6,560 research outputs found
Noisy metrology beyond the standard quantum limit
Parameter estimation is of fundamental importance in areas from atomic
spectroscopy and atomic clocks to gravitational wave detection. Entangled
probes provide a significant precision gain over classical strategies in the
absence of noise. However, recent results seem to indicate that any small
amount of realistic noise restricts the advantage of quantum strategies to an
improvement by at most a multiplicative constant. Here, we identify a relevant
scenario in which one can overcome this restriction and attain superclassical
precision scaling even in the presence of uncorrelated noise. We show that
precision can be significantly enhanced when the noise is concentrated along
some spatial direction, while the Hamiltonian governing the evolution which
depends on the parameter to be estimated can be engineered to point along a
different direction. In the case of perpendicular orientation, we find
superclassical scaling and identify a state which achieves the optimum.Comment: Erroneous expressions with inconsistent units have been corrected. 5
pages, 3 figures + Appendi
Electrostatics of electron-hole interactions in van der Waals heterostructures
The role of dielectric screening of electron-hole interaction in van der
Waals heterostructures is theoretically investigated. A comparison between
models available in the literature for describing these interactions is made
and the limitations of these approaches are discussed. A simple numerical
solution of Poissons equation for a stack of dielectric slabs based on a
transfer matrix method is developed, enabling the calculation of the
electron-hole interaction potential at very low computational cost and with
reasonable accuracy. Using different potential models, direct and indirect
exciton binding energies in these systems are calculated within Wannier-Mott
theory, and a comparison of theoretical results with recent experiments on
excitons in two-dimensional materials is discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
(Giant) Vortex - (anti) vortex interaction in bulk superconductors: The Ginzburg-Landau theory
The vortex-vortex interaction potential in bulk superconductors is calculated
within the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory and is obtained from a numerical
solution of a set of two coupled non-linear GL differential equations for the
vector potential and the superconducting order parameter, where the merger of
vortices into a giant vortex is allowed. Further, the interaction potentials
between a vortex and a giant vortex and between a vortex and an antivortex are
obtained for both type-I and type-II superconductors. Our numerical results
agree asymptotically with the analytical expressions for large inter-vortex
separations which are available in the literature. We propose new empirical
expressions valid over the full interaction range, which are fitted to our
numerical data for different values of the GL parameter
Influence of surface copper content on Stenotrophomonas maltophilia biofilm control using chlorine and mechanical stress
This work aimed to evaluate the action of materials with different copper content (0, 57, 96 and 100%) on biofilm formation and control by chlorination and mechanical stress. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from drinking water was used as a model microorganism and biofilms were developed in a rotating cylinder reactor using realism-based shear stress conditions. Biofilms were characterized phenotypically and exposed to three control strategies: 10mg l1 of free chlorine for 10min, an increased shear stress (a fluid velocity of 1.5m s1 for 30s), and a combination of both treatments. These shock treatments were not effective in biofilm control. The benefits from the use of copper surfaces was found essentially in reducing the numbers of non-damaged cells. Copper materials demonstrated better performance in biofilm prevention than chlorine. In general, copper alloys may have a positive public health impact by reducing the number of non-damaged cells in the water delivered after chlorine exposure.This work was the result of the projects: UID/EQU/00511/2019 – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy – LEPABE funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030219; POCI-01-0247-FEDER-035234; POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033298 - funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds (PIDDAC) through FCT/MCTES; NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000005 – LEPABE-2-ECO-INNOVATION, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Grant attributed by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT – to Inês Gomes
(SFRH/BD/103810/2014) and to Manuel Simoes (SFRH/BSAB/150379/2019).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Magentically-Induced Lattice Distortions and Ferroelectricity in Magnetoelectric GdMnO3
In this work we investigate the magnetic field dependence of Ag octahedra
rotation (tilt) and B2g symmetric stretching modes frequency at different
temperatures. Our field-dependent Raman investigation at 10K is interpreted by
an ionic displacive nature of the magnetically induced ferroelectric phase
transition. The frequency change of the Ag tilt is in agreement with the
stabilization of the Mn-Gd spin arrangement, yielding the necessary conditions
for the onset of ferroelectricity on the basis of the inverse
Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. The role of the Jahn-Teller cooperative
interaction is also evidenced by the change of the B2g mode frequency at the
ferroelectric phase transition. This frequency change allows estimating the
shift of the oxygen position at the ferroelectric phase transition and the
corresponding spontaneous polarization of 480 {\mu}C/m2, which agrees with
earlier reported values in single crystals. Our study also confirms the
existence of a large magnetic hysteresis at the lowest temperatures, which is a
manifestation of magnetrostiction.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Microfenótipos e proteÃnas associados à expressão da resistência durável à ferrugem da folha do trigo.
Editores técnicos: Joseani Mesquita Antunes, Ana LÃdia Variani Bonato, Márcia Barrocas Moreira Pimentel
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