18 research outputs found
Optimizing single-photon-source heralding efficiency at 1550 nm using periodically poled lithium niobate
We explore the feasibility of using high conversion-efficiency
periodically-poled crystals to produce photon pairs for photon-counting
detector calibrations at 1550 nm. The goal is the development of an appropriate
parametric down-conversion (PDC) source at telecom wavelengths meeting the
requirements of high-efficiency pair production and collection in single
spectral and spatial modes (single-mode fibers). We propose a protocol to
optimize the photon collection, noise levels and the uncertainty evaluation.
This study ties together the results of our efforts to model the single-mode
heralding efficiency of a two-photon PDC source and to estimate the heralding
uncertainty of such a source.Comment: 14 pages, 2 tables and 3 figures, final version accepted by
Metrologi
A single-crystal source of path-polarization entangled photons at non-degenerate wavelengths
We demonstrate a bright, narrowband, compact, quasi-phase-matched
single-crystal source generating path-polarization-entangled photon pairs at
810 nm and 1550 nm at a maximum rate of 3 Mcounts/(s THz mW) after coupling to
single-mode fiber, and with two-photon interference visibility above 90%. While
the source can already be used to implement quantum communication protocols
such as quantum key distribution, this work is also instrumental for narrowband
applications such as entanglement transfer from photonic to atomic qubits, or
entanglement of photons from independent sources.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, published in Optics Express (2008
Narrowband polarization-entangled photon pairs distributed over a WDM link for qubit networks
We present a bright, narrowband, portable, quasi-phase-matched two-crystal
source generating polarization-entangled photon pairs at 809 nm and 1555 nm at
a maximum rate of 1.2 10^6 s-1 THz-1 mW-1 after coupling to single-mode fiber.
The quantum channel at 1555 nm and the synchronization signal gating the single
photon detector are multiplexed in the same optical fiber of length 27 km by
means of wavelength division multiplexers (WDM) having 100 GHz (0.8 nm) spacing
between channels. This implementation makes quantum communication applications
compatible with current high-speed optical networks.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
High conifer diversity in Oligo-Miocene New Zealand
Eight species of Podocarpaceae foliage are recognised from the late Oligocene or early Miocene Newvale site, South Island, New Zealand, and the following five new species are described: two of Dacrydium Lamb. and one each of Dacrycarpus (Endl.) de Laub., Phyllocladus Rich. ex Mirb. and Halocarpus Quinn. The latter is the first macrofossil record of this New Zealand endemic genus. All these conifers, plus Agathis Salisb., Microcachrys Hook.f. and Podocarpus Pers., co-occurred in the local vegetation at Newvale. In conjunction with prior records of macrofossils and pollen, these fossils indicate that the late Paleogene to early Neogene conifer flora of New Zealand was very diverse, with all but one of the extant genera present, together with several regionally or globally extinct genera, and multiple species of many of these genera. This fossil diversity is similar to the Paleogene fossil conifer diversity observed in south-eastern Australia (and particularly Tasmania) and in parts of North America.Gregory J. Jordan, Raymond J. Carpenter, Jennifer M. Bannister, Daphne E. Lee, Dallas C. Mildenhall and Robert S. Hil
Ro/SS-A- and La/SS-B-reactive B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of patients with Sjögren's syndrome
The aim of this study was to investigate the production of anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies in peripheral blood (PB) of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). The ELISPOT method was performed to quantify the frequency of PB lymphocytes spontaneously secreting anti-Ro/SS-A and/or anti-La/SS-B antibodies. The total number of IgG-, IgA- and IgM-producing cells was also quantified. The recombinant Ro 52-kD, Ro 60-kD and La 48-kD proteins were used as target antigens. Three of 18 SS patients had PB lymphocytes secreting IgG antibodies against the recombinant Ro 52-kD protein. The same three patients had high serum titres of anti-Ro 52-kD antibodies. In addition, these patients were classified as having severe disease, and all three had focus scores of ≥ 8 in biopsies of the labial salivary glands (LSG). The correlation between the number of PB cells producing IgG antibodies against the recombinant Ro 52-kD protein and the focus score was significant (P < 0.01). The results indicate that only SS patients with severe disease and high degree of local inflammation in LSG have B cells producing anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies in PB. Thus, most of the spontaneous autoantibody production must take place in other body compartments, e.g. in exocrineglands and probably also in the lymphoid organs and/or other mucosal sites