6,946 research outputs found

    Adiabatic Charge Pumping through Quantum Dots in the Coulomb Blockade Regime

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    We investigate the influence of the Coulomb interaction on the adiabatic pumping current through quantum dots. Using nonequilibrium Green's functions techniques, we derive a general expression for the current based on the instantaneous Green's function of the dot. We apply this formula to study the dependence of the charge pumped per cycle on the time-dependent pumping potentials. The possibility of charge quantization in the presence of a finite Coulomb repulsion energy is investigated in the light of recent experiments.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

    Spin-orbit mode transfer via a classical analog of quantum teleportation

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    We translate the quantum teleportation protocol into a sequence of coherent operations involving three degrees of freedom of a classical laser beam. The protocol, which we demonstrate experimentally, transfers the polarisation state of the input beam to the transverse mode of the output beam. The role of quantum entanglement is played by a non-separable mode describing the path and transverse degrees of freedom. Our protocol illustrates the possibility of new optical applications based on this intriguing classical analogue of quantum entanglement.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure

    Secure and trustworthy file sharing over cloud storage using eID tokens

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    This paper presents a multi-platform, open-source application that aims to protect data stored and shared in existing cloud storage services. The access to the cryptographic material used to protect data is implemented using the identification and authentication functionalities of national electronic identity (eID) tokens. All peer to peer dialogs to exchange cryptographic material is implemented using the cloud storage facilities. Furthermore, we have included a set of mechanisms to prevent files from being permanently lost or damaged due to concurrent modification, deletion and malicious tampering. We have implemented a prototype in Java that is agnostic relatively to cloud storage providers; it only manages local folders, one of them being the local image of a cloud folder. We have successfully tested our prototype in Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, with Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and SugarSync

    Synthetic biology approaches to biological containment: pre-emptively tackling potential risks

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    Biocontainment comprises any strategy applied to ensure that harmful organisms are confined to controlled laboratory conditions and not allowed to escape into the environment. Genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs), regardless of the nature of the modification and how it was established, have potential human or ecological impact if accidentally leaked or voluntarily released into a natural setting. Although all evidence to date is that GEMs are unable to compete in the environment, the power of synthetic biology to rewrite life requires a pre-emptive strategy to tackle possible unknown risks. Physical containment barriers have proven effective but a number of strategies have been developed to further strengthen biocontainment. Research on complex genetic circuits, lethal genes, alternative nucleic acids, genome recoding and synthetic auxotrophies aim to design more effective routes towards biocontainment. Here, we describe recent advances in synthetic biology that contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop new and improved genetic, semantic, metabolic and mechanistic plans for the containment of GEMs

    Suppression of Anderson localization of light and Brewster anomalies in disordered superlattices containing a dispersive metamaterial

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    Light propagation through 1D disordered structures composed of alternating layers, with random thicknesses, of air and a dispersive metamaterial is theoretically investigated. Both normal and oblique incidences are considered. By means of numerical simulations and an analytical theory, we have established that Anderson localization of light may be suppressed: (i) in the long wavelength limit, for a finite angle of incidence which depends on the parameters of the dispersive metamaterial; (ii) for isolated frequencies and for specific angles of incidence, corresponding to Brewster anomalies in both positive- and negative-refraction regimes of the dispersive metamaterial. These results suggest that Anderson localization of light could be explored to control and tune light propagation in disordered metamaterials.Comment: 4 two-column pages, 3 figure

    Automatic determination of yeast cells viability by image analysis

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    Planejação de unidades de aprendizagem - CTS: a narrativa como potência do ser professor e da formação

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    Apresenta-se a narrativa de um processo educativo em um curso de pós-graduação que teve como objetivo a planejação (planejar, desenvolver, narrar, reformular) e crítica de Unidades de Aprendizagem (UA) em uma perspectiva CTS a fim de articular Educação em Ciências e Educação Ambiental. O processo teve duração de um semestre letivo com um grupo de 15 alunos, professores de Ciências em exercício. As UA foram narradas em um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA). Defende-se o argumento da potencialidade da narrativa como ferramenta de transformação do professor, da escola e da formação de professores. O argumento constrói-se pela diversidade de temáticas, justificativas, objetivos e atividades configurados e refigurados pelos participantes. Os fragmentos das UA sinalizam para a transformação potencializada nos professores e na sala de aula tanto da formação de professores quanto da escola
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