Resilience of multi-photon entanglement under losses

We analyze the resilience under photon loss of the bi-partite entanglement present in multi-photon states produced by parametric down-conversion. The quantification of the entanglement is made possible by a symmetry of the states that persists even under polarization-independent losses. We examine the approach of the states to the set of states with a positive partial transpose as losses increase, and calculate the relative entropy of entanglement. We find that some bi-partite distillable entanglement persists for arbitrarily high losses.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, title changed, minor typographic errors correcte

Preferred Measurements: Optimality and Stability in Quantum Parameter Estimation

We explore precision in a measurement process incorporating pure probe states, unitary dynamics and complete measurements via a simple formalism. The concept of `information complement' is introduced. It undermines measurement precision and its minimization reveals the system properties at an optimal point. Maximally precise measurements can exhibit independence from the true value of the estimated parameter, but demanding this severely restricts the type of viable probe and dynamics, including the requirement that the Hamiltonian be block-diagonal in a basis of preferred measurements. The curvature of the information complement near a globally optimal point provides a new quantification of measurement stability.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, in submission. Substantial Extension and replacement of arXiv:0902.3260v1 in response to Referees' remark

Local and Global Distinguishability in Quantum Interferometry

A statistical distinguishability based on relative entropy characterises the fitness of quantum states for phase estimation. This criterion is employed in the context of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and used to interpolate between two regimes, of local and global phase distinguishability. The scaling of distinguishability in these regimes with photon number is explored for various quantum states. It emerges that local distinguishability is dependent on a discrepancy between quantum and classical rotational energy. Our analysis demonstrates that the Heisenberg limit is the true upper limit for local phase sensitivity. Only the `NOON' states share this bound, but other states exhibit a better trade-off when comparing local and global phase regimes.Comment: 4 pages, in submission, minor revision

Quantifying the optical properties and chromophore concentrations of turbid media by chemometric analysis of hyperspectral diffuse reflectance data collected using a fourier interferometric imaging system

A non-contact Fourier transform interferometric imaging system was used to collect hyperspectral images of the steady-state diffuse reflectance from a point source in turbid media for the spectral range of 550-850 nm. Steady-state diffuse reflectance profiles were generated from the hyperspectral images, and partial least-squares (PLS) regression was performed on the diffuse reflectance profiles to quantify absorption (mu (alpha)) and reduced scattering (mu (s)') properties of turbid media. The feasibility of using PLS regression to predict optical properties was examined for two different sets of spatially-resolved diffuse reflectance data. One set of data was collected from 40 turbid phantoms, while the second set was generated by convolving Monte Carlo simulations with the instrument response of the imaging system. Study results show that PLS prediction of mu (alpha) and mu (s)' was accurate to within +/-8% and +/-5%, respectively, when the model was trained on turbid phantom data. Moreover, PLS prediction of optical properties was considerably faster and more efficient than direct least-squares fitting of spatially-resolved profiles. When the PLS model was trained on Monte Carlo simulated data and subsequently used to predict mu (alpha) and mu (s)' from the diffuse reflectance of turbid phantom, the percent accuracies degraded to +/-12% and +/-5%, respectively. These accuracy values are applicable to homogenous, semi-infinite turbid phantoms with optical property ranges comparable to tissues

Life in Hot Carbon Monoxide: The Complete Genome Sequence of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans Z-2901

We report here the sequencing and analysis of the genome of the thermophilic bacterium Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans Z-2901. This species is a model for studies of hydrogenogens, which are diverse bacteria and archaea that grow anaerobically utilizing carbon monoxide (CO) as their sole carbon source and water as an electron acceptor, producing carbon dioxide and hydrogen as waste products. Organisms that make use of CO do so through carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complexes. Remarkably, analysis of the genome of C. hydrogenoformans reveals the presence of at least five highly differentiated anaerobic carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complexes, which may in part explain how this species is able to grow so much more rapidly on CO than many other species. Analysis of the genome also has provided many general insights into the metabolism of this organism which should make it easier to use it as a source of biologically produced hydrogen gas. One surprising finding is the presence of many genes previously found only in sporulating species in the Firmicutes Phylum. Although this species is also a Firmicutes, it was not known to sporulate previously. Here we show that it does sporulate and because it is missing many of the genes involved in sporulation in other species, this organism may serve as a “minimal” model for sporulation studies. In addition, using phylogenetic profile analysis, we have identified many uncharacterized gene families found in all known sporulating Firmicutes, but not in any non-sporulating bacteria, including a sigma factor not known to be involved in sporulation previously

EVA Development and Verification Testing at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory

As an early step in the preparation for future Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), astronauts perform neutral buoyancy testing to develop and verify EVA hardware and operations. Neutral buoyancy demonstrations at NASA Johnson Space Center's Sonny Carter Training Facility to date have primarily evaluated assembly and maintenance tasks associated with several elements of the International Space Station (ISS). With the retirement of the Shuttle, completion of ISS assembly, and introduction of commercial players for human transportation to space, evaluations at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) will take on a new focus. Test objectives are selected for their criticality, lack of previous testing, or design changes that justify retesting. Assembly tasks investigated are performed using procedures developed by the flight hardware providers and the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD). Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) maintenance tasks are performed using a more systematic set of procedures, EVA Concept of Operations for the International Space Station (JSC-33408), also developed by the MOD. This paper describes the requirements and process for performing a neutral buoyancy test, including typical hardware and support equipment requirements, personnel and administrative resource requirements, examples of ISS systems and operations that are evaluated, and typical operational objectives that are evaluated

Results from the First Science Run of the ZEPLIN-III Dark Matter Search Experiment

The ZEPLIN-III experiment in the Palmer Underground Laboratory at Boulby uses a 12kg two-phase xenon time projection chamber to search for the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that may account for the dark matter of our Galaxy. The detector measures both scintillation and ionisation produced by radiation interacting in the liquid to differentiate between the nuclear recoils expected from WIMPs and the electron recoil background signals down to ~10keV nuclear recoil energy. An analysis of 847kg.days of data acquired between February 27th 2008 and May 20th 2008 has excluded a WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering spin-independent cross-section above 8.1x10(-8)pb at 55GeV/c2 with a 90% confidence limit. It has also demonstrated that the two-phase xenon technique is capable of better discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils at low-energy than previously achieved by other xenon-based experiments.Comment: 12 pages, 17 figure

Do emotional difficulties and peer problems hew together from childhood to adolescence? The case of children with a history of developmental language disorder (DLD)

Children and adolescents with developmental language disorder (DLD) are, overall, vulnerable to difficulties in emotional adjustment and in peer relations. However, previous research has shown that different subgroups follow different trajectories in respect of quality of peer relations. Less is known of the trajectories of emotional development. We consider here the possibility that development in these two domains is interrelated: that is, the trajectories of emotional and peer problems will proceed in parallel. We conducted longitudinal joint trajectories analyses of emotional and peer relations in a sample of young people identified as having DLD at age 7 years and seen at intervals up to 16 years. Potential influences on joint trajectory group membership were examined. Findings revealed five distinct joint trajectories. Emotional and peer difficulties do hew together from childhood to adolescence for just over half of the sample, but not all. The variables most clearly associated with group membership were pragmatic language ability, prosociality and parental mental health. This is the first study to examine joint longitudinal trajectories of emotional and peer difficulties in individuals with DLD. We demonstrate that development in individuals with DLD is heterogeneous and identify three key variables associated with personal and social adjustment from childhood to adolescence. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed