3,553 research outputs found
Quantum cryptography: key distribution and beyond
Uniquely among the sciences, quantum cryptography has driven both
foundational research as well as practical real-life applications. We review
the progress of quantum cryptography in the last decade, covering quantum key
distribution and other applications.Comment: It's a review on quantum cryptography and it is not restricted to QK
Counterfactual quantum certificate authorization
We present a multi-partite protocol in a counterfactual paradigm. In
counterfactual quantum cryptography, secure information is transmitted between
two spatially separated parties even when there is no physical travel of
particles transferring the information between them. We propose here a
tripartite counterfactual quantum protocol for the task of certificate
authorization. Here a trusted third party, Alice, authenticates an entity Bob
(e.g., a bank) that a client Charlie wishes to securely transact with. The
protocol is counterfactual with respect to either Bob or Charlie. We prove its
security against a general incoherent attack, where Eve attacks single
particles.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, close to the published versio
The atomistic structure and energy of nascent dislocation loops
An harmonic lattice theory is used, in conjunction with Mura's theory of eigendistorsions, to study the structure and energetics of nascent dislocation loops in face-centred-cubic (FCC) crystals. An analytical expression for the activation energies of such loops is derived. The results obtained herein indicate that thermal activation of small dislocation loops is possible at high stress levels such as those found in the vicinity of a crack tip. The implications of these results in understanding phenomena such as the brittle-ductile transition are discussed
Synchronous and Asynchronous Mott Transitions in Topological Insulator Ribbons
We address how the nature of linearly dispersing edge states of two
dimensional (2D) topological insulators evolves with increasing
electron-electron correlation engendered by a Hubbard like on-site repulsion
in finite ribbons of two models of topological band insulators. Using an
inhomogeneous cluster slave rotor mean-field method developed here, we show
that electronic correlations drive the topologically nontrivial phase into a
Mott insulating phase via two different routes. In a synchronous transition,
the entire ribbon attains a Mott insulating state at one critical that
depends weakly on the width of the ribbon. In the second, asynchronous route,
Mott localization first occurs on the edge layers at a smaller critical value
of electronic interaction which then propagates into the bulk as is further
increased until all layers of the ribbon become Mott localized. We show that
the kind of Mott transition that takes place is determined by certain
properties of the linearly dispersing edge states which characterize the
topological resilience to Mott localization.Comment: 4+ pages, 5 figure
Effect of alloy chemistry and exposure conditions on the oxidation of titanium
Multiwall is a new thermal protection system concept for advanced space transportation vehicles. The system consists of discrete panels made up of multiple layers of foil gage metal. Titanium is the proposed candidate metal for multiwall panels in the reentry temperature range up to 675 C. Oxidation and embrittlement are the principal concerns related to the use of Ti in heat shield applications. The results of a broad study on the oxidation kinetics of several titanium alloys subjected to different exposure conditions are described. The alloys include commercially pure titanium, Ti-6Al-4V, and Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo. Oxidation studies were performed on these alloys exposed at 704 C in 5-760 torr air pressure and 0 to 50% relative humidity. The resulting weight gains were correlated with oxide thickness and substrate contamination. The contamination depth and weight gains due to solid solutioning were obtained from microhardness depth profiles and hardness versus weight percent oxygen calibration data
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