70 research outputs found
Modeling electoral choices in multiparty systems with high-dimensional data: A regularized selection of parameters using the Lasso approach
The increasing popularity of the Spatial Theory of Voting has given rise to the frequent usage of multinomial logit or probit models with alternative-specific covariates. The flexibility of these models comes along with one severe drawback: the proliferation of coefficients, resulting in high-dimensional and difficult-to-interpret models. In particular, choice models in a party system with J parties result in maximally J-1 parameters for each chooser-specific attribute (e.g., sex, age). For the specification of alternative-specific attributes (e.g., issue distances), maximally J parameters per attribute can be estimated. As soon as we allow for interaction effects, e.g., to test for segment-specific reactions to issue distances, the situation is even aggravated. In order to systematically identify relevant predictors in spatial voting models with non-policy factors, we derive and use for the first time Lasso-type regularized parameter selection techniques that take into account both the categorical structure of the response variable (i.e., party choice) and the alternative-wise specification of alternative-specific attributes. By applying the Lasso method to the 2009 German Parliamentary Election, we demonstrate that our approach massively reduces the model's complexity, simplifies its interpretation and improves the model's predictive performance. Lasso-penalization clearly outperforms the simple ML estimator. The results are illustrated by innovative visualization methods, so-called effect star-plots
How Colors Influence Numbers: Photon Statistics of Parametric Downconversion
Parametric downconversion (PDC) is a technique of ubiquitous experimental
significance in the production of non-classical, photon-number correlated twin
beams. Standard theory of PDC as a two-mode squeezing process predicts and
homodyne measurements observe a thermal photon number distribution per beam.
Recent experiments have obtained conflicting distributions. In this paper, we
explain the observation by an a-priori theoretical model solely based on
directly accessible physical quantities. We compare our predictions with
experimental data and find excellent agreement.Comment: 4 {pages, figures
A proposed testbed for detector tomography
Measurement is the only part of a general quantum system that has yet to be
characterized experimentally in a complete manner. Detector tomography provides
a procedure for doing just this; an arbitrary measurement device can be fully
characterized, and thus calibrated, in a systematic way without access to its
components or its design. The result is a reconstructed POVM containing the
measurement operators associated with each measurement outcome. We consider two
detectors, a single-photon detector and a photon-number counter, and propose an
easily realized experimental apparatus to perform detector tomography on them.
We also present a method of visualizing the resulting measurement operators.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Characterization of Spectral Entanglement of Spontaneous Parametric-Down Conversion Biphotons
We verified operational approach based on direct measurement of entanglement
degree for bipartite systems. In particular spectral distributions of single
counts and coincidence for pure biphoton states generated by train of short
pump pulses have been measured and entanglement quantifier calculated. The
approach gives upper bound of entanglement stored in total biphoton states,
which can reach extremely high value up to
Hysteretic melting transition of a soliton lattice in a commensurate charge modulation
We report on the observation of the hysteretic transition of a commensurate charge modulation in IrTe2 from transport and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies. Below the transition (T-C approximate to 275 K on cooling), a q = 1/5 charge modulation was observed, which is consistent with previous studies. Additional modulations [q(n) = (3n + 2)(-1)] appear below a second transition at T-S approximate to 180 K on cooling. The coexistence of various modulations persists up to T-C on warming. The atomic structures of charge modulations and the temperature-dependent STM studies suggest that 1/5 modulation is a periodic soliton lattice that partially melts below T-S on cooling. Our results provide compelling evidence that the ground state of IrTe2 is a commensurate 1/6 charge modulation, which originates from the periodic dimerization of Te atoms visualized by atomically resolved STM images.open141
Micromotives of Vote Switchers and Macrotransitions: The Case of the Immigration Issue in a Regional Earthquake Election in Germany 2018
