1/f noise of Josephson-junction-embedded microwave resonators at single photon energies and millikelvin temperatures

We present measurements of 1/f frequency noise in both linear and Josephson-junction-embedded superconducting aluminum resonators in the low power, low temperature regime - typical operating conditions for superconducting qubits. The addition of the Josephson junction does not result in additional frequency noise, thereby placing an upper limit for fractional critical current fluctuations of $10^{-8}$ (Hz$^{-1/2}$) at 1 Hz for sub-micron, shadow evaporated junctions. These values imply a minimum dephasing time for a superconducting qubit due to critical current noise of 40 -- 1400 $\mu$s depending on qubit architecture. Occasionally, at temperatures above 50 mK, we observe the activation of individual fluctuators which increase the level of noise significantly and exhibit Lorentzian spectra

Performance Pay and Multidimensional Sorting - Productivity, Preferences and Gender

This paper studies the impact of incentives on worker self-selection in a controlled laboratory experiment. Subjects face the choice between a fixed and a variable payment scheme. Depending on the treatment, the variable payment is a piece rate, a tournament or a revenue-sharing scheme. We find that output is higher in the variable pay schemes (piece rate, tournament, and revenue sharing) compared to the fixed payment scheme. This difference is largely driven by productivity sorting. In addition personal attitudes such as willingness to take risks and relative self-assessment as well as gender affect the sorting decision in a systematic way. Moreover, self-reported effort is significantly higher in all variable pay conditions than in the fixed wage condition. Our lab findings are supported by an additional analysis using data from a large and representative sample. In sum, our findings underline the importance of multi-dimensional sorting, i.e., the tendency for different incentive schemes to systematically attract people with different individual characteristics

Phenomenological Study of Strong Decays of Heavy Hadrons in Heavy Quark Effective Theory

The application of the tensor formalism of the heavy quark effective theory (HQET) at leading order to strong decays of heavy hadrons is presented. Comparisons between experimental and theoretical predictions of ratios of decay rates for B mesons, D mesons and kaons are given. The application of HQET to strange mesons presents some encouraging results. The spin-flavor symmetry is used to predict some decay rates that have not yet been measured.Comment: 10 page

Chromosome mapping: radiation hybrid data and stochastic spin models

This work approaches human chromosome mapping by developing algorithms for ordering markers associated with radiation hybrid data. Motivated by recent work of Boehnke et al. [1], we formulate the ordering problem by developing stochastic spin models to search for minimum-break marker configurations. As a particular application, the methods developed are applied to 14 human chromosome-21 markers tested by Cox et al. [2]. The methods generate configurations consistent with the best found by others. Additionally, we find that the set of low-lying configurations is described by a Markov-like ordering probability distribution. The distribution displays cluster correlations reflecting closely linked loci.Comment: 26 Pages, uuencoded LaTex, Submitted to Phys. Rev. E, [email protected], [email protected]

Elastic effects on relaxation volume tensor calculations

Relaxation volume tensors quantify the effect of stress on diffusion of crystal defects. Continuum linear elasticity predicts that calculations of these parameters using periodic boundary conditions do not suffer from systematic deviations due to elastic image effects and should be independent of supercell size or symmetry. In practice, however, calculations of formation volume tensors of the interstitial in Stillinger-Weber silicon demonstrate that changes in bonding at the defect affect the elastic moduli and result in system-size dependent relaxation volumes. These vary with the inverse of the system size. Knowing the rate of convergence permits accurate estimates of these quantities from modestly sized calculations. Furthermore, within the continuum linear elasticity assumptions the average stress can be used to estimate the relaxation volume tensor from constant volume calculations.Comment: 31 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

ρ\rho Polarization and `Model Independent' Extraction of ∣Vub∣/∣Vcd∣|V_{ub}|/|V_{cd}| from D→ρℓνD\to\rho\ell\nu and B→ρℓνB\to\rho\ell\nu

We briefly discuss the predictions of the heavy quark effective theory for the semileptonic decays of a heavy pseudoscalar to a light one, or to a light vector meson. We point out that measurement of combinations of differential helicity decay rates at Cleo-c and the $B$ factories can provide a model independent means of extracting the ratio $|V_{ub}|/|V_{cd}|$. We briefly discuss the corrections to this prediction.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, 1 figur

LICOR-Liquid Columns' Resonances

The aim of the experiment LICOR was the investigation of the axial resonances oi cylindrical liquid columns supported by equal circular coaxiaJ disks. In preparation ot the D-2 experiment a •heoreiical model has been developed, which exactly describes the small amplitude oscillations of finite cylindrical columns between coaxial circular disks. In addition, in terrestrial experiments the resonance frequencies of small liquid columns with up to 5 mm in diameter have been determined and investigations with density-matched liquids (silicon oil in a waierlmethanol mixture) have been performed. For the D-2 experiment LICOR the front disk and the rear disk lor use in the AFPM have been constructed and equipped with pressure sensors and the necessary electronics. The pressure exerted by the oscillating liquid column on trie supporting disks vsas as low as 10 Pa. Since the data downlink of the Materials Research Laboratory was just one signal oer second and channel, it was necessary to determine amplitude and phase of the pressure already in the LICOR disks. The D-2 experiment has been successfully performed. It has fully confirmed the theoretical models and remarkably supplements the experiments on small liquid columns and on density-matched columns