Calculations on polarization properties of alkali metal atoms using Dirac–Fock plus core polarization method

A semi-empirical atomic structure model method is developed in the framework of a relativistic case. This method starts from Dirac-Fock calculations using B-spline basis set. The core-valence electron correction is then treated in a semiempirical core polarization potential. As an application, the polarization properties of alkali metal atoms, including the static polarizabilities and long-range two-body dispersion coefficients, have been calculated. Our results are in good agreement with the results obtained from ab initio relativistic many-body perturbation method and the available experimental measurements.     

Unconventional Coding Technique Applied to Multi-Level Polarization Modulation

A new technique is proposed to improve information confidentiality in optical-fiber communications without bandwidth consumption. A pseudorandom vectorial sequence was generated by a dynamic system algorithm and used to codify a multi-level polarization modulation based on the Stokes vector. Optical-fiber birefringence, usually considered as a disturbance, was exploited to obfuscate the signal transmission. At the receiver end, the same pseudorandom sequence was generated and used to decode the multi-level polarization modulated signal. The proposed scheme, working at the physical layer, provides strong information security without introducing complex processing and thus latency.     

Solid-State 17O NMR studies of organic and biological molecules: Recent advances and future directions

This Trends article highlights the recent advances published between 2012 and 2015 in solid-state ¹⁷O NMR for organic and biological molecules. New developments in the following areas are described: (1) new oxygen-containing functional groups, (2) metal organic frameworks, (3) pharmaceuticals, (4) probing molecular motion in organic solids, (5) dynamic nuclear polarization, and (6) paramagnetic coordination compounds. For each of these areas, the author offers his personal views on important problems to be solved and possible future directions.     

Using polarizable POSSIM force field and fuzzy‐border continuum solvent model to calculate pKa shifts of protein residues

Our Fuzzy‐Border (FB) continuum solvent model has been extended and modified to produce hydration parameters for small molecules using POlarizable Simulations Second‐order Interaction Model (POSSIM) framework with an average error of 0.136 kcal/mol. It was then used to compute pK _a shifts for carboxylic and basic residues of the turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3) protein. The average unsigned errors in the acid and base pK _a values were 0.37 and 0.4 pH units, respectively, versus 0.58 and 0.7 pH units as calculated with a previous version of polarizable protein force field and Poisson Boltzmann continuum solvent. This POSSIM/FB result is produced with explicit refitting of the hydration parameters to the pK _a values of the carboxylic and basic residues of the OMTKY3 protein; thus, the values of the acidity constants can be viewed as additional fitting target data. In addition to calculating pK _a shifts for the OMTKY3 residues, we have studied aspartic acid residues of Rnase Sa. This was done without any further refitting of the parameters and agreement with the experimental pK _a values is within an average unsigned error of 0.65 pH units. This result included the Asp79 residue that is buried and thus has a high experimental pK _a value of 7.37 units. Thus, the presented model is capable or reproducing pK _a results for residues in an environment that is significantly different from the solvated protein surface used in the fitting. Therefore, the POSSIM force field and the FB continuum solvent parameters have been demonstrated to be sufficiently robust and transferable. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Influence of Signal Polarization on Quantum Bit Error Rate for Subcarrier Wave Quantum Key Distribution Protocol

In this paper, we consider the influence of a divergence of polarization of a quantum signal transmitted through an optical fiber channel on the quantum bit error rate of the subcarrier wave quantum key distribution protocol. Firstly, we investigate the dependence of the optical power of the signal on the modulation indices’ difference after the second phase modulation of the signal. Then we consider the Liouville equation with regard to relaxation in order to develop expressions of the dynamics of the Stokes parameters. As a result, we propose a model that describes quantum bit error rate for the subcarrier wave quantum key distribution depending on the characteristics of the optical fiber. Finally, we propose several methods for minimizing quantum bit error rate.     

