7,451 research outputs found
A generalized approach to computer synthesis of digital holograms
Hologram is constructed by taking number of digitized sample points and blending them together to form ''continuous'' picture. New system selects better set of sample points resulting in improved hologram from same amount of information
Spin Readout Techniques of the Nitrogen-Vacancy Center in Diamond
The diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center is a leading platform for quantum
information science due to its optical addressability and room-temperature spin
coherence. However, measurements of the NV center's spin state typically
require averaging over many cycles to overcome noise. Here, we review several
approaches to improve the readout performance and highlight future avenues of
research that could enable single-shot electron-spin readout at room
temperature.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure
Amplified Sensitivity of Nitrogen-Vacancy Spins in Nanodiamonds using All-Optical Charge Readout
Nanodiamonds containing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers offer a versatile
platform for sensing applications spanning from nanomagnetism to in-vivo
monitoring of cellular processes. In many cases, however, weak optical signals
and poor contrast demand long acquisition times that prevent the measurement of
environmental dynamics. Here, we demonstrate the ability to perform fast,
high-contrast optical measurements of charge distributions in ensembles of NV
centers in nanodiamonds and use the technique to improve the spin readout
signal-to-noise ratio through spin-to-charge conversion. A study of 38
nanodiamonds, each hosting 10-15 NV centers with an average diameter of 40 nm,
uncovers complex, multiple-timescale dynamics due to radiative and
non-radiative ionization and recombination processes. Nonetheless, the
nanodiamonds universally exhibit charge-dependent photoluminescence contrasts
and the potential for enhanced spin readout using spin-to-charge conversion. We
use the technique to speed up a relaxometry measurement by a factor of
five.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figure
Fabrication of (111)-Faced Single-Crystal Diamond Plates by Laser Nucleated Cleaving
Single-crystal diamond plates with surfaces oriented in a (111) crystal plane
are required for high-performance solid-state device platforms ranging from
power electronics to quantum information processing architectures. However,
producing plates with this orientation has proven challenging. In this paper,
we demonstrate a method for reliably and precisely fabricating (111)-faced
plates from commercially available, chemical-vapor-deposition-grown, type-IIa
single-crystal diamond substrates with (100) faces. Our method uses a
nanosecond-pulsed visible laser to nucleate and propagate a mechanical cleave
in a chosen (111) crystal plane, resulting in faces as large as 3.0
mm0.3 mm with atomically flat surfaces, negligible miscut angles, and
near zero kerf loss. We discuss the underlying physical mechanisms of the
process along with potential improvements that will enable the production of
millimeter-scale (111)-faced single-crystal diamond plates for a variety of
emerging devices and applications.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 2 table
Structural validation of oral mucosal tissue using optical coherence tomography
Background:
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive optical technology using near-infrared light to produce cross-sectional tissue images with lateral resolution.
Objectives:
The overall aims of this study was to generate a bank of normative and pathological OCT data of the oral tissues to allow identification of cellular structures of normal and pathological processes with the aim to create a diagnostic algorithm which can be used in the early detection of oral disorders.
Material and methods:
Seventy-three patients with 78 suspicious oral lesions were referred for further management to the UCLH Head and Neck Centre, London. The entire cohort had their lesions surgically biopsied (incisional or excisional). The immediate ex vivo phase involved scanning the specimens using optical coherence tomography. The specimens were then processed by a histopathologist.
Five tissue structures were evaluated as part of this study, including: keratin cell layer, epithelial layer, basement membrane, lamina propria and other microanatomical structures. Two independent assessors (clinician and pathologist trained to use OCT) assessed the OCT images and were asked to comment on the cellular structures and changes involving the five tissue structures in non-blind fashion.
Results:
Correct identification of the keratin cell layer and its structural changes was achieved in 87% of the cohort; for the epithelial layer it reached 93.5%, and 94% for the basement membrane. Microanatomical structures identification was 64% for blood vessels, 58% for salivary gland ducts and 89% for rete pegs. The agreement was “good” between the clinician and the pathologist.
OCT was able to differential normal from pathological tissue and pathological tissue of different entities in this immediate ex vivo study. Unfortunately, OCT provided inadequate cellular and subcellular information to enable the grading of oral premalignant disorders.
Conclusion:
This study enabled the creation of OCT bank of normal and pathological oral tissues. The pathological changes identified using OCT enabled differentiation between normal and pathological tissues, and identification of different tissue pathologies.
Further studies are required to assess the accuracy of OCT in identification of various pathological processes involving the oral tissues
Response to HEFCE’s consultation on the assessment and funding of higher education research post-2008
Limiter Control of a Chaotic RF Transistor Oscillator
We report experimental control of chaos in an electronic circuit at 43.9 MHz,
which is the fastest chaos control reported in the literature to date. Limiter
control is used to stabilize a periodic orbit in a tuned collector transistor
oscillator modified to exhibit simply folded band chaos. The limiter is
implemented using a transistor to enable monitoring the relative magnitude of
the control perturbation. A plot of the relative control magnitude vs. limiter
level shows a local minimum at period-1 control, thereby providing strong
evidence that the controlled state is an unstable periodic orbit (UPO) of the
uncontrolled system
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