Optimized linear physical-layer network coding of full-rate full-diversity in MIMO two-way relay networks

© 2017 IEEE. In multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) two-way relay networks (TWRN), linear physical-layer network coding (LPNC) was proposed to boost the throughput by using spatial multiplexing at source nodes. How to design optimal LPNC for full-rate full-diversity MIMO TWRN is still an open problem. In this paper, we propose a full-rate full-diversity (FRFD) LPNC scheme. In this scheme, two source nodes, each with two antennas, transmit full-rate universal space-time codes to a two-antenna relay simultaneously. Then, the relay applies LPNC to compute multiple network-coded (NC) messages. In particular, we explicitly solve the optimal LPNC mapping to minimize decoding errors of NC messages in the FRFD LPNC scheme. Our analytical results verify that the optimal FRFD LPNC scheme guarantees the full-diversity and full-rate transmission at the same time. Simulation results are consistent with the analytical results and further demonstrate that our optimal FRFD LPNC scheme outperforms the conventional MIMO LPNC scheme

Impurity states in d-wave superconductors with a competing antiferromagnetic interaction

Impurity states in d-wave superconductors with a competing antiferromagnetic (AF) order are investigated by solving the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. The potential scattering (PS) model with moderate strength and the Anderson impurity (AI) model with on-site hybridization are employed to describe the weak impurities. In zero external field, the impurity-induced AF order is rather weak and both models are able to give rise to impurity resonant states with close energy and similar profile of the local density of states. In the mixed state, the effect of magnetic-field-induced AF order on the impurity quasiparticle excitation is also examined. We find that the response of the impurity state to the presence of a local AF order is quite different for the two impurity models when a superconducting vortex is pinned by the impurity. For the PS model, the impurity resonance is subtly dependent on the sign and strength of the scattering potential, while for the AI model in the strong hybridization regime, the low-lying resonance is pinned near the Fermi level within the small gap opened by the AF order and is insensitive to the strength of the coupling between the impurity spin and the conduction electron. Based on our numerical results, we think that the two models give rise to different behaviors of the impurity resonances for both the nickel and zinc impurities in the magnetic field and the prospective scanning tunneling microscopic observation might give a clue to the dominant mechanism of the impurity states in the high-T c cuprates.published_or_final_versio

Coverage Analysis for Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks with Imperfect Beam Alignment

OAPA Millimeter wave (mmWave) communications is a promising approach to satisfy the increasing high data rate requirement of next generation mobile communications. This paper studies the downlink coverage performance of mmWave cellular networks with imperfect beam alignment. An enhanced antenna model is adopted to model the directional antenna beamforming pattern, in which the mainlobe beamwidth and directivity gain can be expressed as functions of the number of elements in the antenna array. After deriving the probability density function of the distance between mobile station (MS) and its serving base station (BS), the directivity gain with imperfect beam alignment is obtained as a discrete random variable. Then, a computationally tractable expression is obtained for the coverage probability of mmWave cellular networks.This generalized expression can be applied in different blockage regimes, e.g. general blockage regime (GBR), full-blockage regime (FBR) and non-blockage regime (NBR) with or without beam alignment errors. Numerical results show that small beam alignment errors will not deteriorate the coverage performance significantly, and the antenna array with the less number of elements provides higher robustness against the beam alignment errors. Moreover, when the beam alignment error is small enough, the coverage performance can be improved by increasing the BS intensity and the number of elements in the antenna array

Operator entanglement of two-qubit joint unitary operations revisited: Schmidt number approach

Operator entanglement of two-qubit joint unitary operations is revisited. Schmidt number is an important attribute of a two-qubit unitary operation, and may have connection with the entanglement measure of the unitary operator. We found the entanglement measure of two-qubit unitary operators is classified by the Schmidt number of the unitary operators. The exact relation between the operator entanglement and the parameters of the unitary operator is clarified too.Comment: To appear in the Brazilian Journal of Physic

Confined conversion of CuS nanowires to CuO nanotubes by annealing-induced diffusion in nanochannels

Copper oxide (CuO) nanotubes were successfully converted from CuS nanowires embedded in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template by annealing-induced diffusion in a confined tube-type space. The spreading of CuO and formation of CuO layer on the nanochannel surface of AAO, and the confinement offered by AAO nanochannels play a key role in the formation of CuO nanotubes

Fractional quantum Hall effect in a quantum point contact at filling fraction 5/2

Recent theories suggest that the excitations of certain quantum Hall states may have exotic braiding statistics which could be used to build topological quantum gates. This has prompted an experimental push to study such states using confined geometries where the statistics can be tested. We study the transport properties of quantum point contacts (QPCs) fabricated on a GaAs/AlGaAs two dimensional electron gas that exhibits well-developed fractional quantum Hall effect, including at bulk filling fraction 5/2. We find that a plateau at effective QPC filling factor 5/2 is identifiable in point contacts with lithographic widths of 1.2 microns and 0.8 microns, but not 0.5 microns. We study the temperature and dc-current-bias dependence of the 5/2 plateau in the QPC, as well as neighboring fractional and integer plateaus in the QPC while keeping the bulk at filling factor 3. Transport near QPC filling factor 5/2 is consistent with a picture of chiral Luttinger liquid edge-states with inter-edge tunneling, suggesting that an incompressible state at 5/2 forms in this confined geometry

