Rapid purification of quantum systems by measuring in a feedback-controlled unbiased basis

Rapid-purification by feedback --- specifically, reducing the mean impurity faster than by measurement alone --- can be achieved by making the eigenbasis of the density matrix to be unbiased relative to the measurement basis. Here we further examine the protocol introduced by Combes and Jacobs [Phys.Rev.Lett. {\bf 96}, 010504 (2006)] involving continuous measurement of the observable $J_z$ for a $D$-dimensional system. We rigorously re-derive the lower bound $(2/3)(D+1)$ on the achievable speed-up factor, and also an upper bound, namely $D^2/2$, for all feedback protocols that use measurements in unbiased bases. Finally we extend our results to $n$ independent measurements on a register of $n$ qubits, and derive an upper bound on the achievable speed-up factor that scales linearly with $n$.Comment: v2: published versio

Novel optical imaging technique to determine the 3-D orientation of collagen fibers in cartilage: variable-incidence angle polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Objective: To investigate a novel optical method to determine the three dimensional (3-D) structure of articular cartilage collagen non-destructively. Methods: Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography was used to determine the apparent optical birefringence of articular cartilage for a number of different illumination directions. A quantitative method based on the theory of light propagation in uniaxial crystalline materials was validated on equine flexor tendon. Qualitative maps of fiber polar and azimuthal orientation at sites on the posterior and anterior segments of the equine third metacarpophalangeal (fetlock) joint were produced, and the azimuthal orientations compared with data from a split-line experiment. Results: Polar and azimuthal angles of cut flexor tendon broadly agreed with the nominal values but suggested that the accuracy was limited by our method of determining the apparent birefringence. On intact equine fetlock joints we found a non-zero polar tilt that changed in direction at various points along the apex, moving from the sagittal ridge outwards. The azimuthal orientation changes from being parallel to the sagittal ridge in the posterior region to being inclined to the ridge in the anterior region. This broadly agrees with split-line data for the anterior region but differs in the posterior region, possibly reflecting depth-dependent orientation changes. Conclusion: General quantitative agreement was found between our method and histology in validation experiments. Qualitative results for cartilage suggest a complicated 3-D structure that warrants further study. There is potential to develop this approach into a tool that can provide depth-resolved information on collagen orientation in near real-time, non-destructively and in vivo. (c) 2008 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Classical Robustness of Quantum Unravellings

We introduce three measures which quantify the degree to which quantum systems possess the robustness exhibited by classical systems when subjected to continuous observation. Using these we show that for a fixed environmental interaction the level of robustness depends on the measurement strategy, or unravelling, and that no single strategy is maximally robust in all ways.Comment: 8 Pages, 2 figures, Version 2. Minor changes to wording for clarification and some references added. Accepted for publication in Europhysics Letter

Ultrafast charge transfer and vibronic coupling in a laser-excited hybrid inorganic/organic interface

Hybrid interfaces formed by inorganic semiconductors and organic molecules are intriguing materials for opto-electronics. Interfacial charge transfer is primarily responsible for their peculiar electronic structure and optical response. Hence, it is essential to gain insight into this fundamental process also beyond the static picture. Ab initio methods based on real-time time-dependent density-functional theory coupled to the Ehrenfest molecular dynamics scheme are ideally suited for this problem. We investigate a laser-excited hybrid inorganic/organic interface formed by the electron acceptor molecule 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-quinodimethane (F4TCNQ) physisorbed on a hydrogenated silicon cluster, and we discuss the fundamental mechanisms of charge transfer in the ultrashort time window following the impulsive excitation. The considered interface is p-doped and exhibits charge transfer in the ground state. When it is excited by a resonant laser pulse, the charge transfer across the interface is additionally increased, but contrary to previous observations in all-organic donor/acceptor complexes, it is not further promoted by vibronic coupling. In the considered time window of 100 fs, the molecular vibrations are coupled to the electron dynamics and enhance intramolecular charge transfer. Our results highlight the complexity of the physics involved and demonstrate the ability of the adopted formalism to achieve a comprehensive understanding of ultrafast charge transfer in hybrid materials

Preliminary tests of an advanced high-temperature combustion system

A combustion system has been developed to operate efficiently and with good durability at inlet pressures to 4.05 MPa (40 atm), inlet air temperatures to 900 K, and exhaust gas temperatures to 2480 K. A preliminary investigation of this system was conducted at inlet pressures to 0.94 MPa (9 atm), a nominal inlet air temperature of 560 K, and exhaust gas temperatures to 2135 K. A maximum combustion efficiency of 98.5 percent was attained at a fuel-air ratio of 0.033; the combustion efficiency decreased to about 90 percent as the fuel-air ratio was increased to 0.058. An average liner metal temperature of 915 K, 355 kelvins greater than the nominal inlet air temperature, was reached with an average exhaust gas temperature of 2090 K. The maximum local metal temperature at this condition was about 565 kelvins above the nominal inlet air temperature and decreased to 505 kelvins above with increasing combustor pressure. Tests to determine the isothermal total pressure loss of the combustor showed a liner loss of 1.1 percent and a system loss of 6.5 percent

Floppy modes and the free energy: Rigidity and connectivity percolation on Bethe Lattices

We show that negative of the number of floppy modes behaves as a free energy for both connectivity and rigidity percolation, and we illustrate this result using Bethe lattices. The rigidity transition on Bethe lattices is found to be first order at a bond concentration close to that predicted by Maxwell constraint counting. We calculate the probability of a bond being on the infinite cluster and also on the overconstrained part of the infinite cluster, and show how a specific heat can be defined as the second derivative of the free energy. We demonstrate that the Bethe lattice solution is equivalent to that of the random bond model, where points are joined randomly (with equal probability at all length scales) to have a given coordination, and then subsequently bonds are randomly removed.Comment: RevTeX 11 pages + epsfig embedded figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.