Which issue-related motives underlie voters' decision to switch parties at the polls? Do switchers stick to the newly chosen party, or do they oscillate in a short-term way at intermediate elections? Relying on the behavioral theory of elections, we assumed aspiration-based voting of boundedly rational voters. We elicited issue-related switch and stay motives in an open-ended survey question format to identify the individual dominant aspirational frame. We traced the respondents' voting trajectories over three consecutive elections, including two state (2013 and 2018) elections in Bavaria (Germany) and one German federal election (2017). We focused on one of the most polarizing and salient issues in these elections, namely immigration. The case of reference is the 2018 Bavarian state election. Here, the incumbent majoritarian center-right party Christian Social Union tried to deter the entry of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany by adapting to it on the immigration issue in tone and position. The selected case allows assessment of the impact of issue-based adaptive behavior of the incumbent party at the level of the voters' switch or stay choices. We estimated the direction and number of voter flows for two interelection sequences of different lengths between different types of polls (federal and state). Our transition estimates are based on the hybrid multinomial Dirichlet model, a new technique integrating individual-level survey data and official aggregate data. Our estimates uncover substantial behavioral differences in the immigration issue public
Photon Number Statistics of Multimode Parametric Down-Conversion
We experimentally analyze the complete photon number statistics of parametric
downconversion and ascertain the influence of multimode effects. Our results
clearly reveal a difference between single mode theoretical description and the
measured distributions. Further investigations assure the applicability of
loss-tolerant photon number reconstruction and prove strict photon number
correlation between signal and idler modes.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Spectral structure and decompositions of optical states, and their applications
We discuss the spectral structure and decomposition of multi-photon states.
Ordinarily `multi-photon states' and `Fock states' are regarded as synonymous.
However, when the spectral degrees of freedom are included this is not the
case, and the class of `multi-photon' states is much broader than the class of
`Fock' states. We discuss the criteria for a state to be considered a Fock
state. We then address the decomposition of general multi-photon states into
bases of orthogonal eigenmodes, building on existing multi-mode theory, and
introduce an occupation number representation that provides an elegant
description of such states that in many situations simplifies calculations.
Finally we apply this technique to several example situations, which are highly
relevant for state of the art experiments. These include Hong-Ou-Mandel
interference, spectral filtering, finite bandwidth photo-detection, homodyne
detection and the conditional preparation of Schr\"odinger Kitten and Fock
states. Our techniques allow for very simple descriptions of each of these
examples.Comment: 12 page
Optimised generation of heralded Fock states using parametric down conversion
The generation of heralded pure Fock states via spontaneous parametric down
conversion (PDC) relies on perfect photon-number correlations in the output
modes. Correlations in any other degree of freedom, however, degrade the purity
of the heralded state. In this paper, we investigate spectral entanglement
between the two output modes of a periodically poled waveguide. With the intent
of generating heralded 1- and 2-photon Fock states, we expand the output state
of the PDC to second order in photon number. We explore the effects of spectral
filtering and inefficient detection, of the heralding mode, on the count rate,
g(2) and purity of the heralded state, as well as the fidelity between the
resulting state and an ideal Fock state. We find that filtering can decrease
spectral correlations, however, at the expense of the count rate and increased
photon-number mixedness in the heralded output state. As a physical example, we
model a type II PP-KTP waveguide pumped by lasers at wavelengths of 400 nm, 788
nm and 1930 nm. The latter two allow the fulfillment of extended phase matching
conditions in an attempt to eliminate spectral correlations in the PDC output
state without the use of filtering, however, we find that even in these cases,
some filtering is needed to achieve states of very high purity.Comment: 28 pages, 25 figures, revised expressions for two-photon fidelit
Fast quantum key distribution with decoy number states
We investigate the use of photon number states to identify eavesdropping
attacks on quantum key distribution (QKD) schemes. The technique is based on
the fact that different photon numbers traverse a channel with different
transmittivity. We then describe two QKD schemes that utilize this method, one
of which overcomes the upper limit on the key generation rate imposed by the
dead time of detectors when using a heralded source of photons.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; Accepted to J. Mod. Op
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