359 research outputs found
Unusual light spectra from a two-level atom in squeezed vacuum
We investigate the interaction of an atom with a multi-channel squeezed
vacuum. It turns out that the light coming out in a particular channel can have
anomalous spectral properties, among them asymmetry of the spectrum, absence of
the central peak as well as central hole burning for particular parameters. As
an example plane-wave squeezing is considered. In this case the above phenomena
can occur for the light spectra in certain directions. In the total spectrum
these phenomena are washed out.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures (included via epsf
Influence of biological activity on 65Zn and 109Cd removal from tidal water by chronically-polluted mangrove sediments
The biological activity influence on the mangrove sediment capacity to remove 65Zn and 109Cd from tidal water was evaluated in a site chronically polluted. Benthic Activity Indexes (BAI), corresponding to relative estimates of biological impact on radiotracer accumulation, were higher for 109Cd (~ 38%) than for 65Zn (~ 10%) in the top centimetre of sediment. However, BAI exceeded 96% for deeper sediment layers. This apparent decrease in radiotracer diffusion into deep sediments through biological activity inhibition is stronger than reported for much less polluted mangrove nearby, suggesting that benthic organisms tolerant of chronic metal pollution may affect metal sorption mechanisms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Stochastic wave function approach to the calculation of multitime correlation functions of open quantum systems
Within the framework of probability distributions on projective Hilbert space
a scheme for the calculation of multitime correlation functions is developed.
The starting point is the Markovian stochastic wave function description of an
open quantum system coupled to an environment consisting of an ensemble of
harmonic oscillators in arbitrary pure or mixed states. It is shown that matrix
elements of reduced Heisenberg picture operators and general time-ordered
correlation functions can be expressed by time-symmetric expectation values of
extended operators in a doubled Hilbert space. This representation allows the
construction of a stochastic process in the doubled Hilbert space which enables
the determination of arbitrary matrix elements and correlation functions. The
numerical efficiency of the resulting stochastic simulation algorithm is
investigated and compared with an alternative Monte Carlo wave function method
proposed first by Dalibard et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 68}, 580 (1992)]. By
means of a standard example the suggested algorithm is shown to be more
efficient numerically and to converge faster. Finally, some specific examples
from quantum optics are presented in order to illustrate the proposed method,
such as the coupling of a system to a vacuum, a squeezed vacuum within a finite
solid angle, and a thermal mixture of coherent states.Comment: RevTex, 19 pages, 3 figures, uses multico
Generation of a wave packet tailored to efficient free space excitation of a single atom
We demonstrate the generation of an optical dipole wave suitable for the
process of efficiently coupling single quanta of light and matter in free
space. We employ a parabolic mirror for the conversion of a transverse beam
mode to a focused dipole wave and show the required spatial and temporal
shaping of the mode incident onto the mirror. The results include a proof of
principle correction of the parabolic mirror's aberrations. For the application
of exciting an atom with a single photon pulse we demonstrate the creation of a
suitable temporal pulse envelope. We infer coupling strengths of 89% and
success probabilities of up to 87% for the application of exciting a single
atom for the current experimental parameters.Comment: to be published in Europ. Phys. J.
