1,721 research outputs found
Noise-free high-efficiency photon-number-resolving detectors
High-efficiency optical detectors that can determine the number of photons in
a pulse of monochromatic light have applications in a variety of physics
studies, including post-selection-based entanglement protocols for linear
optics quantum computing and experiments that simultaneously close the
detection and communication loopholes of Bell's inequalities. Here we report on
our demonstration of fiber-coupled, noise-free, photon-number-resolving
transition-edge sensors with 88% efficiency at 1550 nm. The efficiency of these
sensors could be made even higher at any wavelength in the visible and
near-infrared spectrum without resulting in a higher dark-count rate or
degraded photon-number resolution.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures Published in Physical Review A, Rapid
Communications, 17 June 200
Development of high-gain gaseous photomultipliers for the visible spectral range
We summarize the development of visible-sensitive gaseous photomultipliers,
combining a semitransparent bi-alkali photocathode with a state-of-the-art
cascaded electron multiplier. The latter has high photoelectron collection
efficiency and a record ion blocking capability. We describe in details the
system and methods of photocathode production and characterization, their
coupling with the electron multiplier and the gaseous-photomultiplier operation
and characterization in a continuous mode. We present results on the properties
of laboratory-produced KCsSb, CsSb and NaKSb photocathodes and
report on their stability and QE in gas; KCsSb photocathodes yielded QE
values in Ar/CH(95/5) above 30% at wavelengths of 360-400 nm. The novel
gaseous photomultiplier yielded stable operation at gains of 10, in
continuous operation mode, in 700 Torr of this gas; its sensitivity to single
photons was demonstrated. Other properties are described. The successful
detection of visible light with this gas-photomultiplier pave ways towards
further development of large-area sealed imaging detectors, of flat geometry,
insensitive to magnetic fields, which might have significant impact on light
detection in numerous fields.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, for submission to JINS
Women candidates and councillors in Scottish local government, 1974-2012
While significant attention has been paid to the levels of representation of women in both the Westminster Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, much less considered has been given to the position within local government. This article addresses that deficit for Scotland. It shows that for twenty-five years following the reorganisation of local government in Scotland in 1974 there was a slow but relatively steady increase in the numbers of female candidates and councillors, although more recently this appears to have since plateaued somewhat, together with a similar increase in the number of women councillors taking up more senior roles in Scotland’s councils. The article analyses the representation of women in Scottish local government over the period from 1974 to 2012 against the backdrop of significant change in Scotland, including a further restructuring of local government and the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote for council elections, the creation of the Scottish Parliament, the rise of the SNP and the decline of the Conservative Party
Summary Abstract: The hydrogenolysis of alkanes over single-crystalline surfaces of iridium: The influence of surface structure on the catalytic selectivity
We have investigated the hydrogenolysis of various short-chain alkanes on the Ir(111) and Ir(110)-(1×2) surfaces. A striking correlation has been discovered between the selectivity for ethane production from the hydrogenolysis of n-butane over Ir catalysts and the concentration of low-coordination-number metal surface atoms. This result is best interpreted as a manifestation of the occurrence of a particular adsorbed reaction intermediate on the Ir(11O)-(1×2) surface, namely, a metallacyc1e pentane. The formation of this intermediate is sterically forbidden on the Ir(111) surface
Comparative studies of alkane activation by low-index surfaces of iridium and platinum
The interaction of alkanes with low-index surfaces of iridium at low temperatures and pressures has been studied in our laboratory by thermal desorption mass spectrometry
and low-energy electron diffraction. While the reconstructed (110)-(1 × 2) surface of iridium initiates dissociative chemisorption of ethane and all higher alkanes at 125 K in the low coverage limit, similar reactions with the close-packed (111) surface occur readily only at defect sites. Thus, surface geometry influences strongly the activation barriers to C-H bond scission in alkanes on iridium surfaces
Migraine, arousal and sleep deprivation: comment on: "sleep quality, arousal and pain thresholds in migraineurs: a blinded controlled polysomnographic study"
We discuss the hypothesis proposed by Engstrom and coworkers that Migraineurs have a relative sleep deprivation, which lowers the pain threshold and predispose to attacks. Previous data indicate that Migraineurs have a reduction of Cyclic Alternating Pattern (CAP), an essential mechanism of NREM sleep regulation which allows to dump the effect of incoming disruptive stimuli, and to protect sleep. The modifications of CAP observed in Migraineurs are similar to those observed in patients with impaired arousal (narcolepsy) and after sleep deprivation. The impairment of this mechanism makes Migraineurs more vulnerable to stimuli triggering attacks during sleep, and represents part of a more general vulnerability to incoming stimuli
Orbit structure and (reversing) symmetries of toral endomorphisms on rational lattices
We study various aspects of the dynamics induced by integer matrices on the
invariant rational lattices of the torus in dimension 2 and greater. Firstly,
we investigate the orbit structure when the toral endomorphism is not
invertible on the lattice, characterising the pretails of eventually periodic
orbits. Next we study the nature of the symmetries and reversing symmetries of
toral automorphisms on a given lattice, which has particular relevance to
(quantum) cat maps.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figure
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