Impedance model for the polarization-dependent optical absorption of superconducting single-photon detectors

We measured the single-photon detection efficiency of NbN superconducting single photon detectors as a function of the polarization state of the incident light for different wavelengths in the range from 488 nm to 1550 nm. The polarization contrast varies from ~5% at 488 nm to ~30% at 1550 nm, in good agreement with numerical calculations. We use an optical-impedance model to describe the absorption for polarization parallel to the wires of the detector. For lossy NbN films, the absorption can be kept constant by keeping the product of layer thickness and filling factor constant. As a consequence, we find that the maximum possible absorption is independent of filling factor. By illuminating the detector through the substrate, an absorption efficiency of ~70% can be reached for a detector on Si or GaAs, without the need for an optical cavity.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Journal of Applied Physic

Longitudinal trajectories of blood lipid levels in an ageing population sample of Russian Western-Siberian urban population

This study investigated 12-year blood lipid trajectories and whether these trajectories are modified by smoking and lipid lowering treatment in older Russians. To do so, we analysed data on 9,218 Russian West-Siberian Caucasians aged 45-69 years at baseline participating in the international HAPIEE cohort study. Mixed-effect multilevel models were used to estimate individual level lipid trajectories across the baseline and two follow-up examinations (16,445 separate measurements over 12 years). In all age groups, we observed a reduction in serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C and non-HDL-C over time even after adjusting for sex, statin treatment, hypertension, diabetes, social factors and mortality (P 60 years at baseline). In smokers, TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C and TG decreased less markedly than in non-smokers, while HDL-C decreased more rapidly while the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio increased. In subjects treated with lipid-lowering drugs, TC, LDL-C and non-HDL-C decreased more markedly and HDL-C less markedly than in untreated subjects while TG and LDL-C/HDL-C remained stable or increased in treatment naïve subjects. We conclude, that in this ageing population we observed marked changes in blood lipids over a 12 year follow up, with decreasing trajectories of TC, LDL-C and non-HDL-C and mixed trajectories of TG. The findings suggest that monitoring of age-related trajectories in blood lipids may improve prediction of CVD risk beyond single measurements

Benzoic acid derivatives: Evaluation of thermochemical properties with complementary experimental and computational methods

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Molar sublimation enthalpies of the methyl- and methoxybenzoic acids were derived from the transpiration method, static method, and TGA. Thermochemical data available in the literature were collected, evaluated, and combined with own experimental results. This collection together with the new experimental results reported here has helped to resolve contradictions in the available enthalpy data and to recommend sets of sublimation and formation enthalpies for the benzoic acid derivatives. Gas-phase enthalpies of formation calculated with the G4 quantum-chemical method were in agreement with the experiment. Pairwise interactions of the methyl, methoxy, and carboxyl substituents on the benzene ring were derived and used for the development of simple group-additivity procedures for estimation of the vaporization enthalpies, gas-phase, and liquid-phase enthalpies of formation of substituted benzenes

Differential constraints and exact solutions of nonlinear diffusion equations

The differential constraints are applied to obtain explicit solutions of nonlinear diffusion equations. Certain linear determining equations with parameters are used to find such differential constraints. They generalize the determining equations used in the search for classical Lie symmetries

Adiabatically coupled systems and fractional monodromy

We present a 1-parameter family of systems with fractional monodromy and adiabatic separation of motion. We relate the presence of monodromy to a redistribution of states both in the quantum and semi-quantum spectrum. We show how the fractional monodromy arises from the non diagonal action of the dynamical symmetry of the system and manifests itself as a generic property of an important subclass of adiabatically coupled systems

Benchmark Thermochemistry for Biologically Relevant Adenine and Cytosine. A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

© 2015 American Chemical Society. The thermochemical properties available in the literature for adenine and cytosine are in disarray. A new condensed phase standard (p° = 0.1 MPa) molar enthalpy of formation at T = 298.15 K was measured by using combustion calorimetry. New molar enthalpies of sublimation were derived from the temperature dependence of vapor pressure measured by transpiration and by the quarz-crystal microbalance technique. The heat capacities of crystalline adenine and cytosine were measured by temperature-modulated DSC. Thermodynamic data on adenine and cytosine available in the literature were collected, evaluated, and combined with our experimental results. Thus, the evaluated collection of data together with the new experimental results reported here has helped to resolve contradictions in the available enthalpies of formation. A set of reliable thermochemical data is recommended for adenine and cytosine for further thermochemical calculations. Quantum-chemical calculations of the gas phase molar enthalpies of formation of adenine and cytosine have been performed by using the G4 method and results were in excellent agreement with the recommended experimental data. The standard molar entropies of formation and the standard molar Gibbs functions of formation in crystal and gas state have been calculated. Experimental vapor-pressure data measured in this work were used to estimate pure-component PC-SAFT parameters. This allowed modeling solubility of adenine and cytosine in water over the temperature interval 278-310 K

Heralded quantum entanglement between two crystals

Quantum networks require the crucial ability to entangle quantum nodes. A prominent example is the quantum repeater which allows overcoming the distance barrier of direct transmission of single photons, provided remote quantum memories can be entangled in a heralded fashion. Here we report the observation of heralded entanglement between two ensembles of rare-earth-ions doped into separate crystals. A heralded single photon is sent through a 50/50 beamsplitter, creating a single-photon entangled state delocalized between two spatial modes. The quantum state of each mode is subsequently mapped onto a crystal, leading to an entangled state consisting of a single collective excitation delocalized between two crystals. This entanglement is revealed by mapping it back to optical modes and by estimating the concurrence of the retrieved light state. Our results highlight the potential of rare-earth-ions doped crystals for entangled quantum nodes and bring quantum networks based on solid-state resources one step closer.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Resonance trapping and saturation of decay widths

Resonance trapping appears in open many-particle quantum systems at high level density when the coupling to the continuum of decay channels reaches a critical strength. Here a reorganization of the system takes place and a separation of different time scales appears. We investigate it under the influence of additional weakly coupled channels as well as by taking into account the real part of the coupling term between system and continuum. We observe a saturation of the mean width of the trapped states. Also the decay rates saturate as a function of the coupling strength. The mechanism of the saturation is studied in detail. In any case, the critical region of reorganization is enlarged. When the transmission coefficients for the different channels are different, the width distribution is broadened as compared to a chi_K^2 distribution where K is the number of channels. Resonance trapping takes place before the broad state overlaps regions beyond the extension of the spectrum of the closed system.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.

A group contribution model for determining the vaporization enthalpy of organic compounds at the standard reference temperature of 298K

Article on a group contribution model for determining the vaporization enthalpy of organic compounds at the standard reference temperature of 298 K

The Non-Uniform Distribution of Galaxies from Data of the SDSS DR7 Survey

We have analyzed the spatial distribution of galaxies from the release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey of galactic redshifts (SDSS DR7), applying the complete correlation function (conditional density), two-point conditional density (cylinder), and radial density methods. Our analysis demonstrates that the conditional density has a power-law form for scales lengths 0.5-30 Mpc/h, with the power-law corresponding to the fractal dimension D = 2.2+-0.2; for scale lengths in excess of 30 Mpc/h, it enters an essentially flat regime, as is expected for a uniform distribution of galaxies. However, in the analysis applying the cylinder method, the power-law character with D = 2.0+-0.3 persists to scale lengths of 70 Mpc/h. The radial density method reveals inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of galaxies on scales of 200 Mpc/h with a density contrast of two, confirming that translation invariance is violated in the distribution of galaxies to 300 Mpc/h, with the sampling depth of the SDSS galaxies being 600 Mpc/h.Comment: 22 page