High-efficient quantum key distribution based on hybrid entanglement

A novel quantum key distribution scheme based on the path-spin hybrid entanglement is proposed and analyzed. In this proposed scheme, the entanglement between the path and the spin degrees of freedom is confined locally with the single particle and transmitted in one-way direction. Two split pulses of a single spin-1/2 particle are not simultaneously transmitted through the public quantum channels for the security goal. The scheme is robust against any individual attack even in noisy environments. Moreover, it also has high-efficiency since one single particle can be used to generate one bit key on average.     

Lower bounds for the security of modified coherent-one-way quantum key distribution against one-pulse-attack

Upper bounds for the security of coherent-one-way (COW) quantum key distribution protocols have been analyzed by considering the one-pulse-attack [Branciard C, Gisin N and Scarani V (BGS) New J.Phys. (2008) 10 013031]. However, their security analysis was based on long distance case, and the typical value of the transmission distance is larger than 50 km. Applying the sharp continuity for the von Neumann entropy and some basic inequalities, we provide lower bounds for the security of modified coherent-one-way quantum key distribution protocol against the most general one-pulse-attack by only considering photon number resolved detectors that will be used in the receiver's side. Comparing with BGS's security analysis, our security analysis can be satisfied with arbitrary distance case.     

Charge distribution of a potassium-doped combined system of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride

By using first-principles density functional theory, we investigate the charge distribution of a potassium-doped layered combined system of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride. Two configurations of potassium-doped hexagonal boron nitride layers on graphenes and the reverse geometry of graphenes on hexagonal boron nitride layers are considered. We find that the charge distribution exhibits different features in these two situations. In the former case, the outmost hexagonal boron nitride layer cannot screen the external charges offered by potassium atom completely and most of the transferred charges reside on the two bounding layers. In contrary, the outmost graphene layer near the potassium atom can accept almost all of the transferred charges and only a few of them stay at interior layers in the latter case. A more amazing result is that the characteristics of charge transfer are independent of the number of hexagonal boron nitride layers and graphenes.     

Sensitivity of risk measures with respect to the normal approximation of total claim distributions

A simple and commonly used method to approximate the total claim distribution of a (possibly weakly dependent) insurance collective is the normal approximation. In this article, we investigate the error made when the normal approximation is plugged in a fairly general distribution-invariant risk measure. We focus on the rate of convergence of the error relative to the number of clients, we specify the relative error’s asymptotic distribution, and we illustrate our results by means of a numerical example. Regarding the risk measure, we take into account distortion risk measures as well as distribution-invariant coherent risk measures.     

Simultaneous testing for the successive differences of exponential location parameters under heteroscedasticity

In this paper, the design-oriented two-stage and data-analysis one-stage multiple comparison procedures for successive comparisons of exponential location parameters under heteroscedasticity are proposed. One-sided and two-sided simultaneous confidence intervals are also given. We also extend these simultaneous confidence intervals for successive differences to a larger class of contrasts of the location parameters. Upper limits of critical values are obtained using the recent techniques given in Lam [Lam, K., 1987. Subset selection of normal populations under heteroscedasticity. In: Proceedings of the Second International Advanced Seminar/Workshop on Inference Procedures Associated with Statistical Ranking and Selection, Sydney, Australia; Lam, K., 1988. An improved two-stage selection procedure. Communications in Statistics Simulation and Computation. 17 (3), 995-1006]. These approximate critical values are shown to have better results than the approximate critical values using the Bonferroni inequality developed in this paper. Finally, the application of the proposed procedures is illustrated with an example.     

Spectral power distribution and quantum yields of Sm3+-doped heavy metal tellurite glass under the pumping of blue lighting emitting diode

Quantum yields for multichannel transition emissions have been determined in Sm3+-doped heavy metal tellurite glass under the pumping of blue lighting emitting diode for the first time. To achieve this goal, the necessary fluorescence spectra were measured and calibrated in an integrating sphere, which was connected to a CCD detector with a 400 microm-core optical fiber. The spectral power distribution of the sample under the blue LED pumping was derived from the measured spectra firstly, and then the quantum yields for the visible emissions of Sm3+ were calculated based on the distribution and the total quantum yields in visible region is 7.55%. For accurate measurements, integrating sphere method is proved to be a reliable and reproducible way to characterize luminescence and laser materials.     

Kinetics Approximation Considering Different Reactivities of the Structural Units Formed by the Anionic Copolymerization of 1,3‐Butadiene and Styrene Using Al/Li/Ba as Initiator

The copolymerization reaction of butadiene and styrene copolymers prepared by anionic living polymerization using an initiator composed of alkyl aluminum, n‐butyl lithium, and barium alkoxide is studied using a kinetic model that considers the reactivity of active sites to be different; this assumption is justified by the varying geometric configurations. With the first‐order Markov model, the expressions for the fraction of active sites and dyad distribution are obtained. The rate constants are determined by fitting to the conversion and Bernoulli dyad data using the nonlinear least squares method. The conversion and dyad sequence distribution are correctly predicted, and the experimental results indicate that the microstructure and sequence distribution do not change with the conversion and temperature.

     

On the local distribution of certain arithmetic functions

Let d(n), σ ₁(n), and φ(n) stand for the number of positive divisors of n, the sum of the positive divisors of n, and Euler’s function, respectively. For each ν ∈, Z, we obtain asymptotic formulas for the number of integers n ⩽ x for which e _n = 2 ^v r for some odd integer m as well as for the number of integers n ⩽ x for which e _n = 2 ^v r for some odd rational number r. Our method also applies when φ(n) is replaced by σ ₁(n), thus, improving upon an earlier result of Bateman, Erdős, Pomerance, and Straus, according to which the set of integers n such that is an integer is of density 1/2. Research supported in part by a grant from NSERC. Research supported by the Applied Number Theory Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Science and by a grant from OTKA. Published in Lietuvos Matematikos Rinkinys, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 315–331, July–September, 2006.     

Estimates of Europa’s ice shell thickness and strain rate from flanking cracks and bulge along Ridge R

Europa, the second Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter, has an outer layer of water of about 100 km thick and an outmost ice shell. The thickness of the ice shell is very important in understanding Europa’s habitability and thermal history, but estimates from different studies are very inconsistent, ranging from 0.2 to 30 km. Here we obtain an estimate of the ice shell thickness from locations of flanking crack and forebulge along Ridge R. Considering the water’s heating process to nearby ice shell in the crack, a flexure model is applied and it suggests the thickness of an ice shell to be 500–1500 m without a convective layer. Compared with previous studies using the same method but ignoring the water’s heating process, the rationality and accuracy have been improved dramatically in our results. We also get some constraints on the strain rate and the characteristic temperature T _c, which defines the base of the elastic layer.     

Effects of graft length and density of well‐defined graft polymers on the thermoresponsive behavior and self‐assembly morphology

A series of well‐defined thermoresponsive graft polymers with different lengths and graft densities, poly(glycidyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylate) (PGMA‐g‐PNIPAM), were successfully prepared by combination of controlled/living free radical polymerization and click chemistry. Effects of grafting length and density on the thermoresponsive behavior, aggregating mean diameter, and self‐assembly morphology are systematically investigated. The thermosensitive characteristics of graft polymers in aqueous solution prove that the length and graft density had positive co‐relationship with the lower critical solution temperature value and mean diameter of micelles as well as the size distribution, while the effect of graft length of polymers is more significant than that of density. Transmission electron microscopy analysis shows that the conformations of PGMA₄₅‐g‐PNIPAM₂₀ and PGMA₄₅‐g‐PNIPAM₄₆ with longer length and bigger grafting density in aqueous solutions are spherical nanoparticles with the increasing trend of the diameters, while that of PGMA₄₅‐g‐PNIPAM_{(73, 50%)} shows a spherical‐like morphology, which indicates that the graft length and density have a significant effect on the mean diameter of micelle but not on the self‐assembly morphology. These results reveal that to obtain desired thermoresponsive behavior and self‐assembly morphology of functional polymers, it is essential to design and fabricate the structure of graft polymers with proper length and graft density. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2442–2453