Gaplessness and the Coulomb anomaly in the strongly disordered films of Molybdenum Carbide

Gaplessness was observed in the disordered films of MoC on approaching to the superconductor to insulator transition by reducing the film thickness. The gaplessness is attributed to the enhanced Coulomb interactions due to the loss of screening in the presence of strong disorder in the films.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figure

Surpassing the resistance quantum with a geometric superinductor

The superconducting circuit community has recently discovered the promising potential of superinductors. These circuit elements have a characteristic impedance exceeding the resistance quantum $R_\text{Q} \approx 6.45~\text{k}\Omega$ which leads to a suppression of ground state charge fluctuations. Applications include the realization of hardware protected qubits for fault tolerant quantum computing, improved coupling to small dipole moment objects and defining a new quantum metrology standard for the ampere. In this work we refute the widespread notion that superinductors can only be implemented based on kinetic inductance, i.e. using disordered superconductors or Josephson junction arrays. We present modeling, fabrication and characterization of 104 planar aluminum coil resonators with a characteristic impedance up to 30.9 $\text{k}\Omega$ at 5.6 GHz and a capacitance down to $\leq1$ fF, with low-loss and a power handling reaching $10^8$ intra-cavity photons. Geometric superinductors are free of uncontrolled tunneling events and offer high reproducibility, linearity and the ability to couple magnetically - properties that significantly broaden the scope of future quantum circuits.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Simulation Support for Optimizing the Design and Operation of a Large Open-Space Office Building

This paper deals with design and post-design operational optimization studies for a new head office of a bank in Prague. The building can be characterized as a large open space office building. During the design phase computational modeling and simulation was used to predict the performance of various design alternatives with respect to reducing the required cooling capacity, in order to verify the fan-coil capacity sizing and to optimize the ventilation system and strategy of the atriums. Since the design included exposed concrete ceilings, the design intent was to use the building thermal mass for cooling load reduction and to employ a strategy for low-energy operation of the building. The maximum cooling demand for the initial design was estimated at 3 MW for the whole building. Computational simulations showed a potential reduction to 81 % of this value. Additional simulations helped designers to optimize the thermal comfort in the open corridors in relation to the roof glazing and the shading devices of the atria. During the commissioning process the simulation based performance predictions were checked. During the first year of operation, various building control strategies were tested and optimized. Smoke tests, thermal comfort and draft measurements were carried out to verify the indoor environment. During the commissioning process the field tests identified various important issues related to the design of large open space office buildings. These are also presented in the paper

Observation of collapse and revival in a superconducting atomic frequency comb

Recent advancements in superconducting circuits have enabled the experimental study of collective behavior of precisely controlled intermediate-scale ensembles of qubits. In this work, we demonstrate an atomic frequency comb formed by individual artificial atoms strongly coupled to a single resonator mode. We observe periodic microwave pulses that originate from a single coherent excitation dynamically interacting with the multi-qubit ensemble. We show that this revival dynamics emerges as a consequence of the constructive and periodic rephasing of the five superconducting qubits forming the vacuum Rabi split comb. In the future, similar devices could be used as a memory with in-situ tunable storage time or as an on-chip periodic pulse generator with non-classical photon statistics

Disorder- and magnetic field-tuned fermionic superconductor-insulator transition in MoN thin films. Transport and STM studies

Superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) driven by disorder and transverse magnetic field has been investigated in ultrathin MoN films by means of transport measurements and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Upon decreasing thickness, the homogeneously disordered films show increasing sheet resistance Rs, shift of the superconducting transition Tc to lower temperatures with the 3 nm MoN being the last superconducting film and thinner films already insulating. Fermionic scenario of SIT is evidenced by applicability of the Finkelsteins model, by the fact that Tc and the superconducting gap are coupled with a constant ratio, and by the spatial homogeneity of the superconducting and electronic characteristics. The logarithmic anomaly found in the tunneling spectra of the non-superconducting films is further enhanced in increased magnetic field due to the Zeeman spin effects driving the system deeper into the insulating state and pointing also to fermionic SIT.Comment: Manuscript (6 Figures) including Supplemental Materials (7 Figures

Coyotes (\u3ci\u3eCanis latrans\u3c/i\u3e) are definitive hosts of \u3ci\u3eNeospora caninum\u3c/i\u3e

Four captive-raised coyote pups consumed tissues from Neospora caninum-infected calves. Feces were examined from 4 days before to 28 days after infection. One pup shed N. caninum-like oocysts, which tested positive for N. caninum and negative for Hammondia heydorni using PCR tests. Coyotes are the second discovered definitive host of N. caninum, after dogs. In North America, the expanding coyote ranges and population increase the probability of contact with domestic livestock. To reduce the risk of transmission of N. caninum to intensively farmed cattle, we recommend protection of feedstuffs using canid-proof fences, and careful disposal of dead stock