1,044 research outputs found
Gyroscopes based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond
We propose solid-state gyroscopes based on ensembles of negatively charged
nitrogen-vacancy () centers in diamond. In one scheme, rotation of
the nitrogen-vacancy symmetry axis will induce Berry phase shifts in the electronic ground-state coherences proportional to the solid angle
subtended by the symmetry axis. We estimate sensitivity in the range of
in a 1 sensor volume using
a simple Ramsey sequence. Incorporating dynamical decoupling to suppress
dipolar relaxation may yield sensitivity at the level of . With a modified Ramsey scheme, Berry phase shifts in the
hyperfine sublevels would be employed. The projected sensitivity
is in the range of , however the smaller
gyromagnetic ratio reduces sensitivity to magnetic-field noise by several
orders of magnitude. Reaching would represent
an order of magnitude improvement over other compact, solid-state gyroscope
technologies.Comment: 3 figures, 5 page
Temperature dependence of the nitrogen-vacancy magnetic resonance in diamond
The temperature dependence of the magnetic resonance spectra of
nitrogen-vacancy (NV-) ensembles in the range of 280-330 K was studied. Four
samples prepared under different conditions were studied with NV-
concentrations ranging from 10 ppb to 15 ppm. For all of these samples, the
axial zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameter, D, was found to vary significantly
with temperature, T, as dD/dT = -74.2(7) kHz/K. The transverse ZFS parameter,
E, was non-zero (between 4 and 11 MHz) in all samples, and exhibited a
temperature dependence of dE/(EdT) = -1.4(3) x 10^(-4) K^(-1). The results
might be accounted for by considering local thermal expansion. The observation
of the temperature dependence of the ZFS parameters presents a significant
challenge for room-temperature diamond magnetometers and may ultimately limit
their bandwidth and sensitivity.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl
Spin-exchange relaxation free magnetometry with Cs vapor
We describe a Cs atomic magnetometer operating in the spin-exchange
relaxation-free (SERF) regime. With a vapor cell temperature of
we achieve intrinsic magnetic resonance widths corresponding to an electron spin-relaxation rate of when the spin-exchange rate is . We
also observe an interesting narrowing effect due to diffusion. Signal-to-noise
measurements yield a sensitivity of about .
Based on photon shot noise, we project a sensitivity of . A theoretical optimization of the magnetometer indicates
sensitivities on the order of should be achievable in a
volume. Because Cs has a higher saturated vapor pressure than
other alkali metals, SERF magnetometers using Cs atoms are particularly
attractive in applications requiring lower temperatures.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. submitted to PR
Physical properties of thermoelectric zinc antimonide using first-principles calculations
We report first principles calculations of the structural, electronic,
elastic and vibrational properties of the semiconducting orthorhombic ZnSb
compound. We study also the intrinsic point defects in order to eventually
improve the thermoelectric properties of this already very promising
thermoelectric material. Concerning the electronic properties, in addition to
the band structure, we show that the Zn (Sb) crystallographically equivalent
atoms are not exactly equivalent from the electronic point of view. Lattice
dynamics, elastic and thermodynamic properties are found to be in good
agreement with experiments and they confirm the non equivalency of the zinc and
antimony atoms from the vibrational point of view. The calculated elastic
properties show a relatively weak anisotropy and the hardest direction is the y
direction. We observe the presence of low energy modes involving both Zn and Sb
atoms at about 5-6 meV, similarly to what has been found in Zn4Sb3 and we
suggest that the interactions of these modes with acoustic phonons could
explain the relatively low thermal conductivity of ZnSb. Zinc vacancies are the
most stable defects and this explains the intrinsic p-type conductivity of
ZnSb.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figure
Orientation-to-alignment conversion and spin squeezing
The relationship between orientation-to-alignment conversion (a form of
atomic polarization evolution induced by an electric field) and the phenomenon
of spin squeezing is demonstrated. A "stretched" state of an atom or molecule
with maximum angular-momentum projection along the quantization axis possesses
orientation and is a quantum-mechanical minimum-uncertainty state, where the
product of the equal uncertainties of the angular-momentum projections on two
orthogonal directions transverse to the quantization axis is the minimum
allowed by the uncertainty relation. Application of an electric field for a
short time induces orientation-to-alignment conversion and produces a
spin-squeezed state, in which the quantum state essentially remains a
minimum-uncertainty state, but the uncertainties of the angular-momentum
projections on the orthogonal directions are unequal. This property can be
visualized using the angular-momentum probability surfaces, where the radius of
the surface is given by the probability of measuring the maximum
angular-momentum projection in that direction. Brief remarks are also given
concerning collective-spin squeezing and quantum nondemolition measurements.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure
A strategy for the characterization of minute chromosome rearrangements using multiple color fluorescence in situ hybridization with chromosome-specific DNA libraries and YAC clones
The identification of marker chromosomes in clinical and tumor cytogenetics by chromosome banding analysis can create problems. In this study, we present a strategy to define minute chromosomal rearrangements by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with whole chromosome painting probes derived from chromosome-specific DNA libraries and Alu-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of various region-specific yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones. To demonstrate the usefulness of this strategy for the characterization of chromosome rearrangements unidentifiable by banding techniques, an 8p+ marker chromosome with two extra bands present in the karyotype of a child with multiple anomalies, malformations, and severe mental retardation was investigated. A series of seven-color FISH experiments with sets of fluorochrome-labeled DNA library probes from flow-sorted chromosomes demonstrated that the additional segment on 8p+ was derived from chromosome 6. For a more detailed characterization of the marker chromosome, three-color FISH experiments with library probes specific to chromosomes 6 and 8 were performed in combination with newly established telomeric and subtelomeric YAC clones from 6q25, 6p23, and 8p23. These experiments demonstrated a trisomy 6pter6p22 and a monosomy 8pter8p23 in the patient. The present limitations for a broad application of this strategy and its possible improvements are discusse
Normal Behavioral Responses to Light and Darkness and the Pupillary Light Reflex are Dependent Upon the Olivary Pretectal Nucleus in the Diurnal Nile Grass Rat
The olivary pretectal nucleus (OPT) is a midbrain structure that receives reciprocal bilateral retinal projections, is involved in the pupillary light reflex, and connects reciprocally with the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL), a retinorecipient brain region that mediates behavioral responses to light pulses (i.e., masking) in diurnal Nile grass rats. Here, we lesioned the OPT and evaluated behavioral responses in grass rats to various lighting conditions, as well as their anxiety-like responses to light exposure. While control grass rats remained diurnal, grass rats with OPT lesions exhibited a more night-active pattern under 12h:12h light-dark (LD) conditions. However, when placed in constant darkness, OPT-lesioned grass rats became more active during their subjective day, suggesting that an exaggerated masking response to light may be responsible for the effect of OPT lesions on locomotor activity in LD. To test this hypothesis, we presented dark and light pulses to controls and grass rats with OPT lesions; controls increased their activity in response to light, whereas those with OPT lesions significantly increased activity in response to darkness. Further, when placed in a 7-h ultradian LD cycle, animals with OPT lesions were more active during darkness than controls. OPT lesions also abolished the pupillary light reflex, but did not affect anxiety-like behaviors. Finally, in animals with OPT lesions, light did not induce Fos expression in the ventrolateral geniculate nucleus, as it did in controls. Altogether, these results suggest that masking responses to light and darkness are dependent upon nuclei within the subcortical visual shell in grass rats
Studies of Vibrational Properties in Ga Stabilized d-Pu by Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure
Temperature dependent extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS)
spectra were measured for a 3.3 at% Ga stabilized Pu alloy over the range T= 20
- 300 K at both the Ga K-edge and the Pu L_III-edge. The temperature dependence
of the pair-distance distribution widths, \sigma(T) was accurately modeled
using a correlated-Debye model for the lattice vibrational properties,
suggesting Debye-like behavior in this material. We obtain pair- specific
correlated-Debye temperatures, \Theta_cD, of 110.7 +/- 1.7 K and 202.6 +/- 3.7
K, for the Pu-Pu and Ga-Pu pairs, respectively. These results represent the
first unambiguous determination of Ga-specific vibrational properties in PuGa
alloys, and indicate the Ga-Pu bonds are significantly stronger than the Pu-Pu
bonds. This effect has important implications for lattice stabilization
mechanisms in these alloys.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Phys. Rev. B in pres
Direct Observation of Propagating Gigahertz Coherent Guided Acoustic Phonons in Free Standing Single Copper Nanowires
We report on gigahertz acoustic phonon waveguiding in free-standing single
copper nanowires studied by femtosecond transient reflectivity measurements.
The results are discussed on the basis of the semianalytical resolution of the
Pochhammer and Chree equation. The spreading of the generated Gaussian wave
packet of two different modes is derived analytically and compared with the
observed oscillations of the sample reflectivity. These experiments provide a
unique way to independently obtain geometrical and material characterization.
This direct observation of coherent guided acoustic phonons in a single
nano-object is also the first step toward nanolateral size acoustic transducer
and comprehensive studies of the thermal properties of nanowires
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