1,789 research outputs found
High fidelity bi-directional nuclear qubit initialization in SiC
Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is an attractive method for initializing
nuclear spins that are strongly coupled to optically active electron spins
because it functions at room temperature and does not require strong magnetic
fields. In this Letter, we demonstrate that DNP, with near-unity polarization
efficiency, can be generally realized in weakly coupled hybrid registers, and
furthermore that the nuclear spin polarization can be completely reversed with
only sub-Gauss magnetic field variations. This mechanism offers new avenues for
DNP-based sensors and radio-frequency free control of nuclear qubits
Electrically driven optical interferometry with spins in silicon carbide
Interfacing solid-state defect electron spins to other quantum systems is an
ongoing challenge. The ground-state spin's weak coupling to its environment
bestows excellent coherence properties, but also limits desired drive fields.
The excited-state orbitals of these electrons, however, can exhibit stronger
coupling to phononic and electric fields. Here, we demonstrate electrically
driven coherent quantum interference in the optical transition of single,
basally oriented divacancies in commercially available 4H silicon carbide. By
applying microwave frequency electric fields, we coherently drive the
divacancy's excited-state orbitals and induce Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg
interference fringes in the resonant optical absorption spectrum. Additionally,
we find remarkably coherent optical and spin subsystems enabled by the basal
divacancy's symmetry. These properties establish divacancies as strong
candidates for quantum communication and hybrid system applications, where
simultaneous control over optical and spin degrees of freedom is paramount.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Three-dimensional structure determination from a single view
The ability to determine the structure of matter in three dimensions has
profoundly advanced our understanding of nature. Traditionally, the most widely
used schemes for 3D structure determination of an object are implemented by
acquiring multiple measurements over various sample orientations, as in the
case of crystallography and tomography (1,2), or by scanning a series of thin
sections through the sample, as in confocal microscopy (3). Here we present a
3D imaging modality, termed ankylography (derived from the Greek words ankylos
meaning 'curved' and graphein meaning 'writing'), which enables complete 3D
structure determination from a single exposure using a monochromatic incident
beam. We demonstrate that when the diffraction pattern of a finite object is
sampled at a sufficiently fine scale on the Ewald sphere, the 3D structure of
the object is determined by the 2D spherical pattern. We confirm the
theoretical analysis by performing 3D numerical reconstructions of a sodium
silicate glass structure at 2 Angstrom resolution and a single poliovirus at 2
- 3 nm resolution from 2D spherical diffraction patterns alone. Using
diffraction data from a soft X-ray laser, we demonstrate that ankylography is
experimentally feasible by obtaining a 3D image of a test object from a single
2D diffraction pattern. This approach of obtaining complete 3D structure
information from a single view is anticipated to find broad applications in the
physical and life sciences. As X-ray free electron lasers (X-FEL) and other
coherent X-ray sources are under rapid development worldwide, ankylography
potentially opens a door to determining the 3D structure of a biological
specimen in a single pulse and allowing for time-resolved 3D structure
determination of disordered materials.Comment: 30 page
Comparison of Two Azithromycin Distribution Strategies for Controlling Trachoma in Nepal
OBJECTIVE:
The study compares the effectiveness of two strategies for distributing azithromycin in an area with mild-to-moderate active trachoma in Nepal. METHODS:
The two strategies investigated were the use of azithromycin for 1) mass treatment of all children, or 2) targeted treatment of only those children who were found to be clinically active, as well as all members of their household. FINDINGS:
Mass treatment of children was slightly more effective in terms of decreasing the prevalence of clinically active trachoma (estimated by clinical examination) and of chlamydial infection (estimated by DNA amplification tests), although neither result was statistically significant. CONCLUSION:
Both strategies appeared to be effective in reducing the prevalence of clinically active trachoma and infection six months after the treatment. Antibiotic treatment reduced the prevalence of chlamydial infection more than it did the level of clinically active trachoma
Search for gravitational waves associated with the InterPlanetary Network short gamma ray bursts
We outline the scientific motivation behind a search for gravitational waves
associated with short gamma ray bursts detected by the InterPlanetary Network
(IPN) during LIGO's fifth science run and Virgo's first science run. The IPN
localisation of short gamma ray bursts is limited to extended error boxes of
different shapes and sizes and a search on these error boxes poses a series of
challenges for data analysis. We will discuss these challenges and outline the
methods to optimise the search over these error boxes.Comment: Methods paper; Proceedings for Eduardo Amaldi 9 Conference on
Gravitational Waves, July 2011, Cardiff, U
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