17,618 research outputs found
Amplitude noise reduction in semiconductor lasers with weak, dispersive optical feedback
We present the theory and measurements of the amplitude noise spectrum from a semiconductor laser with weak optical feedback (Pfb/Pout ~10^-6) from an external cavity containing an element of dispersive loss. The laser noise is found to be reduced over most of the low-frequency spectrum, although an increase in the noise is observed at frequencies corresponding to multiples of the external-cavity free spectral range. The low-frequency noise reduction closely follows theoretical predictions, and a reduction of as much as 7 dB is measured at an injection current of 1.5 times the threshold current. The potential of this method for contributing to the production of amplitude-squeezed light is discussed
Characterization of highly-oriented ferroelectric Pb_xBa_(1-x)TiO_3
Pb_xBa_(1-x)TiO_3 (0.2 ≾ x ≾ 1) thin films were deposited on single-crystal MgO as well as amorphous Si_3N_4/Si substrates using biaxially textured MgO buffer templates, grown by ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). The ferroelectric films were stoichiometric and highly oriented, with only (001) and (100) orientations evident in x-ray diffraction (XRD) scans. Films on biaxially textured templates had smaller grains (60 nm average) than those deposited on single-crystal MgO (300 nm average). Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) has been used to study the microtexture on both types of substrates and the results were consistent with x-ray pole figures and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs that indicated the presence of 90° domain boundaries, twins, in films deposited on single-crystal MgO substrates. In contrast, films on biaxially textured substrates consisted of small single-domain grains that were either c or a oriented. The surface-sensitive EBSD technique was used to measure the tetragonal tilt angle as well as in-plane and out-of-plane texture. High-temperature x-ray diffraction (HTXRD) of films with 90° domain walls indicated large changes, as much as 60%, in the c and a domain fractions with temperature, while such changes were not observed for Pb_xBa_(1-x)TiO_3 (PBT) films on biaxially textured MgO/Si_3N_4/Si substrates, which lacked 90° domain boundaries
Wide-bandwidth, tunable, multiple-pulse-width optical delays using slow light in cesium vapor
We demonstrate an all-optical delay line in hot cesium vapor that tunably
delays 275 ps input pulses up to 6.8 ns and 740 input ps pulses up to 59 ns
(group index of approximately 200) with little pulse distortion. The delay is
made tunable with a fast reconfiguration time (hundreds of ns) by optically
pumping out of the atomic ground states.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Parametric down-conversion from a wave-equations approach: geometry and absolute brightness
Using the approach of coupled wave equations, we consider spontaneous
parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in the narrow-band regime and its
relationship to classical nonlinear processes such as sum-frequency generation.
We find simple expressions in terms of mode overlap integrals for the absolute
pair production rate into single spatial modes, and simple relationships
between the efficiencies of the classical and quantum processes. The results,
obtained with Green function techniques, are not specific to any geometry or
nonlinear crystal. The theory is applied to both degenerate and non-degenerate
SPDC. We also find a time-domain expression for the correlation function
between filtered signal and idler fields.Comment: 10 pages, no figure
Solving rank-constrained semidefinite programs in exact arithmetic
We consider the problem of minimizing a linear function over an affine
section of the cone of positive semidefinite matrices, with the additional
constraint that the feasible matrix has prescribed rank. When the rank
constraint is active, this is a non-convex optimization problem, otherwise it
is a semidefinite program. Both find numerous applications especially in
systems control theory and combinatorial optimization, but even in more general
contexts such as polynomial optimization or real algebra. While numerical
algorithms exist for solving this problem, such as interior-point or
Newton-like algorithms, in this paper we propose an approach based on symbolic
computation. We design an exact algorithm for solving rank-constrained
semidefinite programs, whose complexity is essentially quadratic on natural
degree bounds associated to the given optimization problem: for subfamilies of
the problem where the size of the feasible matrix is fixed, the complexity is
polynomial in the number of variables. The algorithm works under assumptions on
the input data: we prove that these assumptions are generically satisfied. We
also implement it in Maple and discuss practical experiments.Comment: Published at ISSAC 2016. Extended version submitted to the Journal of
Symbolic Computatio
A data acquisition and handling system for the measurement of radial plasma transport rates
A system which allows the transfer of experimental data from one or more transient recorders to a digital computer, the entry of calibration data and the entry of archival data is described. The overall approach is discussed and illustrated in detail
Flow pattern transition accompanied with sudden growth of flow resistance in two-dimensional curvilinear viscoelastic flows
We find three types of steady solutions and remarkable flow pattern
