The Feasibility of a Fully Miniaturized Magneto-Optical Trap for Portable Ultracold Quantum Technology

Experiments using laser cooled atoms and ions show real promise for practical applications in quantum- enhanced metrology, timing, navigation, and sensing as well as exotic roles in quantum computing, networking and simulation. The heart of many of these experiments has been translated to microfabricated platforms known as atom chips whose construction readily lend themselves to integration with larger systems and future mass production. To truly make the jump from laboratory demonstrations to practical, rugged devices, the complex surrounding infrastructure (including vacuum systems, optics, and lasers) also needs to be miniatur- ized and integrated. In this paper we explore the feasibility of applying this approach to the Magneto-Optical Trap; incorporating the vacuum system, atom source and optical geometry into a permanently sealed micro- litre system capable of maintaining $10^{-10}$ mbar for more than 1000 days of operation with passive pumping alone. We demonstrate such an engineering challenge is achievable using recent advances in semiconductor microfabrication techniques and materialsComment: 23 pages, 10 figure

Charter incorporation in Scotland to the rescue of central-local relations?

In a century of writing about local government in the United Kingdom, an inevitably dominant theme has been the analysis of central-local relations - defining the measure of control by central ministers and departments over local authorities and the degree of autonomy nevertheless retained by the local authorities. On the whole the story (including that covering the years of devolution) has been one of increasing central control and declining autonomy. In more recent times, the United Kingdom has signed and ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government of 1985. Even more recently, steps have been commenced in the Scottish Parliament to «incorporate» the Charter into the domestic law of Scotland. This article considers what effect on central-local relations the incorporation of the Charter might have

Scientific Knowledge and Philosophic Thought

Originally published in 1986. Are there two kinds of problems—the scientific and the philosophic—each requiring different methods for solution? Or are there, rather, two different ways of approaching a problem, each yielding a different answer according to the method used? Biomedical researcher Sir Harold Himsworth urges scientists not to shy away from using scientific methods to grapple with problems traditionally accepted as belonging to the province of philosophy. The difference between science and philosophy lies not in the problems to which they are directed, Himsworth argues, but rather in the methods they use for solving them. To the scientist, a proposition is something to be investigated; to the philosopher, something to be accepted as a basis for thought. Since the development of the scientific method, substantial progress has been made toward mastering problems in the natural environment. If we are ever to attain a degree of control over problems that derive from human activities, Himsworth claims that we only succeed by approaching them in a comparably objective way

Art and Medicine: A Collaborative Project Between Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar

Four faculty researchers, two from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, and two from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar developed a one semester workshop-based course in Qatar exploring the connections between art and medicine in a contemporary context. Students (6 art / 6 medicine) were enrolled in the course. The course included presentations by clinicians, medical engineers, artists, computing engineers, an art historian, a graphic designer, a painter, and other experts from the fields of art, design, and medicine. To measure the student experience of interdisciplinarity, the faculty researchers employed a mixed methods approach involving psychometric tests and observational ethnography. Data instruments included pre- and post-course semi-structured audio interviews, pre-test / post-test psychometric instruments (Budner Scale and Torrance Tests of Creativity), observational field notes, self-reflective blogging, and videography. This book describes the course and the experience of the students. It also contains images of the interdisciplinary work they created for a culminating class exhibition. Finally, the book provides insight on how different fields in a Middle Eastern context can share critical /analytical thinking tools to refine their own professional practices

Marine geophysical studies between northwest Scotland and the Faeroe plateau

A marine geophysical survey of the northern Rockall Trough including the Banks to the north and northwest, the Wyville-Thomson Rise and the Hebridean continental shelf was carried out in 1970 and 1971,Gravity, magnetic and seismic reflection data indicates that the central Rockall Trough is underlain by about 5 km of sediment overlying a normal oceanic crust. The sedimentary thickness decreases to about 3 km and the crust becomes anomalously thick at the northern end of the Trough. Gravity and magnetic interpretation suggests that the Faeroe-Shetland channel is also underlain by anomalously thick oceanic crust. Gravity interpretation indicates that George Bligh, Bill Bailey's and Faeroe Bank are underlain by crust of continental thickness. The Wyville-Thomson Rise, which connects Faeroe Bank to the Scottish continental margin, is composed of two basement ridges of pre-Lower Oligocene age shrouded by sediments up to 1.5 km thick. The north easterly ridge is continuous from the Bank to the continental margin but the south westerly ridge terminates about 50 km from the margin. Magnetic and gravity evidence indicates that the ridges are composed of igneous material and that crustal thickening occurs beneath the ridges. An intrusive complex of unknown age lies beneath the southwest flank of the Rise. Gravity, magnetic and bathymetric interpretation indicates that the Hebridean continental shelf is underlain by Lewisian basement. Gravity and magnetic interpretation indicates that a NNE-SSW trending sedimentary basin about 1.5 km deep and with a partial covering of Tertiary lavas lies between Lewis and the Flannan Isles. Tertiary intrusive complexes, recognisable by their magnetic, gravitational and bathymetric effects, are present beneath St. Kilda, below the continental slope 75 km northwest of St. Kilda and beneath the shelf kO km north-northwest of the Butt of Lewis

Polarization Properties of the "Photon Pistol"

The deterministic single-photon emission by means of STIRAP through the atoms with degenerate levels is studied. The expression for the polarization matrix of the emitted photon is obtained and its dependence on the polarization of the driving laser field and on the initial atomic state is examined.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Harnessing Population Genetics for Pest Management: Theory and Application for Urban Rats

Effective management of rodent pests requires an ecological understanding of how they move through their environment and how those movements influence the invasion, persistence, or reinvasion of problematic colonies. Traditional methodologies used to describe rodent movement patterns, such as mark-recapture, are hindered by their time-consuming nature and limited geographic scope. As such, our understanding of how rodents interact with urban environments remains limited. Population genetic principles and tools have the capacity to greatly increase our understanding of rodent population dynamics, ecological relationships, and movements across space, but this field is often unapproachable to non-scientist pest management professionals (PMPs). In this commentary, we aim to promote collaborative and integrative rodent pest management by introducing relevant population genetic principles, providing examples of their applications in studies of urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), and proposing future initiatives that link scientific, private, and government entities. We reinterpret results from a 2018 study of brown rats in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to show how genetic relationships among individual brown rats can be used to understand the geographic distribution of genetic clusters (i.e., colonies), natural barriers to migration, and the spatial scale of dispersal. While the 2018 study originally aimed to describe patterns of population genetic structure to understand the influence of urban landscapes on rats, here we describe how these results can be exploited by PMPs to directly inform the creation of management units and decrease the likelihood of rapid post-treatment reinvasion. Further, we discuss the difficulties inherent in population genetic studies and the potential for high-quality model sites to develop generalizable strategies. Overall, we hope to expand the toolbox of PMPs, foster collaboration, and move toward more informed and sustainable management strategies

Control and Manipulation of Cold Atoms in Optical Tweezers

Neutral atoms trapped by laser light are amongst the most promising candidates for storing and processing information in a quantum computer or simulator. The application certainly calls for a scalable and flexible scheme for addressing and manipulating the atoms. We have now made this a reality by implementing a fast and versatile method to dynamically control the position of neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezers. The tweezers result from a spatial light modulator (SLM) controlling and shaping a large number of optical dipole-force traps. Trapped atoms adapt to any change in the potential landscape, such that one can re-arrange and randomly access individual sites within atom-trap arrays.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure