1,409 research outputs found
Polarization-sensitive quantum-optical coherence tomography
We set forth a polarization-sensitive quantum-optical coherence tomography
(PS-QOCT) technique that provides axial optical sectioning with
polarization-sensitive capabilities. The technique provides a means for
determining information about the optical path length between isotropic
reflecting surfaces, the relative magnitude of the reflectance from each
interface, the birefringence of the interstitial material, and the orientation
of the optical axis of the sample. PS-QOCT is immune to sample dispersion and
therefore permits measurements to be made at depths greater than those
accessible via ordinary optical coherence tomography. We also provide a general
Jones matrix theory for analyzing PS-QOCT systems and outline an experimental
procedure for carrying out such measurements.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Physical Review
Molecular Motor of Double-Walled Carbon Nanotube Driven by Temperature Variation
An elegant formula for coordinates of carbon atoms in a unit cell of a
single-walled nanotube (SWNT) is presented and a new molecular motor of
double-walled carbon nanotube whose inner tube is a long (8,4) SWNT and outer
tube a short (14,8) SWNT is constructed. The interaction between inner an outer
tubes is analytically derived by summing the Lennard-Jones potentials between
atoms in inner and outer tubes. It is proved that the molecular motor in a
thermal bath exhibits a directional motion with the temperature variation of
the bath.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, revtex
Fluctuating-friction molecular motors
We show that the correlated stochastic fluctuation of the friction
coefficient can give rise to long-range directional motion of a particle
undergoing Brownian random walk in a constant periodic energy potential
landscape. The occurrence of this motion requires the presence of two
additional independent bodies interacting with the particle via friction and
via the energy potential, respectively, which can move relative to each other.
Such three-body system generalizes the classical Brownian ratchet mechanism,
which requires only two interacting bodies. In particular, we describe a simple
two-level model of fluctuating-friction molecular motor that can be solved
analytically. In our previous work [M.K., L.M and D.P. 2000 J. Nonlinear Opt.
Phys. Mater. vol. 9, 157] this model has been first applied to understanding
the fundamental mechanism of the photoinduced reorientation of dye-doped liquid
crystals. Applications of the same idea to other fields such as molecular
biology and nanotechnology can however be envisioned. As an example, in this
paper we work out a model of the actomyosin system based on the
fluctuating-friction mechanism.Comment: to be published in J. Physics Condensed Matter
(http://www.iop.org/Journals/JPhysCM
Atomic scale engines: Cars and wheels
We introduce a new approach to build microscopic engines on the atomic scale
that move translationally or rotationally and can perform useful functions such
as pulling of a cargo. Characteristic of these engines is the possibility to
determine dynamically the directionality of the motion. The approach is based
on the transformation of the fed energy to directed motion through a dynamical
competition between the intrinsic lengths of the moving object and the
supporting carrier.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (2 in color), Phys. Rev. Lett. (in print
Fragmentation pathways of nanofractal structures on surface
We present a detailed systematical theoretical analysis of the post-growth
processes occurring in nanofractals grown on surface. For this study we
developed a method which accounts for the internal dynamics of particles in a
fractal. We demonstrate that particle diffusion and detachment controls the
shape of the emerging stable islands on surface. We consider different
scenarios of fractal post-growth relaxation and analyze the time evolution of
the island's morphology. The results of our calculations are compared with
available experimental observations, and experiments in which the post-growth
relaxation of deposited nanostructures can be probed are suggested.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure
Multi-Exciton Spectroscopy of a Single Self Assembled Quantum Dot
We apply low temperature confocal optical microscopy to spatially resolve,
and spectroscopically study a single self assembled quantum dot. By comparing
the emission spectra obtained at various excitation levels to a theoretical
many body model, we show that: Single exciton radiative recombination is very
weak. Sharp spectral lines are due to optical transitions between confined
multiexcitonic states among which excitons thermalize within their lifetime.
Once these few states are fully occupied, broad bands appear due to transitions
between states which contain continuum electrons.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted for publication on Jan,28 199
A Special Homotopy Continuation Method For A Class of Polynomial Systems
A special homotopy continuation method, as a combination of the polyhedral
homotopy and the linear product homotopy, is proposed for computing all the
isolated solutions to a special class of polynomial systems. The root number
bound of this method is between the total degree bound and the mixed volume
bound and can be easily computed. The new algorithm has been implemented as a
program called LPH using C++. Our experiments show its efficiency compared to
the polyhedral or other homotopies on such systems. As an application, the
algorithm can be used to find witness points on each connected component of a
real variety
Optical excitations of a self assembled artificial ion
By use of magneto-photoluminescence spectroscopy we demonstrate bias
controlled single-electron charging of a single quantum dot. Neutral, single,
and double charged excitons are identified in the optical spectra. At high
magnetic fields one Zeeman component of the single charged exciton is found to
be quenched, which is attributed to the competing effects of tunneling and
spin-flip processes. Our experimental data are in good agreement with
theoretical model calculations for situations where the spatial extent of the
hole wave functions is smaller as compared to the electron wave functions.Comment: to be published in Physical Review B (rapid communication
Few-Particle Effects in Semiconductor Quantum Dots: Observation of Multi-Charged-Excitons
We investigate experimentally and theoretically few-particle effects in the
optical spectra of single quantum dots (QDs). Photo-depletion of the QD
together with the slow hopping transport of impurity-bound electrons back to
the QD are employed to efficiently control the number of electrons present in
the QD. By investigating structurally identical QDs, we show that the spectral
evolutions observed can be attributed to intrinsic, multi-particle-related
effects, as opposed to extrinsic QD-impurity environment-related interactions.
From our theoretical calculations we identify the distinct transitions
related to excitons and excitons charged with up to five additional electrons,
as well as neutral and charged biexcitons.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex. Accepted for publication in Physical
Review Letter
Genomic determinants of Furin cleavage in diverse European SARS-related bat coronaviruses
The furin cleavage site (FCS) in SARS-CoV-2 is unique within the Severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus (SrC) species. We re-assessed diverse SrC from European horseshoe bats and analyzed the spike-encoding genomic region harboring the FCS in SARS-CoV-2. We reveal molecular features in SrC such as purine richness and RNA secondary structures that resemble those required for FCS acquisition in avian influenza viruses. We discuss the potential acquisition of FCS through molecular mechanisms such as nucleotide substitution, insertion, or recombination, and show that a single nucleotide exchange in two European bat-associated SrC may suffice to enable furin cleavage. Furthermore, we show that FCS occurrence is variable in bat- and rodent-borne counterparts of human coronaviruses. Our results suggest that furin cleavage sites can be acquired in SrC via conserved molecular mechanisms known in other reservoir-bound RNA viruses and thus support a natural origin of SARS-CoV-2
- …