transitions between them in a two-dimensional wavy-walled channel for low to
moderate Reynolds (Re) and Weissenberg (Wi) numbers using direct numerical
simulations with spectral element method. The solutions are called
"convective", "transition", and "elastic" in ascending order of Wi. In the
convective region in the Re-Wi parameter space, the convective effect and the
pressure gradient balance on average. As Wi increases, the elastic effect
becomes suddenly comparable and the first transition sets in. Through the
transition, a separation vortex disappears and a jet flow induced close to the
wall by the viscoelasticity moves into the bulk; The viscous drag significantly
drops and the elastic wall friction rises sharply. This transition is caused by
an elastic force in the streamwise direction due to the competition of the
convective and elastic effects. In the transition region, the convective and
elastic effects balance. When the elastic effect dominates the convective
effect, the second transition occurs but it is relatively moderate. The second
one seems to be governed by so-called Weissenberg effect. These transitions are
not sensitive to driving forces. By the scaling analysis, it is shown that the
stress component is proportional to the Reynolds number on the boundary of the
first transition in the Re-Wi space. This scaling coincides well with the
numerical result.Comment: 33pages, 23figures, submitted to Physical Review
Revealing Network Connectivity From Dynamics
We present a method to infer network connectivity from collective dynamics in
networks of synchronizing phase oscillators. We study the long-term stationary
response to temporally constant driving. For a given driving condition,
measuring the phase differences and the collective frequency reveals
information about how the oscillators are interconnected. Sufficiently many
repetitions for different driving conditions yield the entire network
connectivity from measuring the dynamics only. For sparsely connected networks
we obtain good predictions of the actual connectivity even for formally
under-determined problems.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Using Abrupt Changes in Magnetic Susceptibility within Type-II Superconductors to Explore Global Decoherence Phenomena
A phenomenon of a periodic staircase of macroscopic jumps in the admitted
magnetic field has been observed, as the magnitude of an externally applied
magnetic field is smoothly increased or decreased upon a superconducting (SC)
loop of type II niobium-titanium wire which is coated with a
non-superconducting layer of copper. Large temperature spikes were observed to
occur simultaneously with the jumps, suggesting brief transitions to the normal
state, caused by en masse motions of Abrikosov vortices. An experiment that
exploits this phenomenon to explore the global decoherence of a large
superconducting system will be discussed, and preliminary data will be
presented. Though further experimentation is required to determine the actual
decoherence rate across the superconducting system, multiple classical
processes are ruled out, suggesting that jumps in magnetic flux are fully
quantum mechanical processes which may correspond to large group velocities
within the global Cooper pair wavefunction.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, part of proceedings for FQMT 2011 conference in
Prague, Czech Republi
Decision-analytic cost-effectiveness model to compare prostate cryotherapy to androgen deprivation therapy for treatment of radiation recurrent prostate cancer
Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness of salvage cryotherapy (SC) in men with radiation recurrent prostate cancer (RRPC).
Design: Cost-utility analysis using decision analytic modelling by a Markov model.
Setting and methods: Compared SC and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in a cohort of patients with RRPC (biopsy proven local recurrence, no evidence of metastatic disease). A literature review captured published data to inform the decision model, and resource use data were from the Scottish Prostate Cryotherapy Service. The model was run in monthly cycles for RRPC men, mean age of 70 years. The model was run over the patient lifetime, to assess changes in patient health states and the associated quality of life, survival and cost impacts. Results are reported in terms of the discounted incremental costs and discounted incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained between the 2 alternative interventions. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis used a 10 000 iteration Monte Carlo simulation.
Results: SC has a high upfront treatment cost, but delays the ongoing monthly cost of ADT. SC is the dominant strategy over the patient lifetime; it is more effective with an incremental 0.56 QALY gain (95% CI 0.28 to 0.87), and less costly with a reduced lifetime cost of £29 719 (€37 619) (95% CI −51 985 to −9243). For a ceiling ratio of £30 000, SC has a 100% probability to be cost-effective. The cost neutral point was at 3.5 years, when the upfront cost of SC (plus any subsequent cumulative cost of side effects and ADT) equates the cumulative cost in the ADT arm. Limitations of our model may arise from its insensitivity to parameter or structural uncertainty.
Conclusions: The platform for SC versus ADT cost-effective analysis can be employed to evaluate other treatment modalities or strategies in RRPC. SC is the dominant strategy, costing less over a patient's lifetime with improvements in QALYs
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