Noise in Passively Mode-Locked Lasers

For the first time, phase fluctuations in the spectral intensity of the pulse train generated by passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers have been measured. The results reveal diffusion-like fluctuations of this phase. The timing jitter fluctuations were also measured, and, in contrast, have a correlation time which is much longer than the repetition time

Miniature Optical Atomic Clock: Stabilization of a Kerr Comb Oscillator

Mechanical clocks consist of a pendulum and a clockwork that translates the pendulum period to displayed time. The most advanced clocks utilize optical transitions in atoms in place of the pendulum and an optical frequency comb generated by a femtosecond laser as the clockwork. The comb must be stabilized at two points along its frequency spectrum: one with a laser to lock a comb line to a transition in the atom, and another through self referencing to stabilize the frequency interval between the comb lines. This approach requires advanced techniques, so optical atomic clocks are currently laboratory devices in specialized labs. In this paper we leverage unique properties of Kerr comb oscillators for realization of optical atomic clocks in miniature form factors. In particular, we describe a clock based on D1 transition of 87Rb that fits in the palm of the hand, and can be further miniaturized to chip scale.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Correlations in Transmission of Light through a Disordered Amplifying Medium

The angular and frequency correlation functions of the transmission coefficient for light propagation through a strongly scattering amplifying medium are considered. It is found that just as in the case of an elastic scattering medium the correlation function consists of three terms. However, the structure of the terms is rather different. Angular correlation has a power-law decay and exhibits oscillations. There is no "memory effect" as in the case of an elastic medium. Interaction between diffusion modes is strongly enhanced near the lasing threshold. Frequency correlation scale decreases close to the lasing threshold. We also consider time correlations of the transmission in the case of nonstationary inhomogeneities. We find short- and long-range time correlations. The scale of the short-range correlation decreases, while the long-range correlation scale becomes infinite near the threshold.Comment: 16 pages, 7 postscript figure

Treewidth and Counting Projected Answer Sets

In this paper, we introduce novel algorithms to solve projected answer set counting (#PAs). #PAs asks to count the number of answer sets with respect to a given set of projected atoms, where multiple answer sets that are identical when restricted to the projected atoms count as only one projected answer set. Our algorithms exploit small treewidth of the primal graph of the input instance by dynamic programming (DP). We establish a new algorithm for head-cycle-free (HCF) programs and lift very recent results from projected model counting to #PAs when the input is restricted to HCF programs. Further, we show how established DP algorithms for tight, normal, and disjunctive answer set programs can be extended to solve #PAs. Our algorithms run in polynomial time while requiring double exponential time in the treewidth for tight, normal, and HCF programs, and triple exponential time for disjunctive programs. Finally, we take the exponential time hypothesis (ETH) into account and establish lower bounds of bounded treewidth algorithms for #PAs. Under ETH, one cannot significantly improve our obtained worst-case runtimes

Electron-Electron Interaction in Disordered Mesoscopic Systems: Weak Localization and Mesoscopic Fluctuations of Polarizability and Capacitance

The weak localization correction and the mesoscopic fluctuations of the polarizability and the capacitance of a small disordered sample are studied systematically in 2D and 3D geometries. While the grand canonical ensemble calculation gives the positive magnetopolarizability, in the canonical ensemble (appropriate for isolated samples) the sign of the effect is reversed. The magnitude of mesoscopic fluctuations for a single sample exceeds considerably the value of the weak localization correction.Comment: 13 pages Latex, 3 .eps figures included. To appear in Phys. Rev. B. Minor corrections, in particular in formulae; new references adde

High-resolution microwave frequency dissemination on an 86-km urban optical link

We report the first demonstration of a long-distance ultra stable frequency dissemination in the microwave range. A 9.15 GHz signal is transferred through a 86-km urban optical link with a fractional frequency stability of 1.3x10-15 at 1 s integration time and below 10-18 at one day. The optical link phase noise compensation is performed with a round-trip method. To achieve such a result we implement light polarisation scrambling and dispersion compensation. This link outperforms all the previous radiofrequency links and compares well with recently demonstrated full optical links.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Cardiac Angiogenic Imbalance Leads to Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an often fatal disease that affects pregnant women who are near delivery, and it occurs more frequently in women with pre-eclampsia and/or multiple gestation. The aetiology of PPCM, and why it is associated with pre-eclampsia, remain unknown. Here we show that PPCM is associated with a systemic angiogenic imbalance, accentuated by pre-eclampsia. Mice that lack cardiac PGC-$1\alpha$, a powerful regulator of angiogenesis, develop profound PPCM. Importantly, the PPCM is entirely rescued by pro-angiogenic therapies. In humans, the placenta in late gestation secretes VEGF inhibitors like soluble FLT1 (sFLT1), and this is accentuated by multiple gestation and pre-eclampsia. This anti-angiogenic environment is accompanied by subclinical cardiac dysfunction, the extent of which correlates with circulating levels of sFLT1. Exogenous sFLT1 alone caused diastolic dysfunction in wild-type mice, and profound systolic dysfunction in mice lacking cardiac PGC-$1\alpha$. Finally, plasma samples from women with PPCM contained abnormally high levels of sFLT1. These data indicate that PPCM is mainly a vascular disease, caused by excess anti-angiogenic signalling in the peripartum period. The data also explain how late pregnancy poses a threat to cardiac homeostasis, and why pre-eclampsia and multiple gestation are important risk factors for the development of PPCM