7,974 research outputs found
Giant optical Faraday rotation induced by a single electron spin in a quantum dot: Applications to entangling remote spins via a single photon
We propose a quantum non-demolition method - giant Faraday rotation - to
detect a single electron spin in a quantum dot inside a microcavity where
negatively-charged exciton strongly couples to the cavity mode. Left- and
right-circularly polarized light reflected from the cavity feels different
phase shifts due to cavity quantum electrodynamics and the optical spin
selection rule. This yields giant and tunable Faraday rotation which can be
easily detected experimentally. Based on this spin-detection technique, a
scalable scheme to create an arbitrary amount of entanglement between two or
more remote spins via a single photon is proposed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Adsorption bond length for H<sub>2</sub>O on TiO<sub>2</sub>(110): A key parameter for theoretical understanding
Scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction results show the adsorption site of molecular water on TiO2(110) to be atop under-coordinated surface Ti atoms, confirming the results of total energy calculations and STM imaging. However, the Ti-Owater bond length is 2.21±0.02 Å, much longer than Ti-O bond lengths in strongly chemisorbed species on this surface, but significantly shorter than found in most total energy calculations. The need for theory to describe this weak bond effectively may be a key factor in the controversial problem of understanding this important surface reaction system
Minimising crosstalk in microchannel free-space optical interconnects with the presence of higher order modes
We investigate the combined effect of the diffraction-caused crosstalk noise (DCCN) and the stray-light crosstalk noise (SLCN) on the performance of FSOI system. A numerical simulator was employed in this study to investigate OI channel design. We determine that there exists an optimal focal length, which maximises the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by minimising the combined effects of DCCN and SLCN. For the fundamental mode., the optimal focal length is approximately 750 mu m; for both LG(01) and LG(10) modes, the optimal focal length occurs between f = 650 mu m and f = 700 mu m, depending on the interconnection distance and array pitch
Swift observations of the 2006 outburst of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi: I. Early X-ray emission from the shocked ejecta and red giant wind
RS Ophiuchi began its latest outburst on 2006 February 12. Previous outbursts
have indicated that high velocity ejecta interact with a pre-existing red giant
wind, setting up shock systems analogous to those seen in Supernova Remnants.
However, in the previous outburst in 1985, X-ray observations did not commence
until 55 days after the initial explosion. Here we report on Swift observations
covering the first month of the 2006 outburst with the Burst Alert (BAT) and
X-ray Telescope (XRT) instruments. RS Oph was clearly detected in the BAT 14-25
keV band from t=0 to days. XRT observationsfrom 0.3-10 keV, started at
3.17 days after outburst. The rapidly evolving XRT spectra clearly show the
presence of both line and continuum emission which can be fitted by thermal
emission from hot gas whose characteristic temperature, overlying absorbing
column, , and resulting unabsorbed total flux decline monotonically
after the first few days. Derived shock velocities are in good agreement with
those found from observations at other wavelengths. Similarly, is in
accord with that expected from the red giant wind ahead of the forward shock.
We confirm the basic models of the 1985 outburst and conclude that standard
Phase I remnant evolution terminated by days and the remnant then
rapidly evolved to display behaviour characteristic of Phase III. Around t=26
days however, a new, luminous and highly variable soft X-ray source began to
appear whose origin will be explored in a subsequent paper.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures (2 updated), accepted by Ap
Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the Expanding Nebular Remnant of the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi (2006)
We report Hubble Space Telescope imaging obtained 155 days after the 2006
outburst of RS Ophiuchi. We detect extended emission in both [O III] and [Ne V]
lines. In both lines, the remnant has a double ring structure. The E-W
orientation and total extent of these structures (580+-50 AU at d=1.6kpc) is
consistent with that expected due to expansion of emitting regions imaged
earlier in the outburst at radio wavelengths. Expansion at high velocity
appears to have been roughly constant in the E-W direction (v_{exp} = 3200+-300
km/s in the plane of the sky), with tentative evidence of deceleration N-S. We
present a bipolar model of the remnant whose inclination is consistent with
that of the central binary. The true expansion velocities of the polar
components are then v = 5600+-1100 km/s. We suggest that the bipolar morphology
of the remnant results from interaction of the outburst ejecta with a
circumstellar medium that is significantly denser in the equatorial regions of
the binary than at the poles. This is also consistent with observations of
shock evolution in the X-ray and the possible presence of dust in the infrared.
