196 research outputs found
Nonlinear interaction between two heralded single photons
Harnessing nonlinearities strong enough to allow two single photons to
interact with one another is not only a fascinating challenge but is central to
numerous advanced applications in quantum information science. Currently, all
known approaches are extremely challenging although a few have led to
experimental realisations with attenuated classical laser light. This has
included cross-phase modulation with weak classical light in atomic ensembles
and optical fibres, converting incident laser light into a non-classical stream
of photon or Rydberg blockades as well as all-optical switches with attenuated
classical light in various atomic systems. Here we report the observation of a
nonlinear parametric interaction between two true single photons. Single
photons are initially generated by heralding one photon from each of two
independent spontaneous parametric downconversion sources. The two heralded
single photons are subsequently combined in a nonlinear waveguide where they
are converted into a single photon with a higher energy. Our approach
highlights the potential for quantum nonlinear optics with integrated devices,
and as the photons are at telecom wavelengths, it is well adapted to
applications in quantum communication.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Spectral compression of single photons
Photons are critical to quantum technologies since they can be used for
virtually all quantum information tasks: in quantum metrology, as the
information carrier in photonic quantum computation, as a mediator in hybrid
systems, and to establish long distance networks. The physical characteristics
of photons in these applications differ drastically; spectral bandwidths span
12 orders of magnitude from 50 THz for quantum-optical coherence tomography to
50 Hz for certain quantum memories. Combining these technologies requires
coherent interfaces that reversibly map centre frequencies and bandwidths of
photons to avoid excessive loss. Here we demonstrate bandwidth compression of
single photons by a factor 40 and tunability over a range 70 times that
bandwidth via sum-frequency generation with chirped laser pulses. This
constitutes a time-to-frequency interface for light capable of converting
time-bin to colour entanglement and enables ultrafast timing measurements. It
is a step toward arbitrary waveform generation for single and entangled
photons.Comment: 6 pages (4 figures) + 6 pages (3 figures
Quantum Transduction of Telecommunications-band Single Photons from a Quantum Dot by Frequency Upconversion
The ability to transduce non-classical states of light from one wavelength to
another is a requirement for integrating disparate quantum systems that take
advantage of telecommunications-band photons for optical fiber transmission of
quantum information and near-visible, stationary systems for manipulation and
storage. In addition, transducing a single-photon source at 1.3 {\mu}m to
visible wavelengths for detection would be integral to linear optical quantum
computation due to the challenges of detection in the near-infrared. Recently,
transduction at single-photon power levels has been accomplished through
frequency upconversion, but it has yet to be demonstrated for a true
single-photon source. Here, we transduce the triggered single-photon emission
of a semiconductor quantum dot at 1.3 {\mu}m to 710 nm with a total detection
(internal conversion) efficiency of 21% (75%). We demonstrate that the 710 nm
signal maintains the quantum character of the 1.3 {\mu}m signal, yielding a
photon anti-bunched second-order intensity correlation, g^(2)(t), that shows
the optical field is composed of single photons with g^(2)(0) = 0.165 < 0.5.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
In-situ characterization of the Hamamatsu R5912-HQE photomultiplier tubes used in the DEAP-3600 experiment
The Hamamatsu R5912-HQE photomultiplier-tube (PMT) is a novel high-quantum
efficiency PMT. It is currently used in the DEAP-3600 dark matter detector and
is of significant interest for future dark matter and neutrino experiments
where high signal yields are needed.
