Outcomes for Young Children's Social Status from Playing Group Games: Experiences from a Primary School in Hong Kong

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Cloning of Gaussian states by linear optics

We analyze in details a scheme for cloning of Gaussian states based on linear optical components and homodyne detection recently demonstrated by U. L. Andersen et al. [PRL 94 240503 (2005)]. The input-output fidelity is evaluated for a generic (pure or mixed) Gaussian state taking into account the effect of non-unit quantum efficiency and unbalanced mode-mixing. In addition, since in most quantum information protocols the covariance matrix of the set of input states is not perfectly known, we evaluate the average cloning fidelity for classes of Gaussian states with the degree of squeezing and the number of thermal photons being only partially known.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Isotopic composition of Murchison organic compounds: Intramolecular carbon isotope fractionation of acetic acid. Simulation studies of cosmochemical organic syntheses

Recently, in our laboratories, samples of Murchison acetic acid were decarboxylated successfully and the carbon isotopic composition was measured for the methane released by this procedure. These analyses showed significant differences in C-13/C-12 ratios for the methyl and carboxyl carbons of the acetic acid molecule, strongly suggesting that more than one carbon source may be involved in the synthesis of the Murchison organic compounds. On the basis of this finding, laboratory model systems simulating cosmochemical synthesis are being studied, especially those processes capable of involving two or more starting carbon sources

Maximizing the economic benefits of a grid-tied microgrid using solar-wind complementarity

The increasing use of intermittent, renewable energy sources (RESs) for electricity generation in microgrids (MGs) requires efficient strategies for reliable and economic operation. Complementarity between RESs provides good prospects for integrating several local energy sources and reducing the costs of MG setup and operations. This paper presents a framework for maximizing the economic benefits of a grid-tied MG by exploiting the spatial and temporal complementarity between solar and wind energies (solar-wind complementarity). The proposed framework considers the cost of energy production from different RESs and the cost of bi-directional energy exchange with the main grid. For a given RES mix, a minimum system power loss (SPL) threshold can also be determined. However, at this SPL threshold, MG energy exchange cost is not always minimized. The framework determines the optimized SPL value (above the threshold) at which MG energy exchange cost gets minimized. Through this framework, MG operator can decide appropriate RES mix and can achieve various tradeoffs according to the energy production cost, solar-wind complementarity of the site and its required economic objectives

Production of squeezed state of single mode cavity field by the coupling of squeezed vacuum field reservoir in nonautonomous case

The dissipative and decoherence properties as well as the asymptotic behavior of the single mode electromagnetic field interacting with the time-dependent squeezed vacuum field reservoir are investigated in detail by using the algebraic dynamical method. With the help of the left and right representations of the relevant $hw(4)$ algebra, the dynamical symmetry of the nonautonomous master equation of the system is found to be $su(1,1)$. The unique equilibrium steady solution is found to be the squeezed state and any initial state of the system is proved to approach the unique squeezed state asymptotically. Thus the squeezed vacuum field reservoir is found to play the role of a squeezing mold of the cavity field.Comment: 5 pages, no figure, Revtex

Continuous variable cloning via network of parametric gates

We propose an experimental scheme for the cloning machine of continuous quantum variables through a network of parametric amplifiers working as input-output four-port gates.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To appear on Phys. Rev. Let

Multi-Dimensional Hermite Polynomials in Quantum Optics

We study a class of optical circuits with vacuum input states consisting of Gaussian sources without coherent displacements such as down-converters and squeezers, together with detectors and passive interferometry (beam-splitters, polarisation rotations, phase-shifters etc.). We show that the outgoing state leaving the optical circuit can be expressed in terms of so-called multi-dimensional Hermite polynomials and give their recursion and orthogonality relations. We show how quantum teleportation of photon polarisation can be modelled using this description.Comment: 10 pages, submitted to J. Phys. A, removed spurious fil

Operational Theory of Homodyne Detection

We discuss a balanced homodyne detection scheme with imperfect detectors in the framework of the operational approach to quantum measurement. We show that a realistic homodyne measurement is described by a family of operational observables that depends on the experimental setup, rather than a single field quadrature operator. We find an explicit form of this family, which fully characterizes the experimental device and is independent of a specific state of the measured system. We also derive operational homodyne observables for the setup with a random phase, which has been recently applied in an ultrafast measurement of the photon statistics of a pulsed diode laser. The operational formulation directly gives the relation between the detected noise and the intrinsic quantum fluctuations of the measured field. We demonstrate this on two examples: the operational uncertainty relation for the field quadratures, and the homodyne detection of suppressed fluctuations in photon statistics.Comment: 7 pages, REVTe

Adaptive phase estimation is more accurate than non-adaptive phase estimation for continuous beams of light

We consider the task of estimating the randomly fluctuating phase of a continuous-wave beam of light. Using the theory of quantum parameter estimation, we show that this can be done more accurately when feedback is used (adaptive phase estimation) than by any scheme not involving feedback (non-adaptive phase estimation) in which the beam is measured as it arrives at the detector. Such schemes not involving feedback include all those based on heterodyne detection or instantaneous canonical phase measurements. We also demonstrate that the superior accuracy adaptive phase estimation is present in a regime conducive to observing it experimentally.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, submitted to PR

Quantum-limited force measurement with an optomechanical device

We study the detection of weak coherent forces by means of an optomechanical device formed by a highly reflecting isolated mirror shined by an intense and highly monochromatic laser field. Radiation pressure excites a vibrational mode of the mirror, inducing sidebands of the incident field, which are then measured by heterodyne detection. We determine the sensitivity of such a scheme and show that the use of an entangled input state of the two sideband modes improves the detection, even in the presence of damping and noise acting on the mechanical mode.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure