Universal linear-optical quantum device: experimental implementation

We report on a linear-optical realization of a universal quantum device working with polarization encoded quantum bits. It can serve as a two-qubit partial SWAP entangling gate. The same device can be used also for filtering symmetric and antisymmetric parts of the input two-photon state. Through a partial symmetrization, the universal asymmetric quantum cloning of single-photon polarization states can be achieved. All functions can be implemented in one setup by changing the classical parameters like the phase shift and attenuation only. For the characterization of the device, the reconstruction of the output state by full process tomography was performed.     

Mono(pyridine-N-oxide) analog of DOTA as a suitable organic reagent for a sensitive and selective fluorimetric determination of Ln(III) ions

The mono(pyridine-N-oxide) analog of the H₄dota macrocylic ligand, H₃do3a-py^NO, is capable of forming thermodynamically stable and kinetically inert Ln(III) complexes. Its Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes display a strong long-lived fluorescence as a result of the antenna effect of the pyridine-N-oxide fluorophore in the reagent. It is shown that H₃do3a-py^NO can be used as a fluorogenic reagent for the determination of Eu(III) and Tb(III) at pH 6.5 and c_L=1 mM. At an excitation wavelength of 286 nm, the emission maxima are 615 nm (Eu(III)-complex), and 547 nm (Tb(III)complex). Detection limits are at concentrations around 1.0 μM and linearity of the method spans over 2 orders of magnitude. The method was applied to artificial and real samples (spiked mineral waters, extracts from cathode ray tube luminophore dust) and gave satisfactory results. The method is simple, rapid, and hardly interfered by other metal ions.     

Carbon nanotube—chalcogenide glass composite

This article describes the preparation of multi-walled carbon nanotube—chalcogenide glass composite by direct synthesis and the melt-quenching method. The carbon nanotubes—chalcogenide glass composite was characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), TEM/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, low energy electron excited X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, microhardness, and impedance spectroscopy. CNTs-AgAsS₂ glass composite possess highly increased ionic conductivity, from σ_25 °C=4.38±0.0438×10⁻⁶ to σ_25 °C=6.57±0.0657×10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ and decreased refractive index from n=2.652 to 2.631 at the wavelength λ=1.55 μm.     

Graded mesh refinement and error estimates of higher order for DGFE solutions of elliptic boundary value problems in polygons

Error estimates for DGFE solutions are well investigated if one assumes that the exact solution is sufficiently regular. In this article, we consider a Dirichlet and a mixed boundary value problem for a linear elliptic equation in a polygon. It is well known that the first derivatives of the solutions develop singularities near reentrant corner points or points where the boundary conditions change. On the basis of the regularity results formulated in Sobolev–Slobodetskii spaces and weighted spaces of Kondratiev type, we prove error estimates of higher order for DGFE solutions using a suitable graded mesh refinement near boundary singular points. The main tools are as follows: regularity investigation for the exact solution relying on general results for elliptic boundary value problems, error analysis for the interpolation in Sobolev–Slobodetskii spaces, and error estimates for DGFE solutions on special graded refined meshes combined with estimates in weighted Sobolev spaces. Our main result is that there exist a local grading of the mesh and a piecewise interpolation by polynoms of higher degree such that we will get the same order O (h^α) of approximation as in the smooth case. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Mehods Partial Differential Eq, 2012     

Computer simulation of the uncertainty of analytical results

Uncertainty is an important quality parameter of any analytical result. Estimating the uncertainty of analytical procedures can be rather difficult in many instances. Computer simulation based on multiple repetition of calculation of the resulting quantity while varying slightly the input parameters is an alternative option. The input parameters for the various computation runs are composed of two terms: the constant mean value and the error, obtained as the product of the standard uncertainty of the parameter in question and a random number with the normal distribution N(0.1). This approach can also serve to optimize measuring procedures, as demonstrated on an example of the determination of lead in biological materials by isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the optimized method was tested by analysis of some CRMs, the robustness of the method was examined, and the detection limit (10 ng/g Pb) and repeatability (4 ng/g Pb) were determined. Received: 30 September 1998 / Revised: 3 December 1998 / Accepted: 8 December 1998     

Preparation of Some Benzyl D-Glucuronatesfrom 4-Methoxybenzylidene Derivatives of D-Glucuronic Acid

 Because of the low stability of the benzyl ester linkage in benzyl 1,2:3,5-di-O-benzylidene-α-D-glucofuranuronate during the removal of the benzylidene groups by acid hydrolysis and/or hydrogenolysis, 4-methoxybenzylidene groups were used to block the free hydroxyl groups of D-glucuronic acid. Several benzyl esters of D-glucuronic acid were prepared, and their relative rates of acid catalyzed hydrolysis were determined by liquid-chromatographic separation of the reaction mixture and subsequent diode array detection.     

Degradation and toxicity changes in aqueous solutions of chloroacetic acids by Fenton-like treatment using zero-valent iron

Three priority pollutants, i.e. mono-, di-, and trichloroacetic acids, were degraded by the conventional Fenton AOP system (Fe²⁺ and H₂O₂). The results obtained suggest that the degradation decreased in the order: monochloroacetic, dichloroacetic, and trichloroacetic acid. The best of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of trichloroacetic acid was reductive dechlorination with the use of zero-valent iron (Fe°). The results of Escherichia coli toxicity tests revealed that the reagents’ toxicity after the Fenton treatment process was decreased.     

An explicitly solvable model of the spontaneous <Emphasis Type="Italic">PT</Emphasis>-symmetry breaking

We contemplate the pair of the purely imaginary delta-function potentials on a finite interval with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The two parameter model exhibits nicely the expected quantitative features of the unavoided level crossing and of a “phase-transition” complexification of the energies. Combining analytic and numerical techniques we investigate strength- and position-dependence of spectrum. Presented at the 3rd International Workshop “Pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonians in Quantum Physics”, Istanbul, Turkey, June 20–22, 2005.