of the method with
current technology is demonstrated on the basis of Monte Carlo simulated
experiments.Comment: Accepted for publication on Phys. Rev. Lett. 8 eps figures, 4
two-column pages in REVTE
An ultra-sensitive pulsed balanced homodyne detector: Application to time-domain quantum measurements
A pulsed balanced homodyne detector has been developed for precise
measurements of electric field quadratures of pulsed optical quantum states. A
high level of common mode suppression (> 85 dB) and low electronic noise (730
electrons per pulse) provide a signal to noise ratio of 14 dB for the
measurement of the quantum noise of individual pulses. Measurements at
repetition rates up to 1 MHz are possible. As a test, quantum tomography of the
coherent state is performed and the Wigner function and the density matrix are
reconstructed with a 99.5% fidelity. The detection system can also be used for
ultrasensitive balanced detection in cw mode, e.g. for weak absorption
measurements.Comment: 3 pages, submitted to Optics Letter
Continuous-Variable Quantum Teleportation with a Conventional Laser
We give a description of balanced homodyne detection (BHD) using a
conventional laser as a local oscillator (LO), where the laser field outside
the cavity is a mixed state whose phase is completely unknown. Our description
is based on the standard interpretation of the quantum theory for measurement,
and accords with the experimental result in the squeezed state generation
scheme. We apply our description of BHD to continuous-variable quantum
teleportation (CVQT) with a conventional laser to analyze the CVQT experiment
[A. Furusawa et al., Science 282, 706 (1998)], whose validity has been
questioned on the ground of intrinsic phase indeterminacy of the laser field
[T. Rudolph and B.C. Sanders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 077903 (2001)]. We show that
CVQT with a laser is valid only if the unknown phase of the laser field is
shared among sender's LOs, the EPR state, and receiver's LO. The CVQT
experiment is considered valid with the aid of an optical path other than the
EPR channel and a classical channel, directly linking between a sender and a
receiver. We also propose a method to probabilistically generate a strongly
phase-correlated quantum state via continuous measurement of independent
lasers, which is applicable to realizing CVQT without the additional optical
path.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Quantum tomography of mesoscopic superpositions of radiation states
We show the feasibility of a tomographic reconstruction of Schr\"{o}dinger
cat states generated according to the scheme proposed by S. Song, C.M. Caves
and B. Yurke [Phys. Rev. A 41, 5261 (1990)]. We present a technique that
tolerates realistic values for quantum efficiency at photodetectors. The
measurement can be achieved by a standard experimental setup.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett.; 4 pages including 6 ps figure
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