Host choice and host leaving in Rhopalosiphum padi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) emigrants and repellency of aphid colonies on the winter host

Host choice and winter-host leaving in emigrants of bird cherry–oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus), were investigated in the laboratory. In settling choice tests, emigrants collected from the winter host, Prunus padus, preferred this plant over a summer host, oats. Emigrants which had left P. padus for up to 24 h did not express a preference as a group, and those which had left for 24–48 h preferred oats. Eighty seven percent of emigrants caged as fourth-instar nymphs on P. padus leaves abandoned the host by the second day of adult life, and apparently did not subsequently return to the leaf. In an olfactometer, P. padus leaves which had supported spring generations of R. padi were repellent to emigrants. Volatiles were entrained from uninfested and R. padi-infested P. padus using cut twigs in the laboratory as well as intact twigs on a tree in the field. Entrainment extracts from uninfested P. padus had no effect on emigrants in the olfactometer, whereas those from twigs infested with nymphal emigrants were repellent. The study indicates that in R. padi, host-alternation is driven by behavioural changes which occur in individuals as well as between morphs

Field Tuning the G-Factor in InAs Nanowire Double Quantum Dots

We study the effects of magnetic and electric fields on the g-factors of spins confined in a two-electron InAs nanowire double quantum dot. Spin sensitive measurements are performed by monitoring the leakage current in the Pauli blockade regime. Rotations of single spins are driven using electric-dipole spin resonance. The g-factors are extracted from the spin resonance condition as a function of the magnetic field direction, allowing determination of the full g-tensor. Electric and magnetic field tuning can be used to maximize the g-factor difference and in some cases altogether quench the EDSR response, allowing selective single spin control.Comment: Related papers at http://pettagroup.princeton.ed

Random matrix model for QCD_3 staggered fermions

We show that the lowest part of the eigenvalue density of the staggered fermion operator in lattice QCD_3 at small lattice coupling constant beta has exactly the same shape as in QCD_4. This observation is quite surprising, since universal properties of the QCD_3 Dirac operator are expected to be described by a non-chiral matrix model. We show that this effect is related to the specific nature of the staggered fermion discretization and that the eigenvalue density evolves towards the non-chiral random matrix prediction when beta is increased and the continuum limit is approached. We propose a two-matrix model with one free parameter which interpolates between the two limits and very well mimics the pattern of evolution with beta of the eigenvalue density of the staggered fermion operator in QCD_3.Comment: 8 pages 4 figure

Phase metrology with multi-cycle two-colour pulses

Strong-field phenomena driven by an intense infrared (IR) laser depend on during what part of the field cycle they are initiated. By changing the sub-cycle character of the laser electric field it is possible to control such phenomena. For long pulses, sub-cycle shaping of the field can be done by adding a relatively weak, second harmonic of the driving field to the pulse. Through constructive and destructive interference, the combination of strong and weak fields can be used to change the probability of a strong-field process being initiated at any given part of the cycle. In order to control sub-cycle phenomena with optimal accuracy, it is necessary to know the phase difference of the strong and the weak fields precisely. If the weaker field is an even harmonic of the driving field, electrons ionized by the field will be asymmetrically distributed between the positive and negative directions of the combined fields. Information about the asymmetry can yield information about the phase difference. A technique to measure asymmetry for few-cycle pulses, called Stereo-ATI (Above Threshold Ionization), has been developed by [Paulus G G, et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 91]. This paper outlines an extension of this method to measure the phase difference between a strong IR and its second harmonic

Radio frequency charge sensing in InAs nanowire double quantum dots

We demonstrate charge sensing of an InAs nanowire double quantum dot (DQD) coupled to a radio frequency (rf) circuit. We measure the rf signal reflected by the resonator using homodyne detection. Clear single dot and DQD behavior are observed in the resonator response. rf-reflectometry allows measurements of the DQD charge stability diagram in the few-electron regime even when the dc current through the device is too small to be measured. For a signal-to-noise ratio of one, we estimate a minimum charge detection time of 350 microseconds at interdot charge transitions and 9 microseconds for charge transitions with the leads.Comment: Related papers at http://pettagroup.princeton.ed