Diffraction limited optics for single atom manipulation

We present an optical system designed to capture and observe a single neutral atom in an optical dipole trap, created by focussing a laser beam using a large numerical aperture N.A.=0.5 aspheric lens. We experimentally evaluate the performance of the optical system and show that it is diffraction limited over a broad spectral range (~ 200 nm) with a large transverse field (+/- 25 microns). The optical tweezer created at the focal point of the lens is able to trap single atoms of 87Rb and to detect them individually with a large collection efficiency. We measure the oscillation frequency of the atom in the dipole trap, and use this value as an independent determination of the waist of the optical tweezer. Finally, we produce with the same lens two dipole traps separated by 2.2 microns and show that the imaging system can resolve the two atoms.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures; typos corrected and references adde

Issues Around Researching OHS of Samoan Migrant Workers

Workers from Pacific nations constitute a substantial proportion of the labour force in NZ, particularly in Auckland, which has one of the largest concentrations of Pacific Island workers in the world. Samoans constitute the largest Pacific ethnic group in NZ, comprising 131,103 or 49% of the resident Pacific population (265,974) (Statistics NZ, 2010). However, Pacific Island workers in NZ are typically employed in low paid, precarious, hazardous work that often has little chance of advancement. There is also some evidence that Pacific Island workers are over­represented in NZ’s work­related injury and illness statistics (Allen & Clarke, 2006). While occupational health and safety (OHS) of Pacific Island migrant workers highlights a number of issues, studies often provide inadequate explanations of what exactly is occurring or fully capture the working experiences of Pacific Island migrant workers. This paper reports on the initial work undertaken as part of an international collaborative study located in Samoa and NZ, aimed at investigating the OHS experiences of Samoan migrant workers. In particular, the paper presents a multi­layered framework and a set of research principles that can be used to illuminate often inaccessible populations located in changing working and living environments. Finally, this study exemplifies the complex issues surrounding the migrant workers’ health and safety, workers’ compensation and rehabilitation

Evaluation and Selection of the MEUST Submarine Site

http://meust.cnrs.fr/MEUST_site_choice_report.pdfThis report summarizes the results of the investiga tions performed to select the MEUST submarine site. Measurement campaigns have been conducted during 2012 on several locations off shore of Toulon. During this period the most distant site has s hown a higher sensitivity to bioluminescence seasonal variations, whereas the more coastal sites had simila r conditions as Antares. This observation combined with logistic constraints leads to select a site located at similar latitude as Antares but more western on the other side of the CC5 telecommunication cable to Cors ica. The route of the MEUST Main Electro-Optical Cable has been defined accordingly, with some flexib ility to allow fine tuning of its end point as function of the outcome of the final site characterizations scheduled in 2013

Issues Around Researching OHS of Samoan Migrant Workers

Workers from Pacific nations constitute a substantial proportion of the labour force in NZ, particularly in Auckland, which has one of the largest concentrations of Pacific Island workers in the world. Samoans constitute the largest Pacific ethnic group in NZ, comprising 131,103 or 49% of the resident Pacific population (265,974) (Statistics NZ, 2010). However, Pacific Island workers in NZ are typically employed in low paid, precarious, hazardous work that often has little chance of advancement. There is also some evidence that Pacific Island workers are over­represented in NZ’s work­related injury and illness statistics (Allen & Clarke, 2006). While occupational health and safety (OHS) of Pacific Island migrant workers highlights a number of issues, studies often provide inadequate explanations of what exactly is occurring or fully capture the working experiences of Pacific Island migrant workers. This paper reports on the initial work undertaken as part of an international collaborative study located in Samoa and NZ, aimed at investigating the OHS experiences of Samoan migrant workers. In particular, the paper presents a multi­layered framework and a set of research principles that can be used to illuminate often inaccessible populations located in changing working and living environments. Finally, this study exemplifies the complex issues surrounding the migrant workers’ health and safety, workers’ compensation and rehabilitation