Heralded single photon absorption by a single atom
The emission and absorption of single photons by single atomic particles is a
fundamental limit of matter-light interaction, manifesting its quantum
mechanical nature. At the same time, as a controlled process it is a key
enabling tool for quantum technologies, such as quantum optical information
technology [1, 2] and quantum metrology [3, 4, 5, 6]. Controlling both emission
and absorption will allow implementing quantum networking scenarios [1, 7, 8,
9], where photonic communication of quantum information is interfaced with its
local processing in atoms. In studies of single-photon emission, recent
progress includes control of the shape, bandwidth, frequency, and polarization
of single-photon sources [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17], and the
demonstration of atom-photon entanglement [18, 19, 20]. Controlled absorption
of a single photon by a single atom is much less investigated; proposals exist
but only very preliminary steps have been taken experimentally such as
detecting the attenuation and phase shift of a weak laser beam by a single atom
[21, 22], and designing an optical system that covers a large fraction of the
full solid angle [23, 24, 25]. Here we report the interaction of single
heralded photons with a single trapped atom. We find strong correlations of the
detection of a heralding photon with a change in the quantum state of the atom
marking absorption of the quantum-correlated heralded photon. In coupling a
single absorber with a quantum light source, our experiment demonstrates
previously unexplored matter-light interaction, while opening up new avenues
towards photon-atom entanglement conversion in quantum technology.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Mathematical utility theory and the representability of demand by continuous homogeneous functions
The resort to utility-theoretical issues will permit us to propose a constructive procedure for deriving a homogeneous of degree one continuous function that gives raise to a primitive demand function under suitably mild conditions. This constitutes the first self-contained and elementary proof of a necessary and sufficient condition for an integrability problem to have a solution by continuous (subjective utility) functions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Phosphorylation-Independent Regulation of the Diguanylate Cyclase WspR
Environmental signals that trigger bacterial pathogenesis and biofilm formation are mediated by changes in the level of cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), a unique eubacterial second messenger. Tight regulation of cellular c-di-GMP concentration is governed by diguanylate cyclases and phosphodiesterases, which are responsible for its production and degradation, respectively. Here, we present the crystal structure of the diguanylate cyclase WspR, a conserved GGDEF domain-containing response regulator in Gram-negative bacteria, bound to c-di-GMP at an inhibitory site. Biochemical analyses revealed that feedback regulation involves the formation of at least three distinct oligomeric states. By switching from an active to a product-inhibited dimer via a tetrameric assembly, WspR utilizes a novel mechanism for modulation of its activity through oligomerization. Moreover, our data suggest that these enzymes can be activated by phosphodiesterases. Thus, in addition to the canonical pathways via phosphorylation of the regulatory domains, both product and enzyme concentration contribute to the coordination of c-di-GMP signaling. A structural comparison reveals resemblance of the oligomeric states to assemblies of GAF domains, widely used regulatory domains in signaling molecules conserved from archaea to mammals, suggesting a similar mechanism of regulation
Novel cyclic di-GMP effectors of the YajQ protein family control bacterial virulence
Bis-(3 ',5 ') cyclic di-guanylate (cyclic di-GMP) is a key bacterial second messenger that is implicated in the regulation of many critical processes that include motility, biofilm formation and virulence. Cyclic di-GMP influences diverse functions through interaction with a range of effectors. Our knowledge of these effectors and their different regulatory actions is far from complete, however. Here we have used an affinity pull-down assay using cyclic di-GMP-coupled magnetic beads to identify cyclic di-GMP binding proteins in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc). This analysis identified XC_3703, a protein of the YajQ family, as a potential cyclic di-GMP receptor. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the purified XC_3703 protein bound cyclic di-GMP with a high affinity (K-d similar to 2 mu M). Mutation of XC_3703 led to reduced virulence of Xcc to plants and alteration in biofilm formation. Yeast two-hybrid and far-western analyses showed that XC_3703 was able to interact with XC_2801, a transcription factor of the LysR family. Mutation of XC_2801 and XC_3703 had partially overlapping effects on the transcriptome of Xcc, and both affected virulence. Electromobility shift assays showed that XC_3703 positively affected the binding of XC_2801 to the promoters of target virulence genes, an effect that was reversed by cyclic di-GMP. Genetic and functional analysis of YajQ family members from the human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia showed that they also specifically bound cyclic di-GMP and contributed to virulence in model systems. The findings thus identify a new class of cyclic di-GMP effector that regulates bacterial virulence
Crystal Structure of the HSV-1 Fc Receptor Bound to Fc Reveals a Mechanism for Antibody Bipolar Bridging
Herpes simplex virus type-1 expresses a heterodimeric Fc receptor, gE-gI, on the surfaces of virions and infected cells that binds the Fc region of host immunoglobulin G and is implicated in the cell-to-cell spread of virus. gE-gI binds immunoglobulin G at the basic pH of the cell surface and releases it at the acidic pH of lysosomes, consistent with a role in facilitating the degradation of antiviral antibodies. Here we identify the C-terminal domain of the gE ectodomain (CgE) as the minimal Fc-binding domain and present a 1.78-Å CgE structure. A 5-Å gE-gI/Fc crystal structure, which was independently verified by a theoretical prediction method, reveals that CgE binds Fc at the C (H)2-C (H)3 interface, the binding site for several mammalian and bacterial Fc-binding proteins. The structure identifies interface histidines that may confer pH-dependent binding and regions of CgE implicated in cell-to-cell spread of virus. The ternary organization of the gE-gI/Fc complex is compatible with antibody bipolar bridging, which can interfere with the antiviral immune response
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