Medieval Redemption for Modern Times: Representations of Sacrifice in Perceval le Gallois and The Fisher King

Chretien de Troyes\u27 medieval novel Perceval ou le Conte du graal tells the story of young Perceval\u27s journey to knighthood and an understanding of selflessness and redemption. However, the tale was left unfinished, giving rise to numerous continuations, both medieval and modern. The film adaptations Perceval le Gallois, by French director Eric Rohmer, and The Fisher King, by Terry Gilliam, continue the rich tradition of Perceval with their own conclusions. While the films use different artistic styles and entirely different plots, they both solve the story with a tale of redemption. While Rohmer\u27s adaptation is extremely faithful to the original text, he finishes the story with Perceval sacrificing himself in a reenactment of the Passion of Christ. Gilliam, however, presents a conclusion where the only solution to the fragmented and chaotic lives of the characters is love (both romantic and platonic). Ultimately, the conclusions to these adaptations suggest that their Perceval characters are in need of redemption through sacrifice. While it may seem strange to compare two 20th century films with a 12th century novel, the authors of these stories struggle with the same universal condition of unhappiness found in selfishness, thereby transcending their separation in time

One-Pot Three Component Synthesis of N-Arulquinolines

N-arlquinolines derivatives are an important class of heterocyclic compounds having important pharmaceutical and biological activities. These compounds are used as antiplasmodial, intrinsic, cytotoxic, functional, antibacterial, antiproliferative, antimalarial, and even anti-cancer. The current methods of synthesis for these compounds such as; Skraup, Doebner-Von Miller, Conrad Limbach, Combes and Pfitzinger are unappealing to many. These methods are either costly, dangerous, time consuming or inefficient. In this presentation we report 1,4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane known as DABCO as an efficient catalyst for one-pot multicomponent synthesis of 2-Amino-7-7-dimethyl-5-oxo-1,-diphenyl- 1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydroquinoline-3-carbonitriles from aromatic aldehydes, malononitrile, and 3- aryl-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohex-2-en-1-ones in DMF at room temperature. This procedure is an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for preparing N-arlquinonlines derivatives that offers many other advantages over previous methods such as: short reaction time, high yielding products, low cost, a high level of ease, and straight forward work-up. Different aromatic aldehydes have been used to show the general catalytic application of DABCO for this reaction. All products were completely characterized via spectroscopy methods, such as IR and NMR as well as melting points. Different features of this reaction will be presented at the symposium.http://opus.ipfw.edu/stu_symp2014/1026/thumbnail.jp

Frequency-encoded linear cluster states with coherent Raman photons

Entangled multi-qubit states are an essential resource for quantum information and computation. Solid-state emitters can mediate interactions between subsequently emitted photons via their spin, thus offering a route towards generating entangled multi-photon states. However, existing schemes typically rely on the incoherent emission of single photons and suffer from severe practical limitations, for self-assembled quantum dots most notably the limited spin coherence time due to Overhauser magnetic field fluctuations. We here propose an alternative approach of employing spin-flip Raman scattering events of self-assembled quantum dots in Voigt geometry. We argue that weakly driven hole spins constitute a promising platform for the practical generation of frequency-entangled photonic cluster states

Radiative cascades in charged quantum dots

We measured, for the first time, two photon radiative cascades due to sequential recombination of quantum dot confined electron hole pairs in the presence of an additional spectator charge carrier. We identified direct, all optical cascades involving spin blockaded intermediate states, and indirect cascades, in which non radiative relaxation precedes the second recombination. Our measurements provide also spin dephasing rates of confined carriers.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Quantum-dot gain without inversion:Effects of dark plasmon-exciton hybridization

We propose an initial-state-dependent quantum-dot gain without population inversion in the vicinity of a resonant metallic nanoparticle. The gain originates from the hybridization of a dark plasmon-exciton and is accompanied by efficient energy transfer from the nanoparticle to the quantum dot. This hybridization of the dark plasmon-exciton, attached to the hybridization of the bright plasmon-exciton, strengthens nonlinear light-quantum emitter interactions at the nanoscale, thus the spectral overlap between the dark and the bright plasmons enhances the gain effect. This hybrid system has potential applications in ultracompact tunable quantum devices.Physics, Condensed MatterSCI(E)[email protected]

Polarized linewidth-controllable double-trapping electromagnetically induced transparency spectra in a resonant plasmon nanocavity

Surface plasmons with ultrasmall optical mode volume and strong near field enhancement can be used to realize nanoscale light-matter interaction. Combining surface plasmons with the quantum system provides the possibility of nanoscale realization of important quantum optical phenomena, including the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), which has many applications in nonlinear quantum optics and quantum information processing. Here, using a custom-designed resonant plasmon nanocavity, we demonstrate polarized position-dependent linewidth-controllable EIT spectra at the nanoscale. We analytically obtain the double coherent population trapping conditions in a double-L quantum system with crossing damping, which give two transparent points in the EIT spectra. The linewidths of the three peaks are extremely sensitive to the level spacing of the excited states, the Rabi frequencies and detunings of pump fields, and the Purcell factors. In particular the linewidth of the central peak is exceptionally narrow. The hybrid system may have potential applications in ultra-compact plasmon-quantum devices.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000325349300008&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Multidisciplinary SciencesSCI(E)PubMed11ARTICLE2879

Solid immersion lens applications for nanophotonic devices

Solid immersion lens (SIL) microscopy combines the advantages of conventional microscopy with those of near-field techniques, and is being increasingly adopted across a diverse range of technologies and applications. A comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in this rapidly expanding subject is therefore increasingly relevant. Important benefits are enabled by SIL-focusing, including an improved lateral and axial spatial profiling resolution when a SIL is used in laser-scanning microscopy or excitation, and an improved collection efficiency when a SIL is used in a light-collection mode, for example in fluorescence micro-spectroscopy. These advantages arise from the increase in numerical aperture (NA) that is provided by a SIL. Other SIL-enhanced improvements, for example spherical-aberration-free sub-surface imaging, are a fundamental consequence of the aplanatic imaging condition that results from the spherical geometry of the SIL. Beginning with an introduction to the theory of SIL imaging, the unique properties of SILs are exposed to provide advantages in applications involving the interrogation of photonic and electronic nanostructures. Such applications range from the sub-surface examination of the complex three-dimensional microstructures fabricated in silicon integrated circuits, to quantum photoluminescence and transmission measurements in semiconductor quantum dot nanostructures