Knill-Laflamme-Milburn quantum computation with bosonic atoms

A Knill-Laflamme-Milburn (KLM) type quantum computation with bosonic neutral atoms or bosonic ions is suggested. Crucially, as opposite to other quantum computation schemes involving atoms (ions), no controlled interactions between atoms (ions) involving their internal levels are required. Versus photonic KLM computation, this scheme has the advantage that single-atom (ion) sources are more natural than single-photon sources, and single-atom (ion) detectors are far more efficient than single-photon ones.     

Quantum nonlocality and beyond: limits from nonlocal computation

We address the problem of "nonlocal computation," in which separated parties must compute a function without any individual learning anything about the inputs. Surprisingly, entanglement provides no benefit over local classical strategies for such tasks, yet stronger nonlocal correlations allow perfect success. This provides intriguing insights into the limits of quantum information processing, the nature of quantum nonlocality, and the differences between quantum and stronger-than-quantum nonlocal correlations.     

Surfactant-mediated growth revisited

The x-ray structure analysis of the oxygen-surfactant-mediated growth of Ni on Cu(001) identifies up to 0.15 monolayers of oxygen in subsurface octahedral sites. This questions the validity of the general view that surfactant oxygen floats on top of the growing Ni film. Rather, the surfactant action is ascribed to an oxygen-enriched zone extending over the two topmost layers. Surface stress measurements support this finding. Our results have important implications for the microscopic understanding of surfactant-mediated growth and the change of the magnetic anisotropy of the Ni films.     

GW invariants relative to normal crossing divisors

In this paper we introduce a notion of symplectic normal crossing divisor V and define the GW invariant of a symplectic manifold X relative to such a divisor. Our definition includes normal crossing divisors from algebraic geometry. The invariants we define in this paper are key ingredients in symplectic sum type formulas for GW invariants, and extend those defined in our previous joint work with T.H. Parker [16], which covered the case V   was smooth. The main step is the construction of a compact moduli space of relatively stable maps into the pair (X,V)$(X,V)$ in the case V is a symplectic normal crossing divisor in X.     

Linear and nonlinear relations between DSC parameters and elastic moduli for chemically and thermally treated human hair

Against the practical context of thermal straightening, hair samples were obtained with a chemical (bleaching) as well as a cumulative thermal history (0–800 s, 200 °C). On these samples, tensile testing and DSC analysis, both in the wet state, were conducted to obtain the elastic moduli E_w as well as denaturation temperatures T_D and enthalpies ΔH_D. 3D plots show overall linearity for the relationships between the parameters for natural hair. For bleached hair, pronounced nonlinearities develop beyond 300 s of thermal treatment. At this stage, T_D as well as E_w approaches limiting values, consistent with the state of a highly cross-linked, thermoset polymer. 2D projections are used to investigate the correlations between pairs of parameters. The results show that bleaching imparts a specific sensitivity for thermal damage, namely, to the matrix proteins, which more readily than the intermediate filaments (IF) turn into a thermoset. Overall, correlations between parameters hold well prior to the thermoset range. It is thus suggested that tensile testing to determine the elastic modulus and DSC come to consistent and equivalent results, at least, for the current experimental context. However, while E_w combines contributions of IFs and matrix, DSC differentiates the specific property changes of these components.

     

Exploiting the Massey Gap

In this paper, we find new refinements to the Massey inequality, which relates the Shannon and guessing entropies, introducing a new concept: the Massey gap. By shrinking the Massey gap, we improve all previous work without introducing any new parameters, providing closed-form strict refinements, as well as a numerical procedure improving them even further.     

Structural model of glassy CdGeAs2

Attempts to construct structural models of glassy CdGeAs₂ are described. Microcrystal models with normal and appropriately distorted crystallites gave poor fits with the experiment. Relaxed random network models, in which force constants and equilibrium distances and angles obtained by an energy relaxation of the crystal were used to minimize their free energy, provided excellent agreement with experiment if only even-numbered rings and, therefore, no wrong bonds were allowed to form.     

The stability of metallic glasses under ion irradiation

Abstract

Metallic glasses of Fe₈₀B₂₀ and Fe₈₀P₁₃C₇ prepared by rapid quenching have been implanted with 40 keV Ar⁺, P⁺ and B⁺ ions at doses up to 2.10¹⁶ ions cm^?2 at 273 K. The structure of the glasses was examined by X-ray diffraction. Crystallites of α-Fe and Fe₃B, present in F₈₀B₂₀ samples, either become highly defective or are amorphised. Implantation also produces structural changes in the amorphous Fe₈₀B₂₀ (a-Fe₈₀B₂₀) phase as revealed by changes in the width β of the principal diffraction halo. Both disordering and relaxation effects are observed, dependent on the initial degree of order within the a-Fe₈₀B₂₀ phase before irradiation. Implantation of F₈₀p₁₃C₇ results in an increase in the content of γ-Fe and Fe₃P crystallites, already present before irradiation, and in the nucleation of α-Fe.     

Continuous monitoring of thermooxidative degradation products of polystyrene by membrane extraction with sorbent interface and gas chromatography

A novel method for the continuous monitoring of thermooxidative degradation products of polystyrene by membrane extraction with sorbent interface (MESI) and gas chromatography (GC) is developed. The results are compared with solid-phase microextraction-GC, which can extract gases, vapors, and aerosols. The volatile and semivolatile degradation products are identified by mass spectrometry. The membrane used in the MESI-GC analysis shows a high permeation for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons; a low permeation for corresponding volatile aldehydes; and no permeation for less volatile alcohols, acids, and degradation products with a high molecular weight, thus reducing significantly the number of compounds detected from MESI-GC. Sensitivity of the method depends on the time of trapping, which is limited by the breakthrough of the trap. By heating the trap at fixed intervals of time, consecutive gas chromatograms are obtained.