2,635 research outputs found
Structure of MnO nanoparticles embedded into channel-type matrices
X-ray diffraction experiments were performed on MnO confined in mesoporous
silica SBA-15 and MCM-41 matrices with different channel diameters. The
measured patterns were analyzed by profile analysis and compared to numerical
simulations of the diffraction from confined nanoparticles. From the lineshape
and the specific shift of the diffraction reflections it was shown that the
embedded objects form ribbon-like structures in the SBA-15 matrices with
channels diameters of 47-87 {\AA}, and nanowire-like structures in the MCM-41
matrices with channels diameters of 24-35 {\AA}. In the latter case the
confined nanoparticles appear to be narrower than the channel diameters. The
physical reasons for the two different shapes of the confined nanoparticles are
discussed.Comment: 8 pages, including 9 postscript figures, uses revtex4.cl
Distance measures to compare real and ideal quantum processes
With growing success in experimental implementations it is critical to
identify a "gold standard" for quantum information processing, a single measure
of distance that can be used to compare and contrast different experiments. We
enumerate a set of criteria such a distance measure must satisfy to be both
experimentally and theoretically meaningful. We then assess a wide range of
possible measures against these criteria, before making a recommendation as to
the best measures to use in characterizing quantum information processing.Comment: 15 pages; this version in line with published versio
Femtosecond synchronously mode-locked vertical-external cavity surface-emitting laser
The behavior of a room temperature synchronously mode-locked vertical-external cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) operating at 980 nm is reported. The laser performance was found to be qualitatively the same for different pump pulse duration (3.6 ps and 70 fs). The pulse duration of the laser is limited by strong self-phase modulation to around 10-40 ps. By compressing the strongly chirped pulses generated directly from the laser, ultrashort pulses with duration of around 200 fs with maximum peak powers of 1.3 kW at 80 MHz were obtained. Multiple pulsing of the laser was observed and the effects of cavity length detuning on pulse width and spectral bandwidth have been investigated
Macro- and micro-strain in GaN nanowires on Si(111)
We analyze the strain state of GaN nanowire ensembles by x-ray diffraction.
The nanowires are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a Si(111) substrate in a
self-organized manner. On a macroscopic scale, the nanowires are found to be
free of strain. However, coalescence of the nanowires results in micro-strain
with a magnitude from +-0.015% to +-0.03%.This micro-strain contributes to the
linewidth observed in low-temperature photoluminescence spectra
Microstructural evolution throughout the structural transition in 1111 oxy-pnictides
The microstructural evolution throughout the first order tetragonal to
orthorhombic structural transition is analyzed by powder diffraction analysis
for two different systems belonging to the class of compounds referred to as
1111 oxy-pnictides: (La1-yYy)FeAsO and SmFeAs(O1-xFx). Both systems are
characterized by a similar behaviour: on cooling microstrain along the
tetragonal hh0 direction takes place and increases as the temperature is
decreased. Just above the structural transition microstrain reaches its maximum
value and then is abruptly suppressed by symmetry breaking. No volume
discontinuity throughout the first order transition is observed and a
groupsubgroup relationship holds between the tetragonal and the orthorhombic
structures, thus suggesting that orbital ordering drives symmetry breaking.
Microstrain reflects a distribution of lattice parameters in the tetragonal
phase and explains the occurrence of anisotropic properties commonly attributed
to nematic correlations; in this scenario the nematic behaviour is induced by
the tendency towards ordering of Fe orbitals
From antiferromagnetism to superconductivity in Fe 1+y(Te1-x,Sex) (0 < x < 0.20): a neutron powder diffraction analysis
The nuclear and magnetic structure of Fe1+y(Te1-x,Sex) (0 < x < 0.20)
compounds was analyzed between 2 K and 300 K by means of Rietveld refinement of
neutron powder diffraction data. Samples with x < 0.075 undergo a tetragonal to
monoclinic phase transition at low temperature, whose critical temperature
decreases with increasing Se content; this structural transition is strictly
coupled to a long range antiferromagnetic ordering at the Fe site. Both the
transition to a monoclinic phase and the long range antiferromagnetism are
suppressed for 0.10 < x < 0.20. The onset of the structural and of the magnetic
transition remains coincident with the increase of Se substitution. The low
temperature monoclinic crystal structure has been revised. Superconductivity
arises for x > 0.05, therefore a significant region where superconductivity and
long range antiferromagnetism coexist is present in the pseudo-binary FeTe -
FeSe phase diagram.Comment: 33 pages, 4 tables, 13 figure
Study protocol for a double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of continuous subpectoral local anaesthetic infusion for pain and shoulder function following mastectomy: SUB-pectoral Local anaesthetic Infusion following MastEctomy (SUBLIME) study.
INTRODUCTION: Over 16 000 mastectomies are performed in England and Wales annually. Acute postoperative pain and nausea are common. The most frequently occurring long-term complications are chronic pain (up to 50%) and reduced shoulder function (reported at 35%). Regional techniques that improve acute postoperative pain relief may reduce the incidence of these complications. This study assesses the effectiveness of a 24-hour continuous local anaesthetic in the subpectoral plane in improving postoperative pain and quality of life in patients undergoing mastectomy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled, two-centre, parallel group trial in women undergoing mastectomy with or without axillary involvement. One hundred and sixty participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 0.25% levobupivacaine or 0.9% saline by subpectoral infusion postoperatively for 24 h. All participants will be provided with an intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) system. Participants will be followed-up for 24 h in hospital and at approximately 14 days and 6 months postoperatively. Joint primary outcome measures are total morphine consumption and total pain score (captured via patient-recorded visual analogue scale (VAS) 4 hourly) during the first 24 h postoperatively. Primary statistical analysis of total pain is based on the area under the curve of pain versus time graph. Secondary outcomes include PCA attempts in first 24 h; VAS pain scores and shoulder function by goniometry at 24 h, 14 days (approximately) and 6 months; Verbal Rating Scale pain scores in first 24 h; Brief Pain Inventory and Oxford Shoulder Score at 6 months; duration of hospital stay; incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting; cost-effectiveness. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the South West England Research Ethics Committee (12/SW/0149). RESULTS: will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at local, national and international scientific meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN46621916. EudraCT 2011-005775-16
Quantum teleportation and entanglement swapping with linear optics logic gates
We report on the usage of a linear optics phase gate for distinguishing all
four Bell states simultaneously in a quantum teleportation and entanglement
swapping protocol. This is demonstrated by full state tomography of the one and
two qubit output states of the two protocols, yielding average state fidelities
of about 0.83 and 0.77, respectively. In addition, the performance of the
teleportation channel is characterised by quantum process tomography. The non
classical properties of the entanglement swapping output states are further
confirmed by the violation of a CHSH-type Bell inequality of 2.14 on average.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
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