1,205 research outputs found
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Fibrillisation of hydrophobically modified amyloid peptide fragments in an organic solvent
The self-assembly of a hydrophobically modified fragment of the amyloid beta(A beta) peptide has been studied in methanol. The peptide FFKLVFF is based on A beta(16-20) extended at the N terminus by two phenylalanine residues. The formation of amyloid-type fibrils is confirmed by Congo Red staining, thioflavin T fluorescence and circular dichroism experiments. FTIR points to the formation of beta-sheet structures in solution and in dried films and suggests that aggregation occurs at low concentration and is not strongly affected by further increase in concentration, i.e. the peptide is a strong fibril-former in methanol. UV fluorescence experiments on unstained peptide and CD point to the importance of aromatic interactions between phenylalanine groups in driving aggregation into beta-sheets. The CD spectrum differs from that usually observed for beta-sheet assemblies formed by larger peptides or proteins and this is discussed for solutions in methanol and also trifluoroethanol. The fibril structure is imaged by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy on dried samples and is confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering experiments in solution
Optimizing single-photon-source heralding efficiency at 1550 nm using periodically poled lithium niobate
We explore the feasibility of using high conversion-efficiency
periodically-poled crystals to produce photon pairs for photon-counting
detector calibrations at 1550 nm. The goal is the development of an appropriate
parametric down-conversion (PDC) source at telecom wavelengths meeting the
requirements of high-efficiency pair production and collection in single
spectral and spatial modes (single-mode fibers). We propose a protocol to
optimize the photon collection, noise levels and the uncertainty evaluation.
This study ties together the results of our efforts to model the single-mode
heralding efficiency of a two-photon PDC source and to estimate the heralding
uncertainty of such a source.Comment: 14 pages, 2 tables and 3 figures, final version accepted by
Metrologi
Hyperbolic Metamaterial Resonator-Antenna Scheme for Large, Broadband Emission Enhancement and Single Photon Collection
We model the broadband enhancement of single-photon emission from color
centres in silicon carbide nanocrystals coupled to a planar hyperbolic
metamaterial, HMM resonator. The design is based on positioning the single
photon emitters within the HMM resonator, made of a dielectric index-matched
with silicon-carbide material. The broadband response results from the
successive resonance peaks of the lossy Fabry Perot structure modes arising
within the high-index HMM cavity. To capture this broadband enhancement in the
single photon emitters spontaneous emission, we placed a simple gold based
cylindrical antenna on top of the HMM resonator. We analyzed the performance of
this HMM coupled antenna structure in terms of the Purcell enhancement, quantum
efficiency, collection efficiency and overall collected photon rate. For
perpendicular dipole orientation relative to the interface, the HMM coupled
antenna resonator leads to a significantly large spontaneous emission
enhancement with Purcell factor of the order of 250 along with a very high
average total collected photon rate, CPR of about 30 over a broad emission
spectrum, 700 nm to 1000 nm. The peak CPR increases to about 80 at 900 nm,
corresponding to the emission of silicon-carbide quantum emitters. This is a
state of the art improvement considering the previous computational designs
have reported a maximum average CPR of 25 across the nitrogen-vacancy centre
emission spectrum, 600 nm to 800 nm with the highest value being about 40 at
650 nm
Single Photon Source with Individualized Single Photon Certifications
As currently implemented, single-photon sources cannot be made to produce
single photons with high probability, while simultaneously suppressing the
probability of yielding two or more photons. Because of this, single photon
sources cannot really produce single photons on demand. We describe a
multiplexed system that allows the probabilities of producing one and more
photons to be adjusted independently, enabling a much better approximation of a
source of single photons on demand. The scheme uses a heralded photon source
based on parametric downconversion, but by effectively breaking the trigger
detector area into multiple regions, we are able to extract more information
about a heralded photon than is possible with a conventional arrangement. This
scheme allows photons to be produced along with a quantitative
``certification'' that they are single photons. Some of the single-photon
certifications can be significantly better than what is possible with
conventional downconversion sources (using a unified trigger detector region),
as well as being better than faint laser sources. With such a source of more
tightly certified single photons, it should be possible to improve the maximum
secure bit rate possible over a quantum cryptographic link. We present an
analysis of the relative merits of this method over the conventional
arrangement.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, SPIE Free-Space Laser Communication and Laser
Imaging II. To appear in the proceeding of SPIE Free-Space Laser
Communication and Laser Imaging II, vol 482
MHz rate and efficient synchronous heralding of single photons at telecom wavelengths
We report on the realization of a synchronous source of heralded single
photons at telecom wavelengths with MHz heralding rates and high heralding
efficiency. This source is based on the generation of photon pairs at 810 and
1550 nm via Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion (SPDC) in a 1 cm
periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal pumped by a 532 nm pulsed
laser. As high rates are fundamental for multi-photon experiments, we show that
single telecom photons can be announced at 4.4MHz rate with 45% heralding
efficiency. When we focus only on the optimization of the coupling of the
heralded photon, the heralding efficiency can be increased up to 80%.
Furthermore, we experimentally observe that group velocity mismatch inside long
crystals pumped in a pulsed mode affects the spectrum of the emitted photons
and their fibre coupling efficiency. The length of the crystal in this source
has been chosen as a trade off between high brightness and high coupling
efficiency.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Measurement of Coupling PDC photon sources with single-mode and multimode optical fibers
We investigate the coupling efficiency of parametric downconversion light
(PDC) into single and multi-mode optical fibers as a function of the pump beam
diameter, crystal length and walk-off. We outline two different theoretical
models for the preparation and collection of either single-mode or multi-mode
PDC light (defined by, for instance, multi-mode fibers or apertures,
corresponding to bucket detection). Moreover, we define the mode-matching
collection efficiency, important for realizing a single-photon source based on
PDC output into a well-defined single spatial mode. We also define a multimode
collection efficiency that is useful for single-photon detector calibration
applications.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure
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Modulating self-assembly of a nanotape-forming peptide amphiphile with an oppositely charged surfactant
A peptide amphiphile (PA) C16-KTTKS, containing a pentapeptide headgroup based on a sequence from procollagen I attached to a hexadecyl lipid chain, self-assembles into extended nanotapes in aqueous solution. The tapes are based on bilayer structures, with a 5.2 nm spacing. Here, we investigate the effect of addition of the oppositely charged anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) via
AFM, electron microscopic methods, small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray diffraction among other methods. We show that addition of SDS leads to a transition from tapes to fibrils, via intermediate states that include twisted ribbons. Addition of SDS is also shown to enhance the development of remarkable lateral ‘‘stripes’’ on the nanostructures, which have a 4 nm periodicity. This is ascribed to counterion condensation. The transition in the nanostructure leads to changes in macroscopic
properties, in particular a transition from sol to gel is noted on increasing SDS (with a further reentrant
transition to sol on further increase of SDS concentration). Formation of a gel may be useful in
applications of this PA in skincare applications and we show that this can be controlled via development of a network of fine stranded fibrils
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