962 research outputs found
Upper bounds for the secure key rate of decoy state quantum key distribution
The use of decoy states in quantum key distribution (QKD) has provided a
method for substantially increasing the secret key rate and distance that can
be covered by QKD protocols with practical signals. The security analysis of
these schemes, however, leaves open the possibility that the development of
better proof techniques, or better classical post-processing methods, might
further improve their performance in realistic scenarios. In this paper, we
derive upper bounds on the secure key rate for decoy state QKD. These bounds
are based basically only on the classical correlations established by the
legitimate users during the quantum communication phase of the protocol. The
only assumption about the possible post-processing methods is that double click
events are randomly assigned to single click events. Further we consider only
secure key rates based on the uncalibrated device scenario which assigns
imperfections such as detection inefficiency to the eavesdropper. Our analysis
relies on two preconditions for secure two-way and one-way QKD: The legitimate
users need to prove that there exists no separable state (in the case of
two-way QKD), or that there exists no quantum state having a symmetric
extension (one-way QKD), that is compatible with the available measurements
results. Both criteria have been previously applied to evaluate single-photon
implementations of QKD. Here we use them to investigate a realistic source of
weak coherent pulses. The resulting upper bounds can be formulated as a convex
optimization problem known as a semidefinite program which can be efficiently
solved. For the standard four-state QKD protocol, they are quite close to known
lower bounds, thus showing that there are clear limits to the further
improvement of classical post-processing techniques in decoy state QKD.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
Parallel updating cellular automaton models of driven diffusive Frenkel-Kontorova-type systems
Three cellular automaton (CA) models of increasing complexity are introduced
to model driven diffusive systems related to the generalized Frenkel-Kontorova
(FK) models recently proposed by Braun [Phys.Rev.E58, 1311 (1998)]. The models
are defined in terms of parallel updating rules. Simulation results are
presented for these models. The features are qualitatively similar to those
models defined previously in terms of sequentially updating rules. Essential
features of the FK model such as phase transitions, jamming due to atoms in the
immobile state, and hysteresis in the relationship between the fraction of
atoms in the running state and the bias field are captured. Formulating in
terms of parallel updating rules has the advantage that the models can be
treated analytically by following the time evolution of the occupation on every
site of the lattice. Results of this analytical approach are given for the two
simpler models. The steady state properties are found by studying the stable
fixed points of a closed set of dynamical equations obtained within the
approximation of retaining spatial correlations only upto two nearest
neighboring sites. Results are found to be in good agreement with numerical
data.Comment: 26 pages, 4 eps figure
Laser ablation loading of a radiofrequency ion trap
The production of ions via laser ablation for the loading of radiofrequency
(RF) ion traps is investigated using a nitrogen laser with a maximum pulse
energy of 0.17 mJ and a peak intensity of about 250 MW/cm^2. A time-of-flight
mass spectrometer is used to measure the ion yield and the distribution of the
charge states. Singly charged ions of elements that are presently considered
for the use in optical clocks or quantum logic applications could be produced
from metallic samples at a rate of the order of magnitude 10^5 ions per pulse.
A linear Paul trap was loaded with Th+ ions produced by laser ablation. An
overall ion production and trapping efficiency of 10^-7 to 10^-6 was attained.
For ions injected individually, a dependence of the capture probability on the
phase of the RF field has been predicted. In the experiment this was not
observed, presumably because of collective effects within the ablation plume.Comment: submitted to Appl. Phys. B., special issue on ion trappin
Pseuduscalar Heavy Quarkonium Decays With Both Relativistic and QCD Radiative Corrections
We estimate the decay rates of ,
, and ,
, by taking into account both relativistic and
QCD radiative corrections. The decay amplitudes are derived in the
Bethe-Salpeter formalism. The Bethe-Salpeter equation with a QCD-inspired
interquark potential are used to calculate the wave functions and decay widths
for these states. We find that the relativistic correction to the
ratio is negative and tends to compensate the positive contribution from
the QCD radiative correction. Our estimate gives and ,
which are smaller than their nonrelativistic values. The hadronic widths
and are then indicated accordingly to the first order
QCD radiative correction, if . The decay widths for
states are also estimated. We show that when making the assmption
that the quarks are on their mass shells our expressions for the decay widths
will become identical with that in the NRQCD theory to the next to leading
order of and .Comment: 14 pages LaTex (2 figures included
The Nucleon Spectral Function at Finite Temperature and the Onset of Superfluidity in Nuclear Matter
Nucleon selfenergies and spectral functions are calculated at the saturation
density of symmetric nuclear matter at finite temperatures. In particular, the
behaviour of these quantities at temperatures above and close to the critical
temperature for the superfluid phase transition in nuclear matter is discussed.
