398 research outputs found
Experimental and analytical tools for evaluation of Stirling engine rod seal behavior
The first year of a two year experimental and analytical program is reported. The program is directed at the elastohydrodynamic behavior of sliding elastomeric rod seals for the Stirling engine. During the year, experimental and analytical tools were developed for evaluating seal leakage, seal friction, and the fluid film thickness at the seal/cylinder interface
Quantum noise limited and entanglement-assisted magnetometry
We study experimentally the fundamental limits of sensitivity of an atomic
radio-frequency magnetometer. First we apply an optimal sequence of state
preparation, evolution, and the back-action evading measurement to achieve a
nearly projection noise limited sensitivity. We furthermore experimentally
demonstrate that Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement of atoms generated
by a measurement enhances the sensitivity to pulsed magnetic fields. We
demonstrate this quantum limited sensing in a magnetometer utilizing a truly
macroscopic ensemble of 1.5*10^12 atoms which allows us to achieve
sub-femtoTesla/sqrt(Hz) sensitivity.Comment: To appear in Physical Review Letters, April 9 issue (provisionally
Deterministic quantum teleportation between distant atomic objects
Quantum teleportation is a key ingredient of quantum networks and a building
block for quantum computation. Teleportation between distant material objects
using light as the quantum information carrier has been a particularly exciting
goal. Here we demonstrate a new element of the quantum teleportation landscape,
the deterministic continuous variable (cv) teleportation between distant
material objects. The objects are macroscopic atomic ensembles at room
temperature. Entanglement required for teleportation is distributed by light
propagating from one ensemble to the other. Quantum states encoded in a
collective spin state of one ensemble are teleported onto another ensemble
using this entanglement and homodyne measurements on light. By implementing
process tomography, we demonstrate that the experimental fidelity of the
quantum teleportation is higher than that achievable by any classical process.
Furthermore, we demonstrate the benefits of deterministic teleportation by
teleporting a dynamically changing sequence of spin states from one distant
object onto another
High quality anti-relaxation coating material for alkali atom vapor cells
We present an experimental investigation of alkali atom vapor cells coated
with a high quality anti-relaxation coating material based on alkenes. The
prepared cells with single compound alkene based coating showed the longest
spin relaxation times which have been measured up to now with room temperature
vapor cells. Suggestions are made that chemical binding of a cesium atom and an
alkene molecule by attack to the C=C bond plays a crucial role in such
improvement of anti-relaxation coating quality
Spin squeezing of atomic ensembles via nuclear-electronic spin entanglement
Entangled many body systems have recently attracted significant attention in
various contexts. Among them, spin squeezed atoms and ions have raised interest
in the field of precision measurements, as they allow to overcome quantum noise
of uncorrelated particles. Precise quantum state engineering is also required
as a resource for quantum computation, and spin squeezing can be used to create
multi-partite entangled states. Two-mode spin squeezed systems have been used
for elementary quantum communication protocols. Until now spin squeezing has
been always achieved via generation of entanglement between different atoms of
the ensemble. In this Letter, we demonstrate for the first time ensemble spin
squeezing generated by engineering the quantum state of each individual atom.
More specifically, we entangle the nuclear and electronic spins of
Cesium atoms at room temperature. We verify entanglement and ensemble spin
squeezing by performing quantum tomography on the atomic state.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Quantum teleportation between light and matter
Quantum teleportation is an important ingredient in distributed quantum
networks, and can also serve as an elementary operation in quantum computers.
Teleportation was first demonstrated as a transfer of a quantum state of light
onto another light beam; later developments used optical relays and
demonstrated entanglement swapping for continuous variables. The teleportation
of a quantum state between two single material particles (trapped ions) has now
also been achieved. Here we demonstrate teleportation between objects of a
different nature - light and matter, which respectively represent 'flying' and
'stationary' media. A quantum state encoded in a light pulse is teleported onto
a macroscopic object (an atomic ensemble containing 10^12 caesium atoms).
