44 research outputs found
Tensor network states in time-bin quantum optics
The current shift in the quantum optics community towards large-size
experiments -- with many modes and photons -- necessitates new classical
simulation techniques that go beyond the usual phase space formulation of
quantum mechanics. To address this pressing demand we formulate linear quantum
optics in the language of tensor network states. As a toy model, we extensively
analyze the quantum and classical correlations of time-bin interference in a
single fiber loop. We then generalize our results to more complex time-bin
quantum setups and identify different classes of architectures for
high-complexity and low-overhead boson sampling experiments
Quantum Dot Potentials: Symanzik Scaling, Resurgent Expansions and Quantum Dynamics
This article is concerned with a special class of the ``double-well-like''
potentials that occur naturally in the analysis of finite quantum systems.
Special attention is paid, in particular, to the so-called Fokker-Planck
potential, which has a particular property: the perturbation series for the
ground-state energy vanishes to all orders in the coupling parameter, but the
actual ground-state energy is positive and dominated by instanton
configurations of the form exp(-a/g), where a is the instanton action. The
instanton effects are most naturally taken into account within the modified
Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization conditions whose expansion leads to the
generalized perturbative expansions (so-called resurgent expansions) for the
energy values of the Fokker-Planck potential. Until now, these resurgent
expansions have been mainly applied for small values of coupling parameter g,
while much less attention has been paid to the strong-coupling regime. In this
contribution, we compare the energy values, obtained by directly resumming
generalized Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization conditions, to the strong-coupling
expansion, for which we determine the first few expansion coefficients in
powers of g^(-2/3). Detailed calculations are performed for a wide range of
coupling parameters g and indicate a considerable overlap between the regions
of validity of the weak-coupling resurgent series and of the strong-coupling
expansion. Apart from the analysis of the energy spectrum of the Fokker-Planck
Hamiltonian, we also briefly discuss the computation of its eigenfunctions.
These eigenfunctions may be utilized for the numerical integration of the
(single-particle) time-dependent Schroedinger equation and, hence, for studying
the dynamical evolution of the wavepackets in the double-well-like potentials.Comment: 13 pages; RevTe
Structure, Time Propagation and Dissipative Terms for Resonances
For odd anharmonic oscillators, it is well known that complex scaling can be
used to determine resonance energy eigenvalues and the corresponding
eigenvectors in complex rotated space. We briefly review and discuss various
methods for the numerical determination of such eigenvalues, and also discuss
the connection to the case of purely imaginary coupling, which is PT-symmetric.
Moreover, we show that a suitable generalization of the complex scaling method
leads to an algorithm for the time propagation of wave packets in potentials
which give rise to unstable resonances. This leads to a certain unification of
the structure and the dynamics. Our time propagation results agree with known
quantum dynamics solvers and allow for a natural incorporation of structural
perturbations (e.g., due to dissipative processes) into the quantum dynamics.Comment: 14 pages; LaTeX; minor change
Creating, moving and merging Dirac points with a Fermi gas in a tunable honeycomb lattice
Dirac points lie at the heart of many fascinating phenomena in condensed
matter physics, from massless electrons in graphene to the emergence of
conducting edge states in topological insulators [1, 2]. At a Dirac point, two
energy bands intersect linearly and the particles behave as relativistic Dirac
fermions. In solids, the rigid structure of the material sets the mass and
velocity of the particles, as well as their interactions. A different, highly
flexible approach is to create model systems using fermionic atoms trapped in
the periodic potential of interfering laser beams, a method which so far has
only been applied to explore simple lattice structures [3, 4]. Here we report
on the creation of Dirac points with adjustable properties in a tunable
honeycomb optical lattice. Using momentum-resolved interband transitions, we
observe a minimum band gap inside the Brillouin zone at the position of the
Dirac points. We exploit the unique tunability of our lattice potential to
adjust the effective mass of the Dirac fermions by breaking inversion symmetry.
Moreover, changing the lattice anisotropy allows us to move the position of the
Dirac points inside the Brillouin zone. When increasing the anisotropy beyond a
critical limit, the two Dirac points merge and annihilate each other - a
situation which has recently attracted considerable theoretical interest [5-9],
but seems extremely challenging to observe in solids [10]. We map out this
topological transition in lattice parameter space and find excellent agreement
with ab initio calculations. Our results not only pave the way to model
materials where the topology of the band structure plays a crucial role, but
also provide an avenue to explore many-body phases resulting from the interplay
of complex lattice geometries with interactions [11, 12]
Acute cholecystitis – early laparoskopic surgery versus antibiotic therapy and delayed elective cholecystectomy: ACDC-study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acute cholecystitis occurs frequently in the elderly and in patients with gall stones. Most cases of severe or recurrent cholecystitis eventually require surgery, usually laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Western World. It is unclear whether an initial, conservative approach with antibiotic and symptomatic therapy followed by delayed elective surgery would result in better morbidity and outcome than immediate surgery. At present, treatment is generally determined by whether the patient first sees a surgeon or a gastroenterologist. We wish to investigate whether both approaches are equivalent. The primary endpoint is the morbidity until day 75 after inclusion into the study.</p> <p>Design</p> <p>A multicenter, prospective, randomized non-blinded study to compare treatment outcome, complications and 75-day morbidity in patients with acute cholecystitis randomized to laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 24 hours of symptom onset or antibiotic treatment with moxifloxacin and subsequent elective cholecystectomy. For consistency in both arms moxifloxacin, a fluorquinolone with broad spectrum of activity and high bile concentration is used as antibiotic. Duration: October 2006 – November 2008</p> <p>Organisation/Responsibility</p> <p>The trial was planned and is being conducted and analysed by the Departments of Gastroenterology and General Surgery at the University Hospital of Heidelberg according to the ethical, regulatory and scientific principles governing clinical research as set out in the Declaration of Helsinki (1989) and the Good Clinical Practice guideline (GCP).</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00447304</p
Sterilizing Activity of Second-Line Regimens Containing TMC207 in a Murine Model of Tuberculosis
The sterilizing activity of the regimen used to treat multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) has not been studied in a mouse model. (TB) strain H37Rv, treated with second-line drug combinations with or without the diarylquinoline TMC207, and then followed without treatment for 3 more months to determine relapse rates (modified Cornell model).Bactericidal efficacy was assessed by quantitative lung colony-forming unit (CFU) counts. Sterilizing efficacy was assessed by measuring bacteriological relapse rates 3 months after the end of treatment.The relapse rate observed after 12 months treatment with the WHO recommended MDR TB regimen (amikacin, ethionamide, pyrazinamide and moxifloxacin) was equivalent to the relapse rate observed after 6 months treatment with the recommended drug susceptible TB regimen (rifampin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide). When TMC207 was added to this MDR TB regimen, the treatment duration needed to reach the same relapse rate dropped to 6 months. A similar relapse rate was also obtained with a 6-month completely oral regimen including TMC207, moxifloxacin and pyrazinamide but excluding both amikacin and ethionamide.In this murine model the duration of the WHO MDR TB treatment could be reduced to 12 months instead of the recommended 18–24 months. The inclusion of TMC207 in the WHO MDR TB treatment regimen has the potential to further shorten the treatment duration and at the same time to simplify treatment by eliminating the need to include an injectable aminoglycoside
Average bioequivalence of single 500 mg doses of two oral formulations of levofloxacin: a randomized, open-label, two-period crossover study in healthy adult Brazilian volunteers
Does prolonged β-lactam infusions improve clinical outcomes compared to intermittent infusions? A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized, controlled trials
Vehicules de distribution economes en energie
SIGLECNRS RP 400 (984) / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc