1,082 research outputs found
Universal quantum control of two-electron spin quantum bits using dynamic nuclear polarization
One fundamental requirement for quantum computation is to perform universal
manipulations of quantum bits at rates much faster than the qubit's rate of
decoherence. Recently, fast gate operations have been demonstrated in logical
spin qubits composed of two electron spins where the rapid exchange of the two
electrons permits electrically controllable rotations around one axis of the
qubit. However, universal control of the qubit requires arbitrary rotations
around at least two axes. Here we show that by subjecting each electron spin to
a magnetic field of different magnitude we achieve full quantum control of the
two-electron logical spin qubit with nanosecond operation times. Using a single
device, a magnetic field gradient of several hundred milliTesla is generated
and sustained using dynamic nuclear polarization of the underlying Ga and As
nuclei. Universal control of the two-electron qubit is then demonstrated using
quantum state tomography. The presented technique provides the basis for single
and potentially multiple qubit operations with gate times that approach the
threshold required for quantum error correction.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary Material included as ancillary
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Temperature Dependence of Spin-Split Peaks in Transverse Electron Focusing
We present experimental results of transverse electron-focusing measurements performed using n-type GaAs. In the
presence of a small transverse magnetic field (B⊥), electrons are focused from the injector to detector leading to
focusing peaks periodic in B⊥. We show that the odd-focusing peaks exhibit a split, where each sub-peak represents a
population of a particular spin branch emanating from the injector. The temperature dependence reveals that the
peak splitting is well defined at low temperature whereas it smears out at high temperature indicating the
exchange-driven spin polarisation in the injector is dominant at low temperatures
Harnessing nuclear spin polarization fluctuations in a semiconductor nanowire
Soon after the first measurements of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in a
condensed matter system, Bloch predicted the presence of statistical
fluctuations proportional to in the polarization of an ensemble of
spins. First observed by Sleator et al., so-called "spin noise" has
recently emerged as a critical ingredient in nanometer-scale magnetic resonance
imaging (nanoMRI). This prominence is a direct result of MRI resolution
improving to better than 100 nm^3, a size-scale in which statistical spin
fluctuations begin to dominate the polarization dynamics. We demonstrate a
technique that creates spin order in nanometer-scale ensembles of nuclear spins
by harnessing these fluctuations to produce polarizations both larger and
narrower than the natural thermal distribution. We focus on ensembles
containing ~10^6 phosphorus and hydrogen spins associated with single InP and
GaP nanowires (NWs) and their hydrogen-containing adsorbate layers. We monitor,
control, and capture fluctuations in the ensemble's spin polarization in
real-time and store them for extended periods. This selective capture of large
polarization fluctuations may provide a route for enhancing the weak magnetic
signals produced by nanometer-scale volumes of nuclear spins. The scheme may
also prove useful for initializing the nuclear hyperfine field of electron spin
qubits in the solid-state.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Are bisphosphonates effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain? A meta-analysis and systematic review.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis worldwide. Pain and reduced function are the main symptoms in this prevalent disease. There are currently no treatments for OA that modify disease progression; therefore analgesic drugs and joint replacement for larger joints are the standard of care. In light of several recent studies reporting the use of bisphosphonates for OA treatment, our work aimed to evaluate published literature to assess the effectiveness of bisphosphonates in OA treatment
Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of myocardial infarction in the general population
BACKGROUND: Recent data indicate that chronic use of coxibs leads to an increased occurrence of thrombotic cardiovascular events. This raises the question as to whether traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (tNSAIDs) might also produce similar hazards. Our aim has been to evaluate the association between the chronic use of tNSAIDs and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients. METHODS: We performed a nested case-control analysis with 4,975 cases of acute MI and 20,000 controls, frequency matched to cases by age, sex, and calendar year. RESULTS: Overall, current use of tNSAID was not associated with an increased risk of MI (RR:1.07;95%CI: 0.95–1.21). However, we found that the relative risk (RR) of MI for durations of tNSAID treatment of >1 year was 1.21 (95% CI, 1.00–1.48). The corresponding RR was 1.34 (95% CI, 1.06–1.70) for non-fatal MI. The effect was independent from dose. The small risk associated with long-term use of tNSAIDs was observed among patients not taking low-dose aspirin (RR: 1.29; 95% CI, 1.01–1.65). The effect of long-term use for individual tNSAIDs ranged from a RR of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.47–1.62) with naproxen to 1.38 (95% CI, 1.00–1.90) with diclofenac. CONCLUSION: This study adds support to the hypothesis that chronic treatment with some tNSAIDs is associated with a small increased risk of non-fatal MI. Our data are consistent with a substantial variability in cardiovascular risks between individual tNSAIDs
Locking electron spins into magnetic resonance by electron-nuclear feedback
The main obstacle to coherent control of two-level quantum systems is their
coupling to an uncontrolled environment. For electron spins in III-V quantum
dots, the random environment is mostly given by the nuclear spins in the
quantum dot host material; they collectively act on the electron spin through
the hyperfine interaction, much like a random magnetic field. Here we show that
the same hyperfine interaction can be harnessed such that partial control of
the normally uncontrolled environment becomes possible. In particular, we
observe that the electron spin resonance frequency remains locked to the
frequency of an applied microwave magnetic field, even when the external
magnetic field or the excitation frequency are changed. The nuclear field
thereby adjusts itself such that the electron spin resonance condition remains
satisfied. General theoretical arguments indicate that this spin resonance
locking is accompanied by a significant reduction of the randomness in the
nuclear field.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 4 pages supplementary materia
Biological effects of exposure to magnetic resonance imaging: an overview
The literature on biological effects of magnetic and electromagnetic fields commonly utilized in magnetic resonance imaging systems is surveyed here. After an introduction on the basic principles of magnetic resonance imaging and the electric and magnetic properties of biological tissues, the basic phenomena to understand the bio-effects are described in classical terms. Values of field strengths and frequencies commonly utilized in these diagnostic systems are reported in order to allow the integration of the specific literature on the bio-effects produced by magnetic resonance systems with the vast literature concerning the bio-effects produced by electromagnetic fields. This work gives an overview of the findings about the safety concerns of exposure to static magnetic fields, radio-frequency fields, and time varying magnetic field gradients, focusing primarily on the physics of the interactions between these electromagnetic fields and biological matter. The scientific literature is summarized, integrated, and critically analyzed with the help of authoritative reviews by recognized experts, international safety guidelines are also cited
Evidence of fatal skeletal injuries on Malapa Hominins 1 and 2
Malapa is one of the richest early hominin sites in Africa and the discovery site of the hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. The holotype and paratype (Malapa Hominin 1 and 2, or MH1 and MH2, respectively) skeletons are among the most complete in the early hominin record. Dating to approximately two million years BP, MH1 and MH2 are hypothesized to have fallen into a natural pit trap. All fractures evident on MH1 and MH2 skeletons were evaluated and separated based on wet and dry bone fracture morphology/characteristics. Most observed fractures are post-depositional, but those in the right upper limb of the adult hominin strongly indicate active resistance to an impact, while those in the juvenile hominin mandible are consistent with a blow to the face. The presence of skeletal trauma independently supports the falling hypothesis and supplies the first evidence for the manner of death of an australopith in the fossil record that is not attributed to predation or natural death
A comprehensive 1000 Genomes-based genome-wide association meta-analysis of coronary artery disease
Existing knowledge of genetic variants affecting risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) is largely based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analysis of common SNPs. Leveraging phased haplotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project, we report a GWAS meta-analysis of 185 thousand CAD cases and controls, interrogating 6.7 million common (MAF>0.05) as well as 2.7 million low frequency (0.005<MAF<0.05) variants. In addition to confirmation of most known CAD loci, we identified 10 novel loci, eight additive and two recessive, that contain candidate genes that newly implicate biological processes in vessel walls. We observed intra-locus allelic heterogeneity but little evidence of low frequency variants with larger effects and no evidence of synthetic association. Our analysis provides a comprehensive survey of the fine genetic architecture of CAD showing that genetic susceptibility to this common disease is largely determined by common SNPs of small effect siz
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