6,262 research outputs found
Planning for the mobile library: a strategy for managing innovation and transformation at the University of Glasgow Library
Modern mobile devices have powerful features that are transforming access to information. Lippincott argues that as mobile devices such as smartphones become ‘key information devices’ for our users, libraries will want to have a significant presence in offering content and services that are suitable for this medium. This article outlines the process of development and implementation of a mobile strategy at the University of Glasgow Library. What began as an investigation into a mobile interface to the library catalogue evolved into a comprehensive strategic review of how we deliver services now and in the future in this rapidly changing mobile environment
Weak non-linearities and cluster states
We propose a scalable approach to building cluster states of matter qubits
using coherent states of light. Recent work on the subject relies on the use of
single photonic qubits in the measurement process. These schemes have a low
initial success probability and low detector efficiencies cause a serious
blowup in resources. In contrast, our approach uses continuous variables and
highly efficient measurements. We present a two-qubit scheme, with a simple
homodyne measurement system yielding an entangling operation with success
probability 1/2. Then we extend this to a three-qubit interaction, increasing
this probability to 3/4. We discuss the important issues of the overhead cost
and the time scaling, showing how these can be vastly improved with access to
this new probability range.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
The efficiencies of generating cluster states with weak non-linearities
We propose a scalable approach to building cluster states of matter qubits
using coherent states of light. Recent work on the subject relies on the use of
single photonic qubits in the measurement process. These schemes can be made
robust to detector loss, spontaneous emission and cavity mismatching but as a
consequence the overhead costs grow rapidly, in particular when considering
single photon loss. In contrast, our approach uses continuous variables and
highly efficient homodyne measurements. We present a two-qubit scheme, with a
simple bucket measurement system yielding an entangling operation with success
probability 1/2. Then we extend this to a three-qubit interaction, increasing
this probability to 3/4. We discuss the important issues of the overhead cost
and the time scaling. This leads to a "no-measurement" approach to building
cluster states, making use of geometric phases in phase space.Comment: 21 pages, to appear in special issue of New J. Phys. on
"Measurement-Based Quantum Information Processing
Biofilm formation is a risk factor for mortality in patients with Candida albicans bloodstream infection-Scotland, 2012-2013
Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology 097377/Z/11/Z. Data collection was supported by a grant from Pfizer. G. Ramage was also supported by a research fellowship grant from Gilead Sciences. We are grateful to microbiology colleagues throughout Scotland for submitting isolates.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Secure self-calibrating quantum random bit generator
Random bit generators (RBGs) are key components of a variety of information
processing applications ranging from simulations to cryptography. In
particular, cryptographic systems require "strong" RBGs that produce
high-entropy bit sequences, but traditional software pseudo-RBGs have very low
entropy content and therefore are relatively weak for cryptography. Hardware
RBGs yield entropy from chaotic or quantum physical systems and therefore are
expected to exhibit high entropy, but in current implementations their exact
entropy content is unknown. Here we report a quantum random bit generator
(QRBG) that harvests entropy by measuring single-photon and entangled
two-photon polarization states. We introduce and implement a quantum
tomographic method to measure a lower bound on the "min-entropy" of the system,
and we employ this value to distill a truly random bit sequence. This approach
is secure: even if an attacker takes control of the source of optical states, a
secure random sequence can be distilled.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Single photon quantum non-demolition in the presence of inhomogeneous broadening
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) has been often proposed for
generating nonlinear optical effects at the single photon level; in particular,
as a means to effect a quantum non-demolition measurement of a single photon
field. Previous treatments have usually considered homogeneously broadened
samples, but realisations in any medium will have to contend with inhomogeneous
broadening. Here we reappraise an earlier scheme [Munro \textit{et al.} Phys.
Rev. A \textbf{71}, 033819 (2005)] with respect to inhomogeneities and show an
alternative mode of operation that is preferred in an inhomogeneous
environment. We further show the implications of these results on a potential
implementation in diamond containing nitrogen-vacancy colour centres. Our
modelling shows that single mode waveguide structures of length in single-crystal diamond containing a dilute ensemble of NV
of only 200 centres are sufficient for quantum non-demolition measurements
using EIT-based weak nonlinear interactions.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures (some in colour) at low resolution for arXiv
purpose
Experimental realization of a quantum game on a one-way quantum computer
We report the first demonstration of a quantum game on an all-optical one-way
quantum computer. Following a recent theoretical proposal we implement a
quantum version of Prisoner's Dilemma, where the quantum circuit is realized by
a 4-qubit box-cluster configuration and the player's local strategies by
measurements performed on the physical qubits of the cluster. This
demonstration underlines the strength and versatility of the one-way model and
we expect that this will trigger further interest in designing quantum
protocols and algorithms to be tested in state-of-the-art cluster resources.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure
Property differences among the four major Candida albicans strain clades
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Applications of Coherent Population Transfer to Quantum Information Processing
We develop a theoretical framework for the exploration of quantum mechanical
coherent population transfer phenomena, with the ultimate goal of constructing
faithful models of devices for classical and quantum information processing
applications. We begin by outlining a general formalism for weak-field quantum
optics in the Schr\"{o}dinger picture, and we include a general
phenomenological representation of Lindblad decoherence mechanisms. We use this
formalism to describe the interaction of a single stationary multilevel atom
with one or more propagating classical or quantum laser fields, and we describe
in detail several manifestations and applications of electromagnetically
induced transparency. In addition to providing a clear description of the
nonlinear optical characteristics of electromagnetically transparent systems
that lead to ``ultraslow light,'' we verify that -- in principle -- a
multi-particle atomic or molecular system could be used as either a low power
optical switch or a quantum phase shifter. However, we demonstrate that the
presence of significant dephasing effects destroys the induced transparency,
and that increasing the number of particles weakly interacting with the probe
field only reduces the nonlinearity further. Finally, a detailed calculation of
the relative quantum phase induced by a system of atoms on a superposition of
spatially distinct Fock states predicts that a significant quasi-Kerr
nonlinearity and a low entropy cannot be simultaneously achieved in the
presence of arbitrary spontaneous emission rates. Within our model, we identify
the constraints that need to be met for this system to act as a one-qubit and a
two-qubit conditional phase gate.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figure
A symmetry analyser for non-destructive Bell state detection using EIT
We describe a method to project photonic two-qubit states onto the symmetric
and antisymmetric subspaces of their Hilbert space. This device utilizes an
ancillary coherent state, together with a weak cross-Kerr non-linearity,
generated, for example, by electromagnetically induced transparency. The
symmetry analyzer is non-destructive, and works for small values of the
cross-Kerr coupling. Furthermore, this device can be used to construct a
non-destructive Bell state detector.Comment: Final published for
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