Deterministic teleportation is achieved for sets of coherent states with mean
photon number (n) up to a few hundred. The fidelities are 0.58+-0.02 for n=20
and 0.60+-0.02 for n=5 - higher than any classical state transfer can possibly
achieve. Besides being of fundamental interest, teleportation using a
macroscopic atomic ensemble is relevant for the practical implementation of a
quantum repeater. An important factor for the implementation of quantum
networks is the teleportation distance between transmitter and receiver; this
is 0.5 metres in the present experiment. As our experiment uses propagating
light to achieve the entanglement of light and atoms required for
teleportation, the present approach should be scalable to longer distances.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, incl. supplementary informatio
Simulating open quantum systems: from many-body interactions to stabilizer pumping
In a recent experiment, Barreiro et al. demonstrated the fundamental building
blocks of an open-system quantum simulator with trapped ions [Nature 470, 486
(2011)]. Using up to five ions, single- and multi-qubit entangling gate
operations were combined with optical pumping in stroboscopic sequences. This
enabled the implementation of both coherent many-body dynamics as well as
dissipative processes by controlling the coupling of the system to an
artificial, suitably tailored environment. This engineering was illustrated by
the dissipative preparation of entangled two- and four-qubit states, the
simulation of coherent four-body spin interactions and the quantum
non-demolition measurement of a multi-qubit stabilizer operator. In the present
paper, we present the theoretical framework of this gate-based ("digital")
simulation approach for open-system dynamics with trapped ions. In addition, we
discuss how within this simulation approach minimal instances of spin models of
interest in the context of topological quantum computing and condensed matter
physics can be realized in state-of-the-art linear ion-trap quantum computing
architectures. We outline concrete simulation schemes for Kitaev's toric code
Hamiltonian and a recently suggested color code model. The presented simulation
protocols can be adapted to scalable and two-dimensional ion-trap
architectures, which are currently under development.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures, submitted to NJP Focus on Topological Quantum
Computatio
Quantum memory for entangled two-mode squeezed states
A quantum memory for light is a key element for the realization of future
quantum information networks. Requirements for a good quantum memory are (i)
versatility (allowing a wide range of inputs) and (ii) true quantum coherence
(preserving quantum information). Here we demonstrate such a quantum memory for
states possessing Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement. These
multi-photon states are two-mode squeezed by 6.0 dB with a variable orientation
of squeezing and displaced by a few vacuum units. This range encompasses
typical input alphabets for a continuous variable quantum information protocol.
The memory consists of two cells, one for each mode, filled with cesium atoms
at room temperature with a memory time of about 1msec. The preservation of
quantum coherence is rigorously proven by showing that the experimental memory
fidelity 0.52(2) significantly exceeds the benchmark of 0.45 for the best
possible classical memory for a range of displacements.Comment: main text 5 pages, supplementary information 3 page
Stabilizing entanglement autonomously between two superconducting qubits
Quantum error-correction codes would protect an arbitrary state of a
multi-qubit register against decoherence-induced errors, but their
implementation is an outstanding challenge for the development of large-scale
quantum computers. A first step is to stabilize a non-equilibrium state of a
simple quantum system such as a qubit or a cavity mode in the presence of
decoherence. Several groups have recently accomplished this goal using
measurement-based feedback schemes. A next step is to prepare and stabilize a
state of a composite system. Here we demonstrate the stabilization of an
entangled Bell state of a quantum register of two superconducting qubits for an
arbitrary time. Our result is achieved by an autonomous feedback scheme which
combines continuous drives along with a specifically engineered coupling
between the two-qubit register and a dissipative reservoir. Similar autonomous
feedback techniques have recently been used for qubit reset and the
stabilization of a single qubit state, as well as for creating and stabilizing
states of multipartite quantum systems. Unlike conventional, measurement-based
schemes, an autonomous approach counter-intuitively uses engineered dissipation
to fight decoherence, obviating the need for a complicated external feedback
loop to correct errors, simplifying implementation. Instead the feedback loop
is built into the Hamiltonian such that the steady state of the system in the
presence of drives and dissipation is a Bell state, an essential building-block
state for quantum information processing. Such autonomous schemes, broadly
applicable to a variety of physical systems as demonstrated by a concurrent
publication with trapped ion qubits, will be an essential tool for the
implementation of quantum-error correction.Comment: 39 pages, 7 figure
Assessment of the potential in vivo ecotoxicity of Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (DWNTs) in water, using the amphibian Ambystoma mexicanum
Because of their specific properties (mechanical, electrical, etc), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being assessed for inclusion in many manufactured products. Due to their massive production and number of potential applications, the impact of CNTs on the environment must be taken into consideration. The present investigation evaluates the ecotoxic potential of CNTs in the amphibian larvae (Ambystoma mexicanum). Acute toxicity and genotoxicity were analysed after 12 days of exposure in laboratory conditions. The genotoxic effects were analysed by scoring the micronucleated erythrocytes in the
circulating blood of the larvae according to the French standard micronucleus assay. The results obtained in the present study demonstrated that CNTs are neither acutely toxic nor genotoxic to larvae whatever the CNTs concentration in the water, although black masses of CNTs were observed inside the gut. In the increasing economical context of CNTs, complementary studies must be undertaken, especially including mechanistic and environmental investigations
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