Adaptive weight estimator for quantum error correction

Quantum error correction of a surface code or repetition code requires the pairwise matching of error events in a space-time graph of qubit measurements, such that the total weight of the matching is minimized. The input weights follow from a physical model of the error processes that affect the qubits. This approach becomes problematic if the system has sources of error that change over time. Here we show how the weights can be determined from the measured data in the absence of an error model. The resulting adaptive decoder performs well in a time-dependent environment, provided that the characteristic time scale $\tau_{\mathrm{env}}$ of the variations is greater than $\delta t/\bar{p}$, with $\delta t$ the duration of one error-correction cycle and $\bar{p}$ the typical error probability per qubit in one cycle.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

An Estimate of alpha_S from Bottomonium in Unquenched QCD

We estimate the strong coupling constant from the perturbative expansion of the plaquette. The scale is set by the 2S-1S and 1P-1S splittings in bottomonium which are computed in NRQCD on dynamical gauge configurations with nf=2 degenerate Wilson quarks at intermediate masses. We have increased the statistics of our spectrum calculation in order to reliably extrapolate in the sea-quark mass. We find a value of alpha_MS(m_Z) = 0.1118(26) which is somewhat lower than previous estimates within NRQCD.Comment: LATTICE98(heavyqk

Decorrelating Topology with HMC

The investigation of the decorrelation efficiency of the HMC algorithm with respect to vacuum topology is a prerequisite for trustworthy full QCD simulations, in particular for the computation of topology sensitive quantities. We demonstrate that for mpi/mrho ratios <= 0.69 sufficient tunneling between the topological sectors can be achieved, for two flavours of dynamical Wilson fermions close to the scaling region beta=5.6. Our results are based on time series of length 5000 trajectories.Comment: change of comments: LATTICE98(confine

Against the Odds: Psychomotor Development of Children Under 2 years in a Sudanese Orphanage.

Providing abandoned children the necessary medical and psychological care as possible after their institutionalization may minimize developmental delays. We describe psychomotor development in infants admitted to an orphanage in Khartoum, Sudan, assessed at admission and over an 18-month follow-up. Psychological state and psychomotor quotients were determined using a simplified Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS), the Brunet-Lezine and Alarm distress baby (ADBB) scale. From May-September 2005, 151 children were evaluated 2, 4, 9, 12 and 18 months after inclusion. At admission, ∼15% of children ≤1 month had a regulation impairment according to the NBAS, and 33.8% presented a distress state (ADBB score >5). More than 85% (129/151) recovered normal psychomotor development. The results of the program reinforce the importance of early detection of psychological disorders followed by rapid implementation of psychological case management to improve the development of young children in similar institutions and circumstances

Glueballs and string breaking from full QCD

We present results on the static potential, and torelon and glueball masses from simulations of QCD with two flavours of dynamical Wilson fermions on $16^3\times 32$ and $24^3\times 40$ lattices at $\beta=5.6$.Comment: Talk presented by Gunnar Bali at International Symposium on Lattice Field Theories (Lattice 97), Edinburgh, July 1997, 3 pages LaTeX (epscrc2.sty) with 4 eps figure