29 research outputs found
A quantum delayed choice experiment
Quantum systems exhibit particle-like or wave-like behaviour depending on the
experimental apparatus they are confronted by. This wave-particle duality is at
the heart of quantum mechanics, and is fully captured in Wheeler's famous
delayed choice gedanken experiment. In this variant of the double slit
experiment, the observer chooses to test either the particle or wave nature of
a photon after it has passed through the slits. Here we report on a quantum
delayed choice experiment, based on a quantum controlled beam-splitter, in
which both particle and wave behaviours can be investigated simultaneously. The
genuinely quantum nature of the photon's behaviour is tested via a Bell
inequality, which here replaces the delayed choice of the observer. We observe
strong Bell inequality violations, thus showing that no model in which the
photon knows in advance what type of experiment it will be confronted by, hence
behaving either as a particle or as wave, can account for the experimental
data
On the experimental verification of quantum complexity in linear optics
The first quantum technologies to solve computational problems that are
beyond the capabilities of classical computers are likely to be devices that
exploit characteristics inherent to a particular physical system, to tackle a
bespoke problem suited to those characteristics. Evidence implies that the
detection of ensembles of photons, which have propagated through a linear
optical circuit, is equivalent to sampling from a probability distribution that
is intractable to classical simulation. However, it is probable that the
complexity of this type of sampling problem means that its solution is
classically unverifiable within a feasible number of trials, and the task of
establishing correct operation becomes one of gathering sufficiently convincing
circumstantial evidence. Here, we develop scalable methods to experimentally
establish correct operation for this class of sampling algorithm, which we
implement with two different types of optical circuits for 3, 4, and 5 photons,
on Hilbert spaces of up to 50,000 dimensions. With only a small number of
trials, we establish a confidence >99% that we are not sampling from a uniform
distribution or a classical distribution, and we demonstrate a unitary specific
witness that functions robustly for small amounts of data. Like the algorithmic
operations they endorse, our methods exploit the characteristics native to the
quantum system in question. Here we observe and make an application of a
"bosonic clouding" phenomenon, interesting in its own right, where photons are
found in local groups of modes superposed across two locations. Our broad
approach is likely to be practical for all architectures for quantum
technologies where formal verification methods for quantum algorithms are
either intractable or unknown.Comment: Comments welcom
Quantum teleportation on a photonic chip
Quantum teleportation is a fundamental concept in quantum physics which now
finds important applications at the heart of quantum technology including
quantum relays, quantum repeaters and linear optics quantum computing (LOQC).
Photonic implementations have largely focussed on achieving long distance
teleportation due to its suitability for decoherence-free communication.
Teleportation also plays a vital role in the scalability of photonic quantum
computing, for which large linear optical networks will likely require an
integrated architecture. Here we report the first demonstration of quantum
teleportation in which all key parts - entanglement preparation, Bell-state
analysis and quantum state tomography - are performed on a reconfigurable
integrated photonic chip. We also show that a novel element-wise
characterisation method is critical to mitigate component errors, a key
technique which will become increasingly important as integrated circuits reach
higher complexities necessary for quantum enhanced operation.Comment: Originally submitted version - refer to online journal for accepted
manuscript; Nature Photonics (2014
Testing foundations of quantum mechanics with photons
The foundational ideas of quantum mechanics continue to give rise to
counterintuitive theories and physical effects that are in conflict with a
classical description of Nature. Experiments with light at the single photon
level have historically been at the forefront of tests of fundamental quantum
theory and new developments in photonics engineering continue to enable new
experiments. Here we review recent photonic experiments to test two
foundational themes in quantum mechanics: wave-particle duality, central to
recent complementarity and delayed-choice experiments; and Bell nonlocality
where recent theoretical and technological advances have allowed all
controversial loopholes to be separately addressed in different photonics
experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, published as a Nature Physics Insight review
articl
At the coalface and the cutting edge: general practitioners’ accounts of the rewards of engaging with HIV medicine
The interviews we conducted with GPs suggest that an engagement with HIV medicine enables clinicians to develop
strong and long-term relationships with and expertise
about the care needs of people living with HIV ‘at the
coalface’, while also feeling connected with a broader
network of medical practitioners and other professionals
concerned with and contributing to the ever-changing
world of science: ‘the cutting edge’. The general practice
HIV prescriber is being modelled here as the interface between these two worlds, offering a rewarding opportunity
