227 research outputs found
Focusing a deterministic single-ion beam
We focus down an ion beam consisting of single 40Ca+ ions to a spot size of a
few mum using an einzel-lens. Starting from a segmented linear Paul trap, we
have implemented a procedure which allows us to deterministically load a
predetermined number of ions by using the potential shaping capabilities of our
segmented ion trap. For single-ion loading, an efficiency of 96.7(7)% has been
achieved. These ions are then deterministically extracted out of the trap and
focused down to a 1sigma-spot radius of (4.6 \pm 1.3)mum at a distance of 257mm
from the trap center. Compared to former measurements without ion optics, the
einzel-lens is focusing down the single-ion beam by a factor of 12. Due to the
small beam divergence and narrow velocity distribution of our ion source,
chromatic and spherical aberration at the einzel-lens is vastly reduced,
presenting a promising starting point for focusing single ions on their way to
a substrate.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
Microcavity exciton-polariton mediated Raman scattering: Experiments and theory
We studied the intensity of resonant Raman scattering due to optical phonons
in a planar II-VI-type semiconductor microcavity in the regime of strong
coupling between light and matter. Two different sets of independent
experiments were performed at near outgoing resonance with the middle polariton
(MP)branch of the cavity. In the first, the Stokes-shifted photons were kept at
exact resonance with the MP, varying the photonic or excitonic character of the
polariton. In the second, only the incoming light wavelength was varied, and
the resonant profile of the inelastic scattered intensity was studied when the
system was tuned out of the resonant condition. Taking some matrix elements as
free parameters, both independent experiments are quantitatively described by a
model which incorporates lifetime effects in both excitons and photons, and the
coupling of the cavity photons to the electron-hole continuum. The model is
solved using a Green's function approach which treats the exciton-photon
coupling nonperturbatively.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
Magneto-Optical Studies of Exciton Effects in Layer-Type Semiconductors
Both experimental and theoretical works were performed with particular reference to a layer-type semiconductor, GaSe, for a coherent treatment of the exciton-like and the oscillatory Landau-like spectra appearing in a form of their combination in semiconductors in magnetic fields. The interband magneto-absorption and the Faraday rotation were measured in pulsed magnetic fields up to ~200 kOe at low temperatures. The theoretical analysis was based mainly on the exact solution for an extremely anisotropic semiconductor in the magnetic field of arbitrary intensity. The exciton effects are discussed in terms of the energy spectrum, the spectral intensity, and the spectral width by the use of the band parameters deduced from the experimental results
Efficient approach to solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation for excitonic bound states
Excitonic effects in optical spectra and electron-hole pair excitations are
described by solutions of the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) that accounts for
the Coulomb interaction of excited electron-hole pairs. Although for the
computation of excitonic optical spectra in an extended frequency range
efficient methods are available, the determination and analysis of individual
exciton states still requires the diagonalization of the electron-hole
Hamiltonian . We present a numerically efficient approach for the
calculation of exciton states with quadratically scaling complexity, which
significantly diminishes the computational costs compared to the commonly used
cubically scaling direct-diagonalization schemes. The accuracy and performance
of this approach is demonstrated by solving the BSE numerically for the
Wannier-Mott two-band model in {\bf k} space and the semiconductors MgO and
InN. For the convergence with respect to the \vk-point sampling a general
trend is identified, which can be used to extrapolate converged results for the
binding energies of the lowest bound states.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, submitted to PR
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Effects of training of shadowing and reading aloud of second language on working memory and neural systems
Shadowing and reading aloud both involve multiple complex cognitive processes, and both are considered effective methods for second-language learning. The working memory system, particularly the phonological loop, has been suggested to be involved in shadowing and reading aloud. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-week intensive adaptive training including shadowing and reading aloud of second language on working-memory capacity, regional gray matter volume (rGMV), and functional activation related to the n-back working-memory task in young adults. The results showed that compared with the training groups without speaking (listening to compressed speech and active control involving the second language), the training groups with speaking (shadowing and reading aloud) showed a tendency for greater test-retest increases in digit-span scores, and significantly greater test-retest decreases in N-back task reaction time (increase in working memory performance). Imaging analyses revealed compared with the active control group, shadowing group exhibited decreases in rGMV and brain activity during the working memory task (2-back task), in the left cerebellum and reading group exhibited decreases in them in the right anterior insula. These regions are parts of the phonological loop, suggesting the presence of training-induced neural plasticity in these neurocognitive mechanisms
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Lenticular nucleus correlates of general self-efficacy in young adults
