Use of ERTS-1 data in the educational and applied research programs of agricultural extension

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Simultaneous optical trapping and detection of atoms by microdisk resonators

We propose a scheme for simultaneously trapping and detecting single atoms near the surface of a substrate using whispering gallery modes of a microdisk resonator. For efficient atom-mode coupling, the atom should be placed within approximately 150nm from the disk. We show that a combination of red and blue detuned modes can form an optical trap at such distances while the backaction of the atom on the field modes can simultaneously be used for atom detection. We investigate these trapping potentials including van-der-Waals and Casimir-Polder forces and discuss corresponding atom detection efficiencies, depending on a variety of system parameters. Finally, we analyze the feasibility of nondestructive detection

An investigation of the impact of young children's self-knowledge of trustworthiness on school adjustment: a test of the realistic self-knowledge and positive illusion models

The study aimed to examine the relationship between self-knowledge of trustworthiness and young children’s school adjustment. One hundred and seventy-three (84 male and 89 female) children from school years 1 and 2 in the United Kingdom (mean age 6 years 2 months) were tested twice over one year. Children’s trustworthiness was assessed using: (a) self-report at Time 1 and Time 2, (b) peers’ reports at Time 1 and Time 2, and (c) teacher-reports at Time 2. School adjustment was assessed by child-rated school-liking and the Short-Form Teacher Rating Scale of School Adjustment. Longitudinal quadratic relationships were found between school adjustment and children’s self-knowledge, using peer-reported trustworthiness as a reference: more accurate self-knowledge of trustworthiness predicted increases in school adjustment. Comparable concurrent quadratic relationships were found between teacher-rated school adjustment and children’s self-knowledge, using teacher-reported trustworthiness as a reference, at Time 2. The findings support the conclusion that young children’s psychosocial adjustment is best accounted for by the realistic self-knowledge model (Colvin & Block, 1994)

Generating Single Microwave Photons in a Circuit

Electromagnetic signals in circuits consist of discrete photons, though conventional voltage sources can only generate classical fields with a coherent superposition of many different photon numbers. While these classical signals can control and measure bits in a quantum computer (qubits), single photons can carry quantum information, enabling non-local quantum interactions, an important resource for scalable quantum computing. Here, we demonstrate an on-chip single photon source in a circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) architecture, with a microwave transmission line cavity that collects the spontaneous emission of a single superconducting qubit with high efficiency. The photon source is triggered by a qubit rotation, as a photon is generated only when the qubit is excited. Tomography of both qubit and fluorescence photon shows that arbitrary qubit states can be mapped onto the photon state, demonstrating an ability to convert a stationary qubit into a flying qubit. Both the average power and voltage of the photon source are characterized to verify performance of the system. This single photon source is an important addition to a rapidly growing toolbox for quantum optics on a chip.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, hires version at http://www.eng.yale.edu/rslab/papers/single_photon_hires.pd

Ranking ligand affinity for the DNA minor groove by experiment and simulation

The structural and thermodynamic basis for the strength and selectivity of the interactions of minor-groove binders (MGBs) with DNA is not fully understood. In 2003 we reported the first example of a thiazole containing MGB that bound in a phase shifted pattern that spanned 6 base-pairs rather than the usual 4 (for tricyclic distamycin-like compounds). Since then, using DNA footprinting, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular dynamics, we have established that the flanking bases around the central 4 being read by the ligand have subtle effects on recognition. We have investigated the effect of these flanking sequences on binding and the reasons for the differences and established a computational method to rank ligand affinity against varying DNA sequences

Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers and quantum dot lasers

The use of cavity to manipulate photon emission of quantum dots (QDs) has been opening unprecedented opportunities for realizing quantum functional nanophotonic devices and also quantum information devices. In particular, in the field of semiconductor lasers, QDs were introduced as a superior alternative to quantum wells to suppress the temperature dependence of the threshold current in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs). In this work, a review of properties and development of semiconductor VECSEL devices and QD laser devices is given. Based on the features of VECSEL devices, the main emphasis is put on the recent development of technological approach on semiconductor QD VECSELs. Then, from the viewpoint of both single QD nanolaser and cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), a single-QD-cavity system resulting from the strong coupling of QD cavity is presented. A difference of this review from the other existing works on semiconductor VECSEL devices is that we will cover both the fundamental aspects and technological approaches of QD VECSEL devices. And lastly, the presented review here has provided a deep insight into useful guideline for the development of QD VECSEL technology and future quantum functional nanophotonic devices and monolithic photonic integrated circuits (MPhICs).Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0904.369

A semiconductor source of triggered entangled photon pairs?

The realisation of a triggered entangled photon source will be of great importance in quantum information, including for quantum key distribution and quantum computation. We show here that: 1) the source reported in ``A semiconductor source of triggered entangled photon pairs''[1. Stevenson et al., Nature 439, 179 (2006)]} is not entangled; 2) the entanglement indicators used in Ref. 1 are inappropriate, relying on assumptions invalidated by their own data; and 3) even after simulating subtraction of the significant quantity of background noise, their source has insignificant entanglement.Comment: 5 pages in pre-print format, 1 tabl

Expanding the Repertoire of Natural Product-Inspired Ring Pairs for Molecular Recognition of DNA

A furan amino acid, inspired by the recently discovered proximicin natural products, was incorporated into the scaffold of a DNA-binding hairpin polyamide. While unpaired oligomers of 2,4-disubstituted furan amino acids show poor DNA-binding activity, furan (Fn) carboxamides paired with N-methylpyrrole (Py) and N-methylimidazole (Im) rings demonstrate excellent stabilization of duplex DNA as well as discrimination of noncognate sequences, consistent with function as a Py mimic according to the Py/Im polyamide pairing rules

Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-Stabilized Polymer Particles from Radical Dispersion Polymerization in Nonpolar Solvent: Influence of Stabilizer Properties and Monomer Type

Particles used in electrophoretic display applications (EPD) must possess a number of specific properties ranging from stability in a nonaqueous solvent, high reflectivity, low polydispersity, and high charge density to name but a few. The manufacture of such particles is best carried out in the solvent of choice for the EPD. This opens up new interests in the study of nonaqueous dispersion polymerization methods, which deliver polymer particles suspended in low dielectric constant solvents. We explore in this article the use of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) macromonomer for the stabilization of poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer particles in dodecane, a typical solvent of choice for EPDs. The use of this stabilizer is significant for this method as it is directly soluble in the reaction medium as opposed to traditionally used poly(12-hydroxystearic acid)-based stabilizers. Additionally, the present study serves as a baseline for subsequent work, where nonaqueous dispersion polymerization will be used to create polymer particles encapsulating liquid droplets and solid pigment particles. In this article, the influence of the macromonomer molecular weight and concentration on the properties of the synthesized particles is studied. In addition, we investigate the possibility of synthesizing polymer particles from other monomers both as a comonomer for methyl methacrylate and as the only monomer in the process. The influence of macromonomer concentration is also studied throughout all experiments