Extended Quantum XOR Gate in Terms of Two-Spin Interactions

Considerations of feasibility of quantum computing lead to the study of multispin quantum gates in which the input and output two-state systems (spins) are not identical. We provide a general discussion of this approach and then propose an explicit two-spin interaction Hamiltonian which accomplishes the quantum XOR gate function for a system of three spins: two input and one output.Comment: 15 pages in plain TeX with 1 Postscript figur

Open optoelectrowetting droplet actuation

We present experimental realization of an open optoelectrowetting (o-OEW) device for liquid droplet manipulations. The o-OEW device is realized by coplanar electrodes and a photoconductor. The local switching effect for electrowetting resulting from illumination is based on the tunable impedance of the photoconductor. Dynamic virtual electrodes are created using projected images, leading to free planar movements of droplets. Basic operations such as transporting and merging were demonstrated. Translational speed up to 3.6 mm/s was measured. Equivalent circuit analysis shows that the operational frequency for the current setup ranges from 100 to 800 Hz. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics

Metal Monolithic Amine-grafted Zeolite for CO{sub 2} Capture

The solid amine sorbent for CO{sub 2} capture process has advantages of simplicity and low operating cost compared to the MEA (monoethanolamine) process. Solid amine sorbents reported so far suffered from either low CO{sub 2} capture capacity or low stability. The solid amine sorbent developed in this project exhibited more than 3.2 mmol/g and degraded less than 10% even after 500 cycles of heating and cooling in absence of steam. The presence of steam further enhanced CO{sub 2} capture capacity. The cost of the sorbent is estimated to be less than $7.00/lb. This sorbent was developed using the results of in situ infrared spectroscopic study. Infrared results showed that CO{sub 2} adsorbs on TEPA (tetraethylenepentamine)/PEG (polyethylene glycol) as carbamates and bicarbonates. The CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity and oxidation resistance of the amine sorbent can be enhanced by the interactions between NH{sub 2} of TEPA molecules with the OH group of PEG molecules. PEG was also found to be effectively disperse and immobilize the aromatic amines for SO{sub 2} adsorption. The infrared study also showed that SiO{sub 2} is a significantly better support than zeolites due to its proper hydrophobicity. The results of this study led to the development of a high performance solid amine sorbent under simulated gas flow condition in a fixed bed, a fluidized bed, and a metal monolith unit. This study showed heat transfer could become a major technical issue in scaling up a fixed bed adsorber. The use of the fluidized bed and metal monoliths can alleviate the heat transfer issue. The metal monolith could be suitable for small scale applications due to the high cost of manufacturing; the fluidized bed mode would be most suitable for large scale applications. Preliminary economic analysis suggested that the Akron solid amine process would cost 45% less than that of MEA process

CO2 Sequestration and Recycle by Photosynthesis

Hydrocarbon synthesis from photocatalytic reactions of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O over various catalysts has been studied by UV-visible light. The quantum efficiencies suggest that Pd/TiO{sub 2} sol gel exhibits the highest activity for hydrocarbon synthesis from photocatalytic reactions. The in situ IR was able to monitor the adsorbed hydrocarbon species. The UV-visible, IR spectroscopy and XRD techniques were used to characterize the catalysts to obtain the information of properties of the process and catalyst before/after reaction. The UV-visible spectroscopy provides the information about the surface band gap energy of each catalyst. In situ UV-visible studies reveals that TiO{sub 2}-supported catalysts require the higher energy (i.e. shorter wavelength) to pass through the water-thin film deposited on the surface to activate the photocatalytic reaction. XRD data show there is changes in the crystal structure of TiO{sub 2} sol gel from photon energy during photo reaction. Studies on photocatalytic oxidation of methylene blue show that the photocatalytic oxidation rate is significantly higher than the photocatalytic reduction rate on TiO{sub 2} based catalysts. The information from this study can lead to a better understanding of the nature of the catalysts and photoreaction processes, which might provide the information to develop better catalysts and reaction process for the hydrocarbon synthesis from photocatalytic reactions of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O

Effects of Magnetic Nanoparticles and External Magnetostatic Field on the Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells

The price of energy to separate tightly bound electron-hole pair (or charge-transfer state) and extract freely movable charges from low-mobility materials represents fundamental losses for many low-cost photovoltaic devices. In bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs), approximately 50% of the total efficiency lost among all energy loss pathways is due to the photogenerated charge carrier recombination within PSCs and low charge carrier mobility of disordered organic materials. To address these issues, we introduce magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and orientate these MNPS within BHJ composite by an external magnetostatic field. Over 50% enhanced efficiency was observed from BHJ PSCs incorporated with MNPs and an external magnetostatic field alignment when compared to the control BHJ PSCs. The optimization of BHJ thin film morphology, suppression of charge carrier recombination, and enhancement in charge carrier collection result in a greatly increased short-circuit current density and fill factor, as a result, enhanced power conversion efficiency. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep0926

The Rotation Temperature of Methanol in Comet 103P/Hartley 2

Considered to be relics from Solar System formation, comets may provide the vital information connecting Solar Nebula and its parent molecular cloud. Study of chemical and physical properties of comets is thus important for our better understanding of the formation of Solar System. In addition, observing organic molecules in comets may provide clues fundamental to our knowledge on the formation of prebiotically important organic molecules in interstellar space, hence, may shed light on the origin of life on the early Earth. Comet 103PIHartley 2 was fIrst discovered in 1986 and had gone through apparitions in 1991, 1997, and 2004 with an orbital period of about 6 years, before its latest return in 2010. 2010 was also a special year for Comet 103PIHartley 2 because of the NASA EPOXI comet-flyby mission