Graphene on hexagonal boron nitride as a tunable hyperbolic metamaterial

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a natural hyperbolic material1, in which the dielectric constants are the same in the basal plane (ε[superscript t] ≡ ε[superscript x] = ε[superscript y]) but have opposite signs (ε[superscript t] ε[superscript z ]< 0) in the normal plane (ε[superscript z]). Owing to this property, finite-thickness slabs of h-BN act as multimode waveguides for the propagation of hyperbolic phonon polaritons—collective modes that originate from the coupling between photons and electric dipoles in phonons. However, control of these hyperbolic phonon polaritons modes has remained challenging, mostly because their electrodynamic properties are dictated by the crystal lattice of h-BN. Here we show, by direct nano-infrared imaging, that these hyperbolic polaritons can be effectively modulated in a van der Waals heterostructure composed of monolayer graphene on h-BN. Tunability originates from the hybridization of surface plasmon polaritons in graphene with hyperbolic phonon polaritons in h-BN so that the eigenmodes of the graphene/h-BN heterostructure are hyperbolic plasmon–phonon polaritons. The hyperbolic plasmon–phonon polaritons in graphene/h-BN suffer little from ohmic losses, making their propagation length 1.5–2.0 times greater than that of hyperbolic phonon polaritons in h-BN. The hyperbolic plasmon–phonon polaritons possess the combined virtues of surface plasmon polaritons in graphene and hyperbolic phonon polaritons in h-BN. Therefore, graphene/h-BN can be classified as an electromagnetic metamaterial as the resulting properties of these devices are not present in its constituent elements alone

Expression of Multiple Artificial MicroRNAs from a Chicken miRNA126-Based Lentiviral Vector

Background: The use of RNAi in both basic and translational research often requires expression of multiple siRNAs from the same vector. Methods/Principal Findings: We have developed a novel chicken miR126-based artificial miRNA expression system that can express one, two or three miRNAs from a single cassette in a lentiviral vector. We show that each of the miRNAs expressed from the same lentiviral vector is capable of potent inhibition of reporter gene expression in transient transfection and stable integration assays in chicken fibroblast DF-1 cells. Transduction of Vero cells with lentivirus expressing two or three different anti-influenza miRNAs leads to inhibition of influenza virus production. In addition, the chicken miR126-based expression system effectively inhibits reporter gene expression in human, monkey, dog and mouse cells. These results demonstrate that the flanking regions of a single primary miRNA can support processing of three different stem-loops in a single vector. Conclusions/Significance: This novel design expands the means to express multiple miRNAs from the same vector for potent and effective silencing of target genes and influenza virus.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01AI056267)Cobb-Vantress, inc

Effects of Elevated CO2 and N Addition on Growth and N2 Fixation of a Legume Subshrub (Caragana microphylla Lam.) in Temperate Grassland in China

It is well demonstrated that the responses of plants to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration are species-specific and dependent on environmental conditions. We investigated the responses of a subshrub legume species, Caragana microphylla Lam., to elevated CO2 and nitrogen (N) addition using open-top chambers in a semiarid temperate grassland in northern China for three years. Measured variables include leaf photosynthetic rate, shoot biomass, root biomass, symbiotic nitrogenase activity, and leaf N content. Symbiotic nitrogenase activity was determined by the C2H2 reduction method. Elevated CO2 enhanced photosynthesis and shoot biomass by 83% and 25%, respectively, and the enhancement of shoot biomass was significant only at a high N concentration. In addition, the photosynthetic capacity of C. microphylla did not show down-regulation under elevated CO2. Elevated CO2 had no significant effect on root biomass, symbiotic nitrogenase activity and leaf N content. Under elevated CO2, N addition stimulated photosynthesis and shoot biomass. By contrast, N addition strongly inhibited symbiotic nitrogenase activity and slightly increased leaf N content of C. microphylla under both CO2 levels, and had no significant effect on root biomass. The effect of elevated CO2 and N addition on C. microphylla did not show interannual variation, except for the effect of N addition on leaf N content. These results indicate that shoot growth of C. microphylla is more sensitive to elevated CO2 than is root growth. The stimulation of shoot growth of C. microphylla under elevated CO2 or N addition is not associated with changes in N2-fixation. Additionally, elevated CO2 and N addition interacted to affect shoot growth of C. microphylla with a stimulatory effect occurring only under combination of these two factors

Persistent Photoconductivity Studies in Nanostructured ZnO UV Sensors

The phenomenon of persistent photoconductivity is elusive and has not been addressed to an extent to attract attention both in micro and nanoscale devices due to unavailability of clear material systems and device configurations capable of providing comprehensive information. In this work, we have employed a nanostructured (nanowire diameter 30–65 nm and 5 μm in length) ZnO-based metal–semiconductor–metal photoconductor device in order to study the origin of persistent photoconductivity. The current–voltage measurements were carried with and without UV illumination under different oxygen levels. The photoresponse measurements indicated a persistent conductivity trend for depleted oxygen conditions. The persistent conductivity phenomenon is explained on the theoretical model that proposes the change of a neutral anion vacancy to a charged state