for general practitioners to feel intimately connected to
both community needs and scientific change
En busca de la ciudad sostenible
No deja de sorprender la capacidad de aguante que hemos generado los habitantes de grandes ciudades en Colombia. La cultura urbana, repleta de manifestaciones de “aguante, ha permitido de manera afortunada, introducir en el “homo colombianus” una especie de coraza, como el caparazón de una tortuga para guerrear y defenderse de los ataques frontales del medio ambiente urbano
Multipartite entanglement analysis from random correlations
Quantum entanglement is usually revealed via a well aligned, carefully chosen set of measurements. Yet, under a number of experimental conditions, for example in communication within multiparty quantum networks, noise along the channels or fluctuating orientations of reference frames may ruin the quality of the distributed states. Here, we show that even for strong fluctuations one can still gain detailed information about the state and its entanglement using random measurements. Correlations between all or subsets of the measurement outcomes and especially their distributions provide information about the entanglement structure of a state. We analytically derive an entanglement criterion for two-qubit states and provide strong numerical evidence for witnessing genuine multipartite entanglement of three and four qubits. Our methods take the purity of the states into account and are based on only the second moments of measured correlations. Extended features of this theory are demonstrated experimentally with four photonic qubits. As long as the rate of entanglement generation is sufficiently high compared to the speed of the fluctuations, this method overcomes any type and strength of localized unitary noise.Ministry of Education (MOE)Published versionWe thank Otfried Gühne, Felix Huber, and Nikolai Wyderka for fruitful discussions. This research was supported by the DFG (Germany) and NCN (Poland) within the joint funding initiative “Beethoven 2” (2016/23/G/ST2/04273, 381445721), and by the DFG under Germany’s Excellence Strategy EXC-2111 390814868. We acknowledge the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2, Project No. MOE2015-T2-2-034. W.L. acknowledges partial support from the Foundation for Polish Science (IRAP project ICTQT, Contract No. 2018/MAB/5, cofinanced by EU via Smart Growth Operational Programme). T.P. is supported by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange NAWA Project No. PPN/PPO/2018/1/00007/U/00001. J.D. and L.K. acknowledge support from the PhD programs IMPRS-QST and ExQM, respectively
Vitamin D status and its predictive factors in pregnancy in 2 Australian populations
High prevalence rates of suboptimal vitamin D levels have been observed in women who are not considered ‘at risk’. The effect of behavioural factors such as sun exposure, attire, sunscreen use and vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D levels in pregnancy is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and predictive factors of suboptimal vitamin D levels in 2 antenatal clinics in Australia - Campbelltown, NSW and Canberra, ACT. A cross-sectional study of pregnant women was performed with a survey of demographic and behavioural factors and a mid-pregnancy determination of maternal vitamin D levels. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (≤25 nmol/L) and insufficiency (26-50 nmol/L) was 35% in Canberra (n = 100) and 25.7% in Campbelltown (n = 101). The majority of participants with suboptimal D levels had vitamin D insufficiency. Among the vitamin D-deficient women, 38% were Caucasian. Skin exposure was the main behavioural determinant of vitamin D level in pregnancy in univariate analysis. Using pooled data ethnicity, season, BMI and use of vitamin D supplements were the main predictive factors of suboptimal vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation at 500 IU/day was inadequate to prevent insufficiency. Behavioural factors were not as predictive as ethnicity, season and BMI. As most participants had one of the predictive risk factors for suboptimal vitamin D, a case could be made for universal supplementation with a higher dose of vitamin D in pregnancy and continued targeted screening of the women at highest risk of vitamin D deficiency
An Economic Model for Estimating Trial Costs with an Application to Placebo Surgery Trials
Background and Objective: Waste in clinical trials remains rife. We developed an economic model to predict the cost of trials based on input costs, duration, power, number of sites, recruitment eligibility and consenting rates. Methods: We parameterised the model for three proxy placebo-controlled surgical trials using data from a systematic review, a bespoke cost survey, and from the literature. We used the model to compare target and actual trial performance for (i) a trial that was completed on time but with more sites, (ii) a trial that completed after a time extension, and (iii) an incomplete trial. Results: Successful trials more accurately anticipated the true recruitment rate that they achieved and those that overestimated this were most likely to fail. The costs of overestimating recruitment rates were dramatic: all proxy trials had significantly higher costs than planned, with additional funding of at least AUD2 million (260% above budget) for incomplete trials. Conclusions: This model shows the trade-offs between time and cost, or both, when recruitment is lower than anticipated. Greater consideration is needed to improve trial planning, reviewing, and funding of these trials to avoid costly overruns and incomplete trials