It is shown how the singularity in the thermodynamic T-matrix at the critical
temperature for superfluidity (Thouless criterion) reflects in the selfenergy
and correspondingly in the spectral function. The real part of the on-shell
selfenergy (optical potential) shows an anomalous behaviour for momenta near
the Fermi momentum and temperatures close to the critical temperature related
to the pairing singularity in the imaginary part. For comparison the selfenergy
derived from the K-matrix of Brueckner theory is also calculated. It is found,
that there is no pairing singularity in the imaginary part of the selfenergy in
this case, which is due to the neglect of hole-hole scattering in the K-matrix.
From the selfenergy the spectral function and the occupation numbers for finite
temperatures are calculated.Comment: LaTex, 23 pages, 21 PostScript figures included (uuencoded), uses
prc.sty, aps.sty, revtex.sty, psfig.sty (last included
Properties of heavy quarkonia and B_c mesons in the relativistic quark model
The mass spectra and electromagnetic decay rates of charmonium, bottomonium
and B_c mesons are comprehensively investigated in the relativistic quark
model. The presence of only heavy quarks allows the expansion in powers of
their velocities. All relativistic corrections of order v^2/c^2, including
retardation effects and one-loop radiative corrections, are systematically
taken into account in the computations of the mass spectra. The obtained wave
functions are used for the calculation of radiative magnetic dipole (M1) and
electric dipole (E1) transitions. It is found that relativistic effects play a
substantial role. Their account and the proper choice of the Lorentz structure
of the quark-antiquark interaction in a meson is crucial for bringing
theoretical predictions in accord with experimental data. A detailed comparison
of the calculated decay rates and branching fractions with available
experimental data for radiative decays of charmonium and bottomonium is
presented. The possibilities to observe the currently missing spin-singlet S
and P states as well as D states in bottomonium are discussed. The results for
B_c masses and decays are compared with other quark model predictions.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figures, minor correction
Disseminated Langerhans cell histiocytosis associated with acute myeloid leukaemia: complete remission with daunorubicin and cytarabine
A novel de novo BRCA1 mutation in a Chinese woman with early onset breast cancer
Germline mutations in the two breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 account for a significant portion of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. De novo mutations such as multiple exon deletion are rarely occurred in BRCA1 and BRCA2. During our mutation screening for BRCA1/2 genes to Chinese women with risk factors for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer, we identified a novel germline mutation, consisting of a deletion from exons 1 to 12 in BRCA1 gene, in a patient diagnosed with early onset triple negative breast cancer with no family history of cancer. None of her parents carried the mutation and molecular analysis showed that this novel de novo germline mutation resulted in down-regulation of BRCA1 gene expression
The selective post-translational processing of transcription factor Nrf1 yields distinct isoforms that dictate its ability to differentially regulate gene expression
Upon translation, the N-terminal homology box 1 (NHB1) signal anchor sequence of Nrf1 integrates it within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) whilst its transactivation domains [TADs, including acidic domain 1 (AD1), the flanking Asn/Ser/Thr-rich (NST) domain and AD2] are transiently translocated into the ER lumen, whereupon the NST domain is glycosylated to yield an inactive 120-kDa glycoprotein. Subsequently, these TADs are retrotranslocated into extra-luminal subcellular compartments, where Nrf1 is deglycosylated to yield an active 95-kDa isoform. Herein, we report that AD1 and AD2 are required for the stability of the 120-kDa Nrf1 glycoprotein, but not that of the non-glycosylated/de-glycosylated 95-kDa isoform. Degrons within AD1 do not promote proteolytic degradation of the 120-kDa Nrf1 glycoprotein. However, repositioning of AD2-adjoining degrons (i.e. DSGLS-containing SDS1 and PEST2 sequences) into the cyto/nucleoplasm enables selective topovectorial processing of Nrf1 by the proteasome and/or calpains to generate a cleaved active 85-kDa Nrf1 or a dominant-negative 36-kDa Nrf1γ. Production of Nrf1γ is abolished by removal of SDS1 or PEST2 degrons, whereas production of the cleaved 85-kDa Nrf1 is blocked by deletion of the ER luminal-anchoring NHB2 sequence (aa 81–106). Importantly, Nrf1 activity is positively and/or negatively regulated by distinct doses of proteasome and calpain inhibitors
A Mechanism for Ordinary-Sterile Neutrino Mixing
Efficient oscillations between ordinary (active) and sterile neutrinos can
occur only if Dirac and Majorana mass terms exist which are both small and
comparable. It is shown that this can occur naturally in a class of string
models, in which higher-dimensional operators in the superpotential lead to an
intermediate scale expectation value for a scalar field and to suppressed Dirac
and Majorana fermion masses.Comment: 12 page
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