486 research outputs found
A two-step MaxLik-MaxEnt strategy to infer photon distribution from on/off measurement at low quantum efficiency
A method based on Maximum-Entropy (ME) principle to infer photon distribution
from on/off measurements performed with few and low values of quantum
efficiency is addressed. The method consists of two steps: at first some
moments of the photon distribution are retrieved from on/off statistics using
Maximum-Likelihood estimation, then ME principle is applied to infer the
quantum state and, in turn, the photon distribution. Results from simulated
experiments on coherent and number states are presented.Comment: 4 figures, to appear in EPJ
Informationally complete measurements and groups representation
Informationally complete measurements on a quantum system allow to estimate
the expectation value of any arbitrary operator by just averaging functions of
the experimental outcomes. We show that such kind of measurements can be
achieved through positive-operator valued measures (POVM's) related to unitary
irreducible representations of a group on the Hilbert space of the system. With
the help of frame theory we provide a constructive way to evaluate the
data-processing function for arbitrary operators.Comment: 9 pages, no figures, IOP style. Some new references adde
Process reconstruction from incomplete and/or inconsistent data
We analyze how an action of a qubit channel (map) can be estimated from the
measured data that are incomplete or even inconsistent. That is, we consider
situations when measurement statistics is insufficient to determine consistent
probability distributions. As a consequence either the estimation
(reconstruction) of the channel completely fails or it results in an unphysical
channel (i.e., the corresponding map is not completely positive). We present a
regularization procedure that allows us to derive physically reasonable
estimates (approximations) of quantum channels. We illustrate our procedure on
specific examples and we show that the procedure can be also used for a
derivation of optimal approximations of operations that are forbidden by the
laws of quantum mechanics (e.g., the universal NOT gate).Comment: 9pages, 5 figure
Approaching the Heisenberg limit with two mode squeezed states
Two mode squeezed states can be used to achieve Heisenberg limit scaling in
interferometry: a phase shift of can be
resolved. The proposed scheme relies on balanced homodyne detection and can be
implemented with current technology. The most important experimental
imperfections are studied and their impact quantified.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure
Quantifying Forearm Muscle Activity during Wrist and Finger Movements by Means of Multi-Channel Electromyography.
The study of hand and finger movement is an important topic with applications in prosthetics, rehabilitation, and ergonomics. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is the gold standard for the analysis of muscle activation. Previous studies investigated the optimal electrode number and positioning on the forearm to obtain information representative of muscle activation and robust to movements. However, the sEMG spatial distribution on the forearm during hand and finger movements and its changes due to different hand positions has never been quantified. The aim of this work is to quantify 1) the spatial localization of surface EMG activity of distinct forearm muscles during dynamic free movements of wrist and single fingers and 2) the effect of hand position on sEMG activity distribution. The subjects performed cyclic dynamic tasks involving the wrist and the fingers. The wrist tasks and the hand opening/closing task were performed with the hand in prone and neutral positions. A sensorized glove was used for kinematics recording. sEMG signals were acquired from the forearm muscles using a grid of 112 electrodes integrated into a stretchable textile sleeve. The areas of sEMG activity have been identified by a segmentation technique after a data dimensionality reduction step based on Non Negative Matrix Factorization applied to the EMG envelopes. The results show that 1) it is possible to identify distinct areas of sEMG activity on the forearm for different fingers; 2) hand position influences sEMG activity level and spatial distribution. This work gives new quantitative information about sEMG activity distribution on the forearm in healthy subjects and provides a basis for future works on the identification of optimal electrode configuration for sEMG based control of prostheses, exoskeletons, or orthoses. An example of use of this information for the optimization of the detection system for the estimation of joint kinematics from sEMG is reported
What is the limit of quantum theory ?
An analysis is made of the relation between quantum theory and classical
mechanics, in the context of the limit . Several ways in which
this limit may be performed are considered. It is shown that Schr\"odinger's
equation for a single particle moving in an external potential does not,
except in special cases, lead, in this limit, to Newton's equation of motion
for the particle. This shows that classical mechanics cannot be regarded as
emerging from quantum mechanics-at least in this sense-upon straightforward
application of the limit .Comment: 12 pages, no figure
Quantum reconstruction of an intense polarization squeezed optical state
We perform a reconstruction of the polarization sector of the density matrix
of an intense polarization squeezed beam starting from a complete set of Stokes
measurements. By using an appropriate quasidistribution, we map this onto the
Poincare space providing a full quantum mechanical characterization of the
measured polarization state.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps color figure
Actuators based on intrinsic conductive polymers/carbon nanoparticles nanocompositesElectroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2013
New polyaniline (PANi) synthesis was performed starting from non-toxic N-phenil-p-phenylenediamine (aniline dimer) using reverse addition of monomer to oxidizing agent, the synthesis allows to produce highly soluble PANi. Several types of doped PANi were prepared to be used on electromechanical active actuators. Different techniques were used to include carbon nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. Bimorph solid state ionic actuators were prepared with these novel nanocomposites using a variety of supporting polymer
Heavy metals in the muscle and hepatopancreas of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in campania (italy)
The aim of this study was to carry out a quali-quantitative analysis of the presence of non-essential and essential trace elements in freshwater crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) edible tissues to establish the healthiness of this product and to evaluate the pollution status of the sampling sites included in the present study. P. clarkii is one of the most common species of freshwater crustaceans in Italy, regularly consumed by local people. Moreover, the crayfish, due to its trophic position and diet, can be considered as an excellent bioindicator of the health status of the ecosystem. We collected sixty crayfish samples from two different sites in Campania (Italy): Villa Literno and Sessa Aurunca. Concentrations of trace elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Our data showed low concentrations of Cd, Hg and Pb, with values below the European Commission MRL (Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006). We suggest that data obtained from this study showed that crayfish collected from Villa Literno and Sessa Aurunca were safe for human consumption. Furthermore, the results of this research indicated mild contamination of heavy metals of the sampling sites, indicating a good health status of the area’s aquatic ecosystem
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