11,110 research outputs found
Optical response of two-dimensional few-electron concentric double quantum rings: A local-spin-density-functional theory study
We have investigated the dipole charge- and spin-density response of
few-electron two-dimensional concentric nanorings as a function of the
intensity of a perpendicularly applied magnetic field. We show that the dipole
response displays signatures associated with the localization of electron
states in the inner and outer ring favored by the perpendicularly applied
magnetic field. Electron localization produces a more fragmented spectrum due
to the appearance of additional edge excitations in the inner and outer ring.Comment: To be published in Physical Review
Inhomogeneous mechanical losses in micro-oscillators with high reflectivity coating
We characterize the mechanical quality factor of micro-oscillators covered by
a highly reflective coating. We test an approach to the reduction of mechanical
losses, that consists in limiting the size of the coated area to reduce the
strain and the consequent energy loss in this highly dissipative component.
Moreover, a mechanical isolation stage is incorporated in the device. The
results are discussed on the basis of an analysis of homogeneous and
non-homogeneous losses in the device and validated by a set of Finite-Element
models. The contributions of thermoelastic dissipation and coating losses are
separated and the measured quality factors are found in agreement with the
calculated values, while the absence of unmodeled losses confirms that the
isolation element integrated in the device efficiently uncouples the dynamics
of the mirror from the support system. Also the resonant frequencies evaluated
by Finite-Element models are in good agreement with the experimental data, and
allow the estimation of the Young modulus of the coating. The models that we
have developed and validated are important for the design of oscillating
micro-mirrors with high quality factor and, consequently, low thermal noise.
Such devices are useful in general for high sensitivity sensors, and in
particular for experiments of quantum opto-mechanics
On electrons and hydrogen-bond connectivity in liquid water
The network connectivity in liquid water is revised in terms of electronic
signatures of hydrogen bonds (HBs) instead of geometric criteria, in view of
recent X-ray absorption studies. The analysis is based on ab initio
molecular-dynamics simulations at ambient conditions. Even if instantaneous
thread-like structures are observed in the electronic network, they
continuously reshape in oscillations reminiscent of the r and t modes in ice
(tau~170 fs). However, two water molecules initially joint by a HB remain
effectively bound over many periods regardless of its electronic signature.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Time-restricted feeding delays the emergence of the age-associated, neoplastic-prone tissue landscape
Aging increases the risk of cancer partly through alterations in the tissue microenvironment. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is being proposed as an effective strategy to delay biological aging. In the present studies, we assessed the effect of long-term exposure to TRF on the emergence of the age-associated, neoplastic-prone tissue landscape. Animals were exposed to either ad libitum feeding (ALF) or TRF for 18 months and then transplanted with hepatocytes isolated from pre-neoplastic nodules. Both groups were continued ALF and the growth of transplanted cells was evaluated 3 months later. A significant decrease in frequency of larger size clusters of pre-neoplastic hepatocytes was seen in TRF-exposed group compared to controls. Furthermore, TRF modified several parameters related to both liver and systemic aging towards the persistence of a younger phenotype, including a decrease in liver cell senescence, diminished fat accumulation and up-regulation of SIRT1 in the liver, down-regulation of plasma IGF-1, decreased levels of plasma lipoproteins and up-regulation of hippocampal brain-derived growth factor (BDNF).These results indicate that TRF was able to delay the onset of the neoplastic-prone tissue landscape typical of aging. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation to describe a direct beneficial effect of TRF on early phases of carcinogenesis
Detection of weak stochastic force in a parametrically stabilized micro opto-mechanical system
Measuring a weak force is an important task for micro-mechanical systems,
both when using devices as sensitive detectors and, particularly, in
experiments of quantum mechanics. The optimal strategy for resolving a weak
stochastic signal force on a huge background (typically given by thermal noise)
is a crucial and debated topic, and the stability of the mechanical resonance
is a further, related critical issue. We introduce and analyze the parametric
control of the optical spring, that allows to stabilize the resonance and
provides a phase reference for the oscillator motion, yet conserving a free
evolution in one quadrature of the phase space. We also study quantitatively
the characteristics of our micro opto-mechanical system as detector of
stochastic force for short measurement times (for quick, high resolution
monitoring) as well as for the longer term observations that optimize the
sensitivity. We compare a simple, naive strategy based on the evaluation of the
variance of the displacement (that is a widely used technique) with an optimal
Wiener-Kolmogorov data analysis. We show that, thanks to the parametric
stabilization of the effective susceptibility, we can more efficiently
implement Wiener filtering, and we investigate how this strategy improves the
performance of our system. We finally demonstrate the possibility to resolve
stochastic force variations well below 1% of the thermal noise
An ultra-low dissipation micro-oscillator for quantum opto-mechanics
Generating non-classical states of light by opto-mechanical coupling depends
critically on the mechanical and optical properties of micro-oscillators and on
the minimization of thermal noise. We present an oscillating micro-mirror with
a mechanical quality factor Q = 2.6x10^6 at cryogenic temperature and a Finesse
of 65000, obtained thanks to an innovative approach to the design and the
control of mechanical dissipation. Already at 4 K with an input laser power of
2 mW, the radiation-pressure quantum fluctuations become the main noise source,
overcoming thermal noise. This feature makes our devices particularly suitable
for the production of pondero-motive squeezing.Comment: 21 pages including Supplementary Informatio
The 3.3 micron emission feature: Map of the galactic disk, 10 deg less than 1 less than 35 deg, - 6 deg less than b less than 6 deg
The 3.3 micron aromatic feature has been detected in the diffuse galactic emission with the AROME balloon-borne instrument. The results are presented in the form of an map of the 3.3 micron feature's intensity. The AROME instrument consists in a Cassegrain telescope with wobbling secondary mirrors and a liquid/solid nitrogen cooled photometer. The instrumental output is modified by the impulse response of the system. So the galactic surface brightness was restored in Fourier space by an inverse optimal filtering. The map of the feature's intensity is presented for a region of galactic coordinates. All the known H II giant molecular cloud complexes are visible in the 3.3 micron feature emission showing a good correlation with the infrared dust emission
Dynamical two-mode squeezing of thermal fluctuations in a cavity opto-mechanical system
We report the experimental observation of two-mode squeezing in the
oscillation quadratures of a thermal micro-oscillator. This effect is obtained
by parametric modulation of the optical spring in a cavity opto-mechanical
system. In addition to stationary variance measurements, we describe the
dynamic behavior in the regime of pulsed parametric excitation, showing
enhanced squeezing effect surpassing the stationary 3dB limit. While the
present experiment is in the classical regime, our technique can be exploited
to produce entangled, macroscopic quantum opto-mechanical modes
Long-term moderate caloric restriction and social isolation synergize to induce anorexia-like behavior in rats
Moderate caloric restriction (CR) is an effective strategy to delay the onset of chronic disease states. Conversely, social isolation (SI) carries an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from several causes. The present studies were designed to investigate the long-term effect of the two combined exposures. Two-month-old male rats of the Fischer 344 strain were fed either ad libitum or under a regimen of CR, and each of the two animal sets were housed either in group or isolation. Food consumption and animal growth curves were as expected during the first 6 wk of observation. However, starting at 2 mo and continuing until the fifth month of follow up, rats exposed to both CR and SI showed signs of altered feeding behavior and were unable to complete their (already restricted) meal. Furthermore, altered behavior was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in growth rate until no further increase in body weight was observed. Restoration of group-housing conditions led to a reversal of this phenotype. We conclude that chronic moderate CR and SI synergize to induce anorexia-like behavior, representing a simple and reproducible model to study such an eating disorder
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