Bright Coppertunities: Multinuclear CuI Complexes with N–P Ligands and Their Applications

Easy come, easy go: the great structural diversity of Cu^I complexes is an ambivalent trait. Apart from the well‐known catalytic properties of Cu^I, a great number of potent luminescent complexes have been found in the last ten years featuring a plethora of structural motifs. The downside of this variety is the undesired formation of other species upon processing. In here, strategies to avoid this behavior are presented: Only one favorable structural unit often exists for multinuclear Cu^I complexes with bridging ligands. In addition, these complexes exhibit favorable photophysical properties due to cooperative effects of the metal halide core. Furthermore, we demonstrate the broad range of applications of emitting Cu^I compounds.     

Nuclear, chemical, and physical characterization of nuclear materials

The goal of nuclear forensics is to establish an unambiguous link between illicitly trafficked nuclear material and its origin. The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Nuclear Materials Signatures Program has implemented a graded “conduct of operations” type analysis flow path approach for determining the key nuclear, chemical, and physical signatures needed to identify the manufacturing process, intended use, and origin of interdicted nuclear material. This analysis flow path includes both destructive and non-destructive characterization techniques and has been exercized against different nuclear materials from LANL’s special nuclear materials archive. Results obtained from the case study will be presented to highlight analytical techniques that offer the critical attribution information.     

Remote preparation of an atomic quantum memory

Storage and distribution of quantum information are key elements of quantum information processing and future quantum communication networks. Here, using atom-photon entanglement as the main physical resource, we experimentally demonstrate the preparation of a distant atomic quantum memory. Applying a quantum teleportation protocol on a locally prepared state of a photonic qubit, we realized this so-called remote state preparation on a single, optically trapped 87Rb atom. We evaluated the performance of this scheme by the full tomography of the prepared atomic state, reaching an average fidelity of 82%.     

Formation of a new dynamical mode in -uranium observed by inelastic x-ray and neutron scattering

Phonon dispersion curves were obtained from inelastic x-ray and neutron scattering measurements on alpha-uranium single crystals at temperatures from 298 to 573 K. Both measurements showed a softening and an abrupt loss of intensity in the longitudinal optic branch along [00zeta] above 450 K. Above the same temperature a new dynamical mode of comparable intensity emerges along the [01zeta] zone boundary with energy near the top of the phonon spectrum. The new mode forms without a structural transition but coincides with an anomaly in the mechanical deformation behavior. We argue that the mode is an intrinsically localized vibration and formed as a result of a strong electron-phonon interaction.     

Observation of entanglement of a single photon with a trapped atom

We report the observation of entanglement between a single trapped atom and a single photon at a wavelength suitable for low-loss communication over large distances, thereby achieving a crucial step towards long range quantum networks. To verify the entanglement, we introduce a single atom state analysis. This technique is used for full state tomography of the atom-photon qubit pair. The detection efficiency and the entanglement fidelity are high enough to allow in a next step the generation of entangled atoms at large distances, ready for a final loophole-free Bell experiment.     

Investigation of carrier dynamics in Zn1−xMgxO by time-resolved photoluminescence

The influence of the Mg concentration and lattice temperature on the carrier recombination dynamics in Zn_1−xMg_xO alloys has been studied by time-resolved photoluminescence for different emission and excitation energies. Carrier localization effects are found to play a significant role, becoming increasingly important for lower temperatures and higher Mg concentrations. Emission energy dependent dynamics were analyzed by the application of the theoretical model, yielding a characteristic localization energy of 60±15 meV for the sample with the highest Mg concentration of x=0.21.     

Addressing conflicts of interest in nanotechnology oversight: lessons learned from drug and pesticide safety testing

Financial conflicts of interest raise significant challenges for those working to develop an effective, transparent, and trustworthy oversight system for assessing and managing the potential human health and ecological hazards of nanotechnology. A recent paper in this journal by Ramachandran et al., J Nanopart Res, 13:1345–1371 (2011) proposed a two-pronged approach for addressing conflicts of interest: (1) developing standardized protocols and procedures to guide safety testing; and (2) vetting safety data under a coordinating agency. Based on past experiences with standardized test guidelines developed by the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and implemented by national regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), we argue that this approach still runs the risk of allowing conflicts of interest to influence toxicity tests, and it has the potential to commit regulatory agencies to outdated procedures. We suggest an alternative approach that further distances the design and interpretation of safety studies from those funding the research. In case the two-pronged approach is regarded as a more politically feasible solution, we also suggest three lessons for implementing this strategy in a more dynamic and effective manner.