Experimental review of the ϒ(1S, 2S, 3S) physics at e+e− colliders and the LHC

The three lowest-lying \mathrm{\Upsilon } states, i.e., \mathrm{\Upsilon }(1S), \mathrm{\Upsilon }(2S), and \mathrm{\Upsilon }(3S), composed of bb¯ pairs and below the BB ¯ threshold, provide a good platform for the researches of hadronic physics and physics beyond the Standard Model. They can be produced directly in e⁺e⁻ colliding experiments, such as CLEO, Babar, and Belle, with low continuum backgrounds. In these experiments, many measurements of the exclusive \mathrm{\Upsilon }(1S) and \mathrm{\Upsilon }(2S) decays into light hadrons, which shed light on the “80% rule” for the Okubo–Zweig–Iizuka suppressed decays in the bottomonium sector, were carried out. Meanwhile, many studies of the charmonium and bottomonium productions in \mathrm{\Upsilon }(1S, 2S, 3S) decays were performed, to distinguish different Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) models. Besides, exotic states and new physics were also extensively explored in \mathrm{\Upsilon }(1S, 2S, 3S) decays at CLEO, BaBar, and Belle. The \mathrm{\Upsilon }(1S, 2S, 3S) states can also be produced in pp collisions and in collisions involving heavy ions. The precision measurements of their cross sections and polarizations at the large hadron collider (LHC), especially in the CMS, ATLAS, and LHCb experiments, help to understandΥproduction mechanisms in pp collisions. The observation of the sequentialΥsuppression in heavy ion collisions at CMS, LHCb, and ALICE is of great importance for verifying the quark–gluon plasma predicted by QCD. In this article, we review the experimental results on \mathrm{\Upsilon }(1S, 2S, 3S) at e⁺e⁻ colliders and the LHC, and summarize their prospects at Belle II and the LHC.     

Dynamic nuclear polarization studies of nitroxyl spin probes in agarose gel using Overhauser‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Agarose is a tissue‐equivalent material and its imaging characteristics similar to those of real tissues. Hence, the dynamic nuclear polarization studies of 3‐carboxy‐2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐pyrrolidine‐1‐oxyl (carboxy‐PROXYL) in agarose gel were carried out. The dynamic nuclear polarization parameters such as spin lattice relaxation time, longitudinal relaxivity, leakage factor, saturation parameter and coupling parameter were estimated for 2 mM carboxy‐PROXYL in phosphate‐buffered saline solution and water/agarose mixture (99 : 1). From these results, the spin probe concentration was optimized as 2 mM, and the reduction in enhancement was observed for carboxy‐PROXYL in water/agarose mixture (99 : 1) compared with phosphate‐buffered saline solution. Phantom imaging was also performed with 2 mM concentration of carboxy‐PROXYL in various concentrations of agarose gel at various radio frequency power levels. The results from the dynamic nuclear polarization measurements agree well with the phantom imaging results. These results pave the way for designing model system for human tissues suited to the biological applications of electron spin resonance/Overhauser‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.     

Coherent communications

Abstract

Coherent lightwave techniques, when compared to direct detection techniques, offer nearly quantum noise limited sensitivity as well as fine tunability similar to that obtained at radio frequencies. These two aspects provide communication systems planners and engineers the means to better exploit the huge bandwidth of single mode optical fibers.

Research activity in this field started in the early 1980s, and some laboratory experiments and field trials were performed by the end of the decade, showing that such techniques are suitable for transmitting multigigabit per second signals to distances well exceeding hundred kilometers. On the other hand, coherent multichannel, frequency division multiple access, local area networks have been proposed and experimented worldwide.

This article will discuss the theoretical advantages and limitations of the various modulation and detection formats together with the state of the art. Moreover, some aspects, related to the introduction of coherent systems in local and metropolitan area networks, will be treated. Finally some experimental data will be provided and future evolution will be discussed.     

Efcient Multipartite Polarization Entanglement Distribution Over Arbitrary Noise Channel

We present an efcient faithful multipartite polarization entanglement distribution protocol over an arbitrary noisy channel.The spatial degree of freedom is used to carry the entanglement during the transmission.We describe the principle by distributing n-qubit Greenberge–Horne–Zeilinger state and n-qubit W state.Our scheme can be used to distribute arbitrary n-qubit entangled states to n distant locations.The remote parties can obtain maximally entangled states deterministically on the polarization of photons.Only passive linear optics are employed in our setup,which makes our scheme more feasible and efcient for practical application in long distance quantum communication.