Triggered single photons and entangled photons from a quantum dot microcavity

Current quantum cryptography systems are limited by the attenuated coherent pulses they use as light sources: a security loophole is opened up by the possibility of multiple-photon pulses. By replacing the source with a single-photon emitter, transmission rates of secure information can be improved. We have investigated the use of single self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots as such single-photon sources, and have seen a tenfold reduction in the multi-photon probability as compared to Poissonian pulses. An extension of our experiment should also allow for the generation of triggered, polarization-entangled photon pairs. The utility of these light sources is currently limited by the low efficiency with which photons are collected. However, by fabricating an optical microcavity containing a single quantum dot, the spontaneous emission rate into a single mode can be enhanced. Using this method, we have seen 78% coupling of single-dot radiation into a single cavity resonance. The enhanced spontaneous decay should also allow for higher photon pulse rates, up to about 3 GHz. Received 8 July 2001 and Received in final form 25 August 2001     

Determination of the chiral structure of [Formula: see text] using anomalous x-ray scattering near the Cs K absorption edge

A structural study of [Formula: see text], grown from aqueous solution, was performed using anomalous x-ray scattering near the Cs K absorption edge to determine an absolute configuration of constituent atoms. The sense of the helical structure of the [Formula: see text] chain was found to be predominantly right-handed through a comparison of observed Bragg Bijvoet ratios with calculated ones. Assuming that [Formula: see text] consists of the two domains (i.e. right- and left-handed helices), we estimate that the volume fraction for the right-handed helix is [Formula: see text].     

ESR study on the reactivity of two isomers of LaC82 with disilirane

We observed photochemical and thermal addition of disilirane to the LaC₈₂-A isomer, which give new ESR active species. Both ESR spectra of the adducts in photo- and thermal reactions are well simulated by at least six octet components, and the isotropic La coupling constants and g-factors of the six octet components are determined. On the other hand, the reaction of the LaC₈₂-B isomer with disilirane gives no ESR active species. This fact is also verified by mass spectroscopic measurements. The different reactivities with disilirane of the two isomers are not interpreted by a popular view that the two isomers have a different C₈₂ cage structure, but we rather suggest that the origin of the isomers of metallofullerenes should be re-examined.     

Internal tissue displacement measurement based on ultrasonic wave Doppler signal digital detection and its application to fetal movement monitoring

We have developed a fetal movement monitoring system based on small displacement measurement of internal tissues. When ultrasonic pulses are transmitted to the fetus, the reflected ultrasonic waves which have a Doppler frequency shift due to the fetal movements are detected by using an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler technique. In this paper, we propose a displacement measurement method for internal tissues which is based on the Doppler signal digital detection technique. In the method, the received ultrasonic RF signals are sampled with a sampling frequency of four times higher than the centre frequency of the ultrasonic waves; the Doppler frequency shift signals are derived using digital signal processing. From the detected signals, the internal displacements are estimated using the arc-tangent method. The basic algorithm of the detection method has already been used in the area of blood flow sensing, however, we apply the algorithm to the displacement measurement of internal tissues. The comparison between the proposed method and the conventional method is presented. The fetal movement quantitative monitoring system based on the method which has been constructed is shown.     

No-go theorem for critical phenomena in large-N(c) QCD

We derive some rigorous results on the chiral phase transition in QCD and QCD-like theories with a large number of colors, N(c), based on the QCD inequalities and the large-N(c) orbifold equivalence. We show that critical phenomena and associated soft modes are forbidden in flavor-symmetric QCD at finite temperature T and finite but not so large quark chemical potential μ for any nonzero quark mass. In particular, the critical point in QCD at a finite baryon chemical potential μ(B)=N(c)μ is ruled out, if the coordinate (T, μ) is outside the pion condensed phase in the corresponding phase diagram of QCD at a finite isospin chemical potential μ(I)=2μ.