1,009 research outputs found
Photon statistics of a random laser
A general relationship is presented between the statistics of thermal
radiation from a random medium and its scattering matrix S. Familiar results
for black-body radiation are recovered in the limit S to 0. The mean photocount
is proportional to the trace of 1-SS^dagger, in accordance with Kirchhoff's law
relating emissivity and absorptivity. Higher moments of the photocount
distribution are related to traces of powers of 1-SS^dagger, a generalization
of Kirchhoff's law. The theory can be applied to a random amplifying medium (or
"random laser") below the laser threshold, by evaluating the Bose-Einstein
function at a negative temperature. Anomalously large fluctuations are
predicted in the photocount upon approaching the laser threshold, as a
consequence of overlapping cavity modes with a broad distribution of spectral
widths.Comment: 26 pages, including 9 figure
Approaches for estimating minimal clinically important differences in systemic lupus erythematosus.
A minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is an important concept used to determine whether a medical intervention improves perceived outcomes in patients. Prior to the introduction of the concept in 1989, studies focused primarily on statistical significance. As most recent clinical trials in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have failed to show significant effects, determining a clinically relevant threshold for outcome scores (that is, the MCID) of existing instruments may be critical for conducting and interpreting meaningful clinical trials as well as for facilitating the establishment of treatment recommendations for patients. To that effect, methods to determine the MCID can be divided into two well-defined categories: distribution-based and anchor-based approaches. Distribution-based approaches are based on statistical characteristics of the obtained samples. There are various methods within the distribution-based approach, including the standard error of measurement, the standard deviation, the effect size, the minimal detectable change, the reliable change index, and the standardized response mean. Anchor-based approaches compare the change in a patient-reported outcome to a second, external measure of change (that is, one that is more clearly understood, such as a global assessment), which serves as the anchor. Finally, the Delphi technique can be applied as an adjunct to defining a clinically important difference. Despite an abundance of methods reported in the literature, little work in MCID estimation has been done in the context of SLE. As the MCID can help determine the effect of a given therapy on a patient and add meaning to statistical inferences made in clinical research, we believe there ought to be renewed focus on this area. Here, we provide an update on the use of MCIDs in clinical research, review some of the work done in this area in SLE, and propose an agenda for future research
Ultrafast optical control of entanglement between two quantum dot spins
The interaction between two quantum bits enables entanglement, the
two-particle correlations that are at the heart of quantum information science.
In semiconductor quantum dots much work has focused on demonstrating single
spin qubit control using optical techniques. However, optical control of
entanglement of two spin qubits remains a major challenge for scaling from a
single qubit to a full-fledged quantum information platform. Here, we combine
advances in vertically-stacked quantum dots with ultrafast laser techniques to
achieve optical control of the entangled state of two electron spins. Each
electron is in a separate InAs quantum dot, and the spins interact through
tunneling, where the tunneling rate determines how rapidly entangling
operations can be performed. The two-qubit gate speeds achieved here are over
an order of magnitude faster than in other systems. These results demonstrate
the viability and advantages of optically controlled quantum dot spins for
multi-qubit systems.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure
Deficiency in origin licensing proteins impairs cilia formation: implications for the aetiology of meier-gorlin syndrome
Mutations in ORC1, ORC4, ORC6, CDT1, and CDC6, which encode proteins required for DNA replication origin licensing, cause Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGS), a disorder conferring microcephaly, primordial dwarfism, underdeveloped ears, and skeletal abnormalities. Mutations in ATR, which also functions during replication, can cause Seckel syndrome, a clinically related disorder. These findings suggest that impaired DNA replication could underlie the developmental defects characteristic of these disorders. Here, we show that although origin licensing capacity is impaired in all patient cells with mutations in origin licensing component proteins, this does not correlate with the rate of progression through S phase. Thus, the replicative capacity in MGS patient cells does not correlate with clinical manifestation. However, ORC1-deficient cells from MGS patients and siRNA-mediated depletion of origin licensing proteins also have impaired centrosome and centriole copy number. As a novel and unexpected finding, we show that they also display a striking defect in the rate of formation of primary cilia. We demonstrate that this impacts sonic hedgehog signalling in ORC1-deficient primary fibroblasts. Additionally, reduced growth factor-dependent signaling via primary cilia affects the kinetics of cell cycle progression following cell cycle exit and re-entry, highlighting an unexpected mechanism whereby origin licensing components can influence cell cycle progression. Finally, using a cell-based model, we show that defects in cilia function impair chondroinduction. Our findings raise the possibility that a reduced efficiency in forming cilia could contribute to the clinical features of MGS, particularly the bone development abnormalities, and could provide a new dimension for considering developmental impacts of licensing deficiency
Towards Quantum Repeaters with Solid-State Qubits: Spin-Photon Entanglement Generation using Self-Assembled Quantum Dots
In this chapter we review the use of spins in optically-active InAs quantum
dots as the key physical building block for constructing a quantum repeater,
with a particular focus on recent results demonstrating entanglement between a
quantum memory (electron spin qubit) and a flying qubit (polarization- or
frequency-encoded photonic qubit). This is a first step towards demonstrating
entanglement between distant quantum memories (realized with quantum dots),
which in turn is a milestone in the roadmap for building a functional quantum
repeater. We also place this experimental work in context by providing an
overview of quantum repeaters, their potential uses, and the challenges in
implementing them.Comment: 51 pages. Expanded version of a chapter to appear in "Engineering the
Atom-Photon Interaction" (Springer-Verlag, 2015; eds. A. Predojevic and M. W.
Mitchell
Effective-Range Expansion of the Neutron-Deuteron Scattering Studied by a Quark-Model Nonlocal Gaussian Potential
The S-wave effective range parameters of the neutron-deuteron (nd) scattering
are derived in the Faddeev formalism, using a nonlocal Gaussian potential based
on the quark-model baryon-baryon interaction fss2. The spin-doublet low-energy
eigenphase shift is sufficiently attractive to reproduce predictions by the
AV18 plus Urbana three-nucleon force, yielding the observed value of the
doublet scattering length and the correct differential cross sections below the
deuteron breakup threshold. This conclusion is consistent with the previous
result for the triton binding energy, which is nearly reproduced by fss2
without reinforcing it with the three-nucleon force.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures and 6 tables, submitted to Prog. Theor. Phy
Temperature and Magnetic Field Effects on the Transport Controlled Charge State of a Single Quantum Dot
Individual InAs/GaAs quantum dots are studied by micro-photoluminescence. By varying the strength of an applied external magnetic field and/or the temperature, it is demonstrated that the charge state of a single quantum dot can be tuned. This tuning effect is shown to be related to the in-plane electron and hole transport, prior to capture into the quantum dot, since the photo-excited carriers are primarily generated in the barrier
- …