305 research outputs found
Shaping the waveform of entangled photons
We demonstrate experimentally the tunable control of the joint spectrum, i.e.
waveform and degree of frequency correlations, of paired photons generated in
spontaneous parametric downconversion. This control is mediated by the spatial
shape of the pump beam in a type-I noncollinear configuration. We discuss the
applicability of this technique to other sources of frequency entangled
photons, such as electromagnetically induced Raman transitions.Comment: 5 Pages, 4 Figure
Predictors of depression among middle-aged and older men and women in Europe: A machine learning approach
Background: The high prevalence of depression in a growing aging population represents a critical public health issue. It is unclear how social, health, cognitive, and functional variables rank as risk/protective factors for depression among older adults and whether there are conspicuous differences among men and women.
Methods: We used random forest analysis (RFA), a machine learning method, to compare 56 risk/protective factors for depression in a large representative sample of European older adults (N = 67,603; ages 45-105y; 56.1% women; 18 countries) from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE Wave 6). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the EURO-D questionnaire: Scores ≥ 4 indicated depression. Predictors included a broad array of sociodemographic, relational, health, lifestyle, and cognitive variables.
Findings: Self-rated social isolation and self-rated poor health were the strongest risk factors, accounting for 22.0% (in men) and 22.3% (in women) of variability in depression. Odds ratios (OR) per +1SD in social isolation were 1.99x, 95% CI [1.90,2.08] in men; 1.93x, 95% CI [1.85,2.02] in women. OR for self-rated poor health were 1.93x, 95% CI [1.81,2.05] in men; 1.98x, 95% CI [1.87,2.10] in women. Difficulties in mobility (in both sexes), difficulties in instrumental activities of daily living (in men), and higher self-rated family burden (in women) accounted for an additional but small percentage of variance in depression risk (2.2% in men, 1.5% in women).
Interpretation: Among 56 predictors, self-perceived social isolation and self-rated poor health were the most salient risk factors for depression in middle-aged and older men and women. Difficulties in instrumental activities of daily living (in men) and increased family burden (in women) appear to differentially influence depression risk across sexes
Tunable control of the bandwidth and frequency correlations of entangled photons
We demonstrate experimentally a new technique to control the bandwidth and
the type of frequency correlations (correlation, anticorrelation, and even
uncorrelation) of entangled photons generated by spontaneous parametric
downconversion. The method is based on the control of the group velocities of
the interacting waves. This technique can be applied in any nonlinear medium
and frequency band of interest. It is also demonstrated that this technique
helps enhance the quality of polarization entanglement even when femtosecond
pulses are used as a pump.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Single-qubit optical quantum fingerprinting
We analyze and demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of linear optical
single-qubit fingerprinting over its classical counterpart. For one-qubit
fingerprinting of two-bit messages, we prepare `tetrahedral' qubit states
experimentally and show that they meet the requirements for quantum
fingerprinting to exceed the classical capability. We prove that shared
entanglement permits 100% reliable quantum fingerprinting, which will
outperform classical fingerprinting even with arbitrary amounts of shared
randomness.Comment: 4 pages, one figur
Subnanosecond spectral diffusion measurement using photon correlation
Spectral diffusion is a result of random spectral jumps of a narrow line as a
result of a fluctuating environment. It is an important issue in spectroscopy,
because the observed spectral broadening prevents access to the intrinsic line
properties. However, its characteristic parameters provide local information on
the environment of a light emitter embedded in a solid matrix, or moving within
a fluid, leading to numerous applications in physics and biology. We present a
new experimental technique for measuring spectral diffusion based on photon
correlations within a spectral line. Autocorrelation on half of the line and
cross-correlation between the two halves give a quantitative value of the
spectral diffusion time, with a resolution only limited by the correlation
set-up. We have measured spectral diffusion of the photoluminescence of a
single light emitter with a time resolution of 90 ps, exceeding by four orders
of magnitude the best resolution reported to date
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