Furthermore, it is in line with models of the shaping of planetary nebulae with
close binary central systems, and also with recent observations relating to the
progenitors of Type Ia supernovae, for which recurrent novae are a proposed
candidate. Our observations also reveal more extended structures to the S and E
of the remnant whose possible origin is briefly discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
Coherent Time Evolution and Boundary Conditions of Two-Photon Quantum Walks
Multi-photon quantum walks in integrated optics are an attractive controlled
quantum system, that can mimic less readily accessible quantum systems and
exhibit behavior that cannot in general be accurately replicated by classical
light without an exponential overhead in resources. The ability to observe time
evolution of such systems is important for characterising multi-particle
quantum dynamics---notably this includes the effects of boundary conditions for
walks in spaces of finite size. Here we demonstrate the coherent evolution of
quantum walks of two indistinguishable photons using planar arrays of 21
evanescently coupled waveguides fabricated in silicon oxynitride technology. We
compare three time evolutions, that follow closely a model assuming unitary
evolution, corresponding to three different lengths of the array---in each case
we observe quantum interference features that violate classical predictions.
The longest array includes reflecting boundary conditions.Comment: 7 pages,7 figure
Preparation of Knill-Laflamme-Milburn states using tunable controlled phase gate
A specific class of partially entangled states known as
Knill-Laflamme-Milburn states (or KLM states) has been proved to be useful in
relation to quantum information processing [Knill et al., Nature 409, 46
(2001)]. Although the usage of such states is widely investigated, considerably
less effort has been invested into experimentally accessible preparation
schemes. This paper discusses the possibility to employ a tunable controlled
phase gate to generate an arbitrary Knill-Laflamme-Milburn state. In the first
part, the idea of using the controlled phase gate is explained on the case of
two-qubit KLM states. Optimization of the proposed scheme is then discussed for
the framework of linear optics. Subsequent generalization of the scheme to
arbitrary n-qubit KLM state is derived in the second part of this paper.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted in Journal of Physics
Intermittent random walks for an optimal search strategy: One-dimensional case
We study the search kinetics of an immobile target by a concentration of
randomly moving searchers. The object of the study is to optimize the
probability of detection within the constraints of our model. The target is
hidden on a one-dimensional lattice in the sense that searchers have no a
priori information about where it is, and may detect it only upon encounter.
The searchers perform random walks in discrete time n=0,1,2, ..., N, where N is
the maximal time the search process is allowed to run. With probability \alpha
the searchers step on a nearest-neighbour, and with probability (1-\alpha) they
leave the lattice and stay off until they land back on the lattice at a fixed
distance L away from the departure point. The random walk is thus intermittent.
We calculate the probability P_N that the target remains undetected up to the
maximal search time N, and seek to minimize this probability. We find that P_N
is a non-monotonic function of \alpha, and show that there is an optimal choice
\alpha_{opt}(N) of \alpha well within the intermittent regime, 0 <
\alpha_{opt}(N) < 1, whereby P_N can be orders of magnitude smaller compared to
the "pure" random walk cases \alpha =0 and \alpha = 1.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures; submitted to Journal of Physics: Condensed
Matter; special issue on Chemical Kinetics Beyond the Textbook: Fluctuations,
Many-Particle Effects and Anomalous Dynamics, eds. K.Lindenberg, G.Oshanin
and M.Tachiy
Deception and self-awareness
This paper presents a study conducted for the Shades of Grey EPSRC research project (EP/H02302X/1), which aims to develop a suite of interventions for identifying terrorist activities. The study investigated the body movements demonstrated by participants while waiting to be interviewed, in one of two conditions: preparing to lie or preparing to tell the truth. The effect of self-awareness was also investigated, with half of the participants sitting in front of a full length mirror during the waiting period. The other half faced a blank wall. A significant interaction was found for the duration of hand/arm movements between the deception and self-awareness conditions (F=4.335, df=1;76, p<0.05). Without a mirror, participants expecting to lie spent less time moving their hands than those expecting to tell the truth; the opposite was seen in the presence of a mirror. This finding indicates a new research area worth further investigation
GMRT Observations of the 2006 outburst of the Nova RS Ophiuchi: First detection of emission at radio frequencies < 1.4 GHz
The first low radio frequency (<1.4 GHz) detection of the outburst of the
recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi is presented in this letter. Radio emission was
detected at 0.61 GHz on day 20 with a flux density of ~48 mJy and at 0.325 GHz
on day 38 with a flux density of ~ 44 mJy. This is in contrast with the 1985
outburst when it was not detected at 0.327 GHz even on day 66. The emission at
low radio frequencies is clearly non-thermal and is well-explained by a
synchrotron spectrum of index alpha ~ -0.8 (S propto nu^alpha) suffering
foreground absorption due to the pre-existing, ionized, warm, clumpy red giant
wind. The absence of low frequency radio emission in 1985 and the earlier
turn-on of the radio flux in the current outburst are interpreted as being due
to higher foreground absorption in 1985 compared to that in 2006, suggesting
that the overlying wind densities in 2006 are only ~30% of those in 1985.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in ApJ
- …