General self-efficacy (GSE) is an important factor in education, social participation, and medical treatment. However, the only study that has investigated the direct association between GSE and a neural correlate did not identify specific brain regions, rather only assessed brain structures, and included older adult subjects. GSE is related to motivation, physical activity, learning, the willingness to initiate behaviour and expend effort, and adjustment. Thus, it was hypothesized in the present study that the neural correlates of GSE might be related to changes in the basal ganglia, which is a region related to the abovementioned self-efficacy factors. This study aimed to identify the brain structures associated with GSE in healthy young adults (n = 1204, 691 males and 513 females, age 20.7 ± 1.8 years) using regional grey matter density and volume (rGMD and rGMV), fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) analyses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The findings showed that scores on the GSE Scale (GSES) were associated with a lower MD value in regions from the right putamen to the globus pallidum; however, there were no significant association between GSES scores and regional brain structures using the other analyses (rGMD, rGMV, and FA). Thus, the present findings indicated that the lenticular nucleus is a neural correlate of GSE
Global associations between regional gray matter volume and diverse complex cognitive functions: evidence from a large sample study
Correlations between regional gray matter volume (rGMV) and psychometric test scores have been measured to investigate the neural bases for individual differences in complex cognitive abilities (CCAs). However, such studies have yielded different rGMV correlates of the same CCA. Based on the available evidence, we hypothesized that diverse CCAs are all positively but only weakly associated with rGMV in widespread brain areas. To test this hypothesis, we used the data from a large sample of healthy young adults [776 males and 560 females; mean age: 20.8 years, standard deviation (SD) = 0.8] and investigated associations between rGMV and scores on multiple CCA tasks (including non-verbal reasoning, verbal working memory, Stroop interference, and complex processing speed tasks involving spatial cognition and reasoning). Better performance scores on all tasks except non-verbal reasoning were associated with greater rGMV across widespread brain areas. The effect sizes of individual associations were generally low, consistent with our previous studies. The lack of strong correlations between rGMV and specific CCAs, combined with stringent corrections for multiple comparisons, may lead to different and diverse findings in the field
Refractive error is associated with intracranial volume
Myopia is part of the spectrum of refractive error. Myopia is associated with psychometric intelligence and, the link between brain anatomy and myopia has been hypothesized. Here we aimed to identify the associations between brain structures and refractive error in developed young adults. In a study cohort of 1,319 normal educated young adults, the refractive error showed a signifcant negative correlation with total intracranial volume and total cerebrospinal fuid (CSF) volume but not with total gray matter volume (GMV) or total white matter volume (WMV). Time spent studying was associated with refractive error but could not explain the aforementioned associations with brain volume parameters. The R2 values of the simple regression between spherical equivalent and outcome variables for each sex in non-whole brain imaging analyses were less than 0.05 in all cases and thus were weak. Psychometric intelligence was not associated with refractive error or total CSF volume, but it weakly positively correlated with total GMV and total WMV in this study population. Thus, refractive error appears to be primarily (weakly) associated with the volume of the cranium, whereas psychometric intelligence was associated with the volume of the brain
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Regional homogeneity, resting-state functional connectivity and amplitude of low frequency fluctuation associated with creativity measured by divergent thinking in a sex-specific manner
Brain connectivity is traditionally thought to be important for creativity. Here we investigated the associations of creativity measured by divergent thinking (CMDT) with resting-state functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) measures and their sex differences. We examined these relationships in the brains of 1277 healthy young adults. Whole-brain analyses revealed a significant interaction between verbal CMDT and sex on (a) regional homogeneity within an area from the left anterior temporal lobe (b) on the resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the mPFC and the left inferior frontal gyrus and (c) on fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in several distinct areas, including the precuneus and middle cingulate gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and cerebellum. These interactions were mediated by positive correlations in females and negative correlations in males. These findings suggest that greater CMDT in females is reflected by (a) regional coherence (regional homogeneity) of brain areas responsible for representing and combining concepts as well as (b) the efficient functional connection (RSFC) between the key areas for the default state of cognitive activity and speech production, and (c) greater spontaneous neural activity (fALFF) during the resting of brain areas involved in frontal lobe functions, default cognitive activities, and language functions. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the associations between creativity and resting state brain connectivity patterns are different between males and females
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