Flux-vector model of spin noise in superconducting circuits: Electron versus nuclear spins and role of phase transition

Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) and other superconducting circuits are limited by intrinsic flux noise with spectral density $1/f^{\alpha}$ with $\alpha<1$ whose origin is believed to be due to spin impurities. Here we present a theory of flux noise that takes into account the vectorial nature of the coupling of spins to superconducting wires. We present explicit numerical calculations of the flux noise power (spectral density integrated over all frequencies) for electron impurities and lattice nuclear spins under several different assumptions. The noise power is shown to be dominated by surface electron spins near the wire edges, with bulk lattice nuclear spins contributing $\sim 5$% of the noise power in aluminum and niobium wires. We consider the role of electron spin phase transitions, showing that the spin-spin correlation length (describing e.g. the average size of ferromagnetic spin clusters) greatly impacts the scaling of flux noise with wire geometry. Remarkably, flux noise power is exactly equal to zero when the spins are polarized along the flux vector direction, forming what we call a poloidal state. Flux noise is non-zero for other spin textures, but gets reduced in the presence of correlated ferromagnetic fluctuations between the top and bottom wire surfaces, where the flux vectors are antiparallel. This demonstrates that engineering spin textures and/or inter-surface correlation provides a method to reduce flux noise in superconducting devices.Comment: New version accepted in PRB. Contains new discussion about the poloidal stat

The importance of target audiences in the design of training actions

This paper describes the process of definition, conceptualization and implementation of a business course addressed for logistic and industrial managers. This course was designed using a blended methodology, with training in classroom, visits to enterprises and self- study, supported by an eLearning platform. The aim of this work is to create an opportunity to reflect about the decisions and strategies implemented and point future developments

Brane bounce-type configurations in a string-like scenario

Brane world six dimensional scenarios with string like metric has been proposed to alleviate the problem of field localization. However, these models have been suffering from some drawbacks related with energy conditions as well as from difficulties to find analytical solutions. In this work, we propose a model where a brane is made of a scalar field with bounce-type configurations and embedded in a bulk with a string-like metric. This model produces a sound AdS scenario where none of the important physical quantities is infinite. Among these quantities are the components of the energy momentum tensor, which have its positivity ensured by a suitable choice of the bounce configurations. Another advantage of this model is that the warp factor can be obtained analytically from the equations of motion for the scalar field, obtaining as a result a thick brane configuration, in a six dimensional context. Moreover, the study of the scalar field localization in these scenario is done.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures. To appear in Physics Letters

Monochromatic Clique Decompositions of Graphs

Let $G$ be a graph whose edges are coloured with $k$ colours, and $\mathcal H=(H_1,\dots , H_k)$ be a $k$-tuple of graphs. A monochromatic $\mathcal H$-decomposition of $G$ is a partition of the edge set of $G$ such that each part is either a single edge or forms a monochromatic copy of $H_i$ in colour $i$, for some $1\le i\le k$. Let $\phi_{k}(n,\mathcal H)$ be the smallest number $\phi$, such that, for every order-$n$ graph and every $k$-edge-colouring, there is a monochromatic $\mathcal H$-decomposition with at most $\phi$ elements. Extending the previous results of Liu and Sousa ["Monochromatic $K_r$-decompositions of graphs", Journal of Graph Theory}, 76:89--100, 2014], we solve this problem when each graph in $\mathcal H$ is a clique and $n\ge n_0(\mathcal H)$ is sufficiently large.Comment: 14 pages; to appear in J Graph Theor

Modelling a layer for real-time management of interactions in web based distance learning

In the last few years, the University of Aveiro, Portugal, has been offering several distance learning courses over the Web, using e-learning platforms. Experience showed that different editions of a same course, using the same contents and structure, and having similar target learners, had different success rates. What would be the reason for that? A hypothesis was considered: The level of success could be directly related with the remote follow-up of the learners’ participation in the courses; the best results usually occur when the follow-up is closer. The existing e-learning platforms offer and the standardization works being developed by organizations and consortiums like IMS (IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc), ADL SCORM (Advanced Distributed Learning Sherable Content Object Reference Model), IEEE LTSC LOM (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Learning Technologies Standard Committee Learning Object Metadata), ARIADNE (ARIADNE Foundation for the European Knowledge Pool), AICC CMI (Aviation Industry CBT Committee Computer Managed Instruction), etc, don’t cover the course monitorization concerns mentioned. Those projects were focused on aspects like contents and its delivery in the context of the execution of the courses’ activities. This is even true in the SCORM project that doesn’t include any reference to the management of the e-learning processes. Recently, in the context of the IMS Global Consortium, a new project designated IMS LD (Learning Design) is under development, providing a framework for the description of learning units under a three level model. In the most recently defined level, the C level, some functionalities related to notifications were proposed, expressing similar concerns to the ones that triggered our research. However, the extent at which IMS LD takes the functionalities is, from our point of view, not complete. This article describes a proposal of a reference model and functionalities towards a specification of a layer for real-time management of user interactions on LMSs, and its possible integration with the ADL SCORM standard proposal. The paper includes a discussion of the management metadata model for the LMS sub-system and how the integration of the management module under SCORM may be achieved

Dynamic Control of Tunable Sub-optimal Algorithms for Scheduling of Time-varying Wireless Networks

It is well known that for ergodic channel processes the Generalized Max-Weight Matching (GMWM) scheduling policy stabilizes the network for any supportable arrival rate vector within the network capacity region. This policy, however, often requires the solution of an NP-hard optimization problem. This has motivated many researchers to develop sub-optimal algorithms that approximate the GMWM policy in selecting schedule vectors. One implicit assumption commonly shared in this context is that during the algorithm runtime, the channel states remain effectively unchanged. This assumption may not hold as the time needed to select near-optimal schedule vectors usually increases quickly with the network size. In this paper, we incorporate channel variations and the time-efficiency of sub-optimal algorithms into the scheduler design, to dynamically tune the algorithm runtime considering the tradeoff between algorithm efficiency and its robustness to changing channel states. Specifically, we propose a Dynamic Control Policy (DCP) that operates on top of a given sub-optimal algorithm, and dynamically but in a large time-scale adjusts the time given to the algorithm according to queue backlog and channel correlations. This policy does not require knowledge of the structure of the given sub-optimal algorithm, and with low overhead can be implemented in a distributed manner. Using a novel Lyapunov analysis, we characterize the throughput stability region induced by DCP and show that our characterization can be tight. We also show that the throughput stability region of DCP is at least as large as that of any other static policy. Finally, we provide two case studies to gain further intuition into the performance of DCP.Comment: Submitted for journal consideration. A shorter version was presented in IEEE IWQoS 200