We report on the methods developed for in-situ characterization and
monitoring of DEAP's 255 R5912-HQE PMTs. This includes a detailed discussion of
typical measured single-photoelectron charge distributions, correlated noise
(afterpulsing), dark noise, double, and late pulsing characteristics. The
characterization is performed during the detector commissioning phase using
laser light injected through a light diffusing sphere and during normal
detector operation using LED light injected through optical fibres
Photonic quantum technologies
The first quantum technology, which harnesses uniquely quantum mechanical
effects for its core operation, has arrived in the form of commercially
available quantum key distribution systems that achieve enhanced security by
encoding information in photons such that information gained by an eavesdropper
can be detected. Anticipated future quantum technologies include large-scale
secure networks, enhanced measurement and lithography, and quantum information
processors, promising exponentially greater computation power for particular
tasks. Photonics is destined for a central role in such technologies owing to
the need for high-speed transmission and the outstanding low-noise properties
of photons. These technologies may use single photons or quantum states of
bright laser beams, or both, and will undoubtably apply and drive
state-of-the-art developments in photonics
Quantum Communication
Quantum communication, and indeed quantum information in general, has changed
the way we think about quantum physics. In 1984 and 1991, the first protocol
for quantum cryptography and the first application of quantum non-locality,
respectively, attracted a diverse field of researchers in theoretical and
experimental physics, mathematics and computer science. Since then we have seen
a fundamental shift in how we understand information when it is encoded in
quantum systems. We review the current state of research and future directions
in this new field of science with special emphasis on quantum key distribution
and quantum networks.Comment: Submitted version, 8 pg (2 cols) 5 fig
Electromagnetic backgrounds and potassium-42 activity in the DEAP-3600 dark matter detector
See full article for abstrac
Classification of behaviour in housed dairy cows using an accelerometer-based activity monitoring system
Background Advances in bio-telemetry technology have made it possible to automatically monitor and classify behavioural activities in many animals, including domesticated species such as dairy cows. Automated behavioural classification has the potential to improve health and welfare monitoring processes as part of a Precision Livestock Farming approach. Recent studies have used accelerometers and pedometers to classify behavioural activities in dairy cows, but such approaches often cannot discriminate accurately between biologically important behaviours such as feeding, lying and standing or transition events between lying and standing. In this study we develop a decision-tree algorithm that uses tri-axial accelerometer data from a neck-mounted sensor to both classify biologically important behaviour in dairy cows and to detect transition events between lying and standing.
Results Data were collected from six dairy cows that were monitored continuously for 36 h. Direct visual observations of each cow were used to validate the algorithm. Results show that the decision-tree algorithm is able to accurately classify three types of biologically relevant behaviours: lying (77.42 % sensitivity, 98.63 % precision), standing (88.00 % sensitivity, 55.00 % precision), and feeding (98.78 % sensitivity, 93.10 % precision). Transitions between standing and lying were also detected accurately with an average sensitivity of 96.45 % and an average precision of 87.50 %. The sensitivity and precision of the decision-tree algorithm matches the performance of more computationally intensive algorithms such as hidden Markov models and support vector machines.
Conclusions Biologically important behavioural activities in housed dairy cows can be classified accurately using a simple decision-tree algorithm applied to data collected from a neck-mounted tri-axial accelerometer. The algorithm could form part of a real-time behavioural monitoring system in order to automatically detect dairy cow health and welfare status
Constraints on dark matter-nucleon effective couplings in the presence of kinematically distinct halo substructures using the DEAP-3600 detector
DEAP-3600 is a single-phase liquid argon detector aiming to directly detect
Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), located at SNOLAB (Sudbury,
Canada). After analyzing data taken during the first year of operation, a null
result was used to place an upper bound on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent,
isoscalar cross section. This study reinterprets this result within a
Non-Relativistic Effective Field Theory framework, and further examines how
various possible substructures in the local dark matter halo may affect these
constraints. Such substructures are hinted at by kinematic structures in the
local stellar distribution observed by the Gaia satellite and other recent
astronomical surveys. These include the Gaia Sausage (or Enceladus), as well as
a number of distinct streams identified in recent studies. Limits are presented
for the coupling strength of the effective contact interaction operators
, , , , and
, considering isoscalar, isovector, and xenonphobic
scenarios, as well as the specific operators corresponding to millicharge,
magnetic dipole, electric dipole, and anapole interactions. The effects of halo
substructures on each of these operators are explored as well, showing that the
and operators are particularly sensitive to the
velocity distribution, even at dark matter masses above 100 GeV/
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