Tunable control of the bandwidth and frequency correlations of entangled photons

We demonstrate experimentally a new technique to control the bandwidth and the type of frequency correlations (correlation, anticorrelation, and even uncorrelation) of entangled photons generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion. The method is based on the control of the group velocities of the interacting waves. This technique can be applied in any nonlinear medium and frequency band of interest. It is also demonstrated that this technique helps enhance the quality of polarization entanglement even when femtosecond pulses are used as a pump.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Magnetic ordering and structural phase transitions in strained ultrathin SrRuO3_{3}/SrTiO3_{3} superlattice

Ruthenium-based perovskite systems are attractive because their Structural, electronic and magnetic properties can be systematically engineered. SrRuO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ superlattice, with its period consisting of one unit cell each, is very sensitive to strain change. Our first-principles simulations reveal that in the high tensile strain region, it transits from a ferromagnetic (FM) metal to an antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator with clear tilted octahedra, while in the low strain region, it is a ferromagnetic metal without octahedra tilting. Detailed analyses of three spin-down Ru-t$_{2g}$ orbitals just below the Fermi level reveal that the splitting of these orbitals underlies these dramatic phase transitions, with the rotational force constant of RuO$_6$ octahedron high up to 16 meV/Deg$^2$, 4 times larger than that of TiO$_6$. Differently from nearly all the previous studies, these transitions can be probed optically through the diagonal and off-diagonal dielectric tensor elements. For one percent change in strain, our experimental spin moment change is -0.14$\pm$0.06 $\mu_B$, quantitatively consistent with our theoretical value of -0.1 $\mu_B$.Comment: 3 figures, 1 supplementary material, accepted by Phys. Rev. Let

Multi-parameter Entanglement in Quantum Interferometry

The role of multi-parameter entanglement in quantum interference from collinear type-II spontaneous parametric down-conversion is explored using a variety of aperture shapes and sizes, in regimes of both ultrafast and continuous-wave pumping. We have developed and experimentally verified a theory of down-conversion which considers a quantum state that can be concurrently entangled in frequency, wavevector, and polarization. In particular, we demonstrate deviations from the familiar triangular interference dip, such as asymmetry and peaking. These findings improve our capacity to control the quantum state produced by spontaneous parametric down-conversion, and should prove useful to those pursuing the many proposed applications of down-converted light.Comment: submitted to Physical Review

A Spitzer Survey of Novae in M31

We report the results of the first infrared survey of novae in the nearby spiral galaxy, M31. Both photometric and spectroscopic observations of a sample of 10 novae (M31N 2006-09c, 2006-10a, 2006-10b, 2006-11a, 2007-07f, 2007-08a, 2007-08d, 2007-10a, 2007-11d, and 2007-11e) were obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Eight of the novae were observed with the IRAC (all but M31N 2007-11d and 2007-11e) and eight with the IRS (all but 2007-07f and 2007-08a), resulting in six in common between the two instruments. The observations, which were obtained between ~3 and ~7 months after discovery, revealed evidence for dust formation in two of the novae: M31N 2006-10a and (possibly) 2007-07f, and [Ne II] 12.8 micron line emission in a third (2007-11e). The Spitzer observations were supplemented with ground-based optical photometric and spectroscopic data that were used to determine the speed classes and spectroscopic types of the novae in our survey. After including data for dust-forming Galactic novae, we show that dust formation timescales are correlated with nova speed class in that dust typically forms earlier in faster novae. We conclude that our failure to detect the signature of dust formation in most of our M31 sample is likely a result of the relatively long delay between nova eruption and our Spitzer observations. Indeed, the two novae for which we found evidence of dust formation were the two "slowest" novae in our sample. Finally, as expected, we found that the majority of the novae in our sample belong to the Fe II spectroscopic class, with only one clear example of the He/N class (M31N 2006-10b). Typical of an He/N system, M31N 2006-10b was the fastest nova in our sample, not detected with the IRS, and just barely detected in three of the IRAC bands when it was observed ~4 months after eruption.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Generating Entangled Two-Photon States with Coincident Frequencies

It is shown that parametric downconversion, with a short-duration pump pulse and a long nonlinear crystal that is appropriately phase matched, can produce a frequency-entangled biphoton state whose individual photons are coincident in frequency. Quantum interference experiments which distinguish this state from the familiar time-coincident biphoton state are described.Comment: Revised version (a typo was corrected) as published on PR

Quantum interference with beamlike type-II spontaneous parametric down-conversion

We implement experimentally a method to generate photon-number$-$path and polarization entangled photon pairs using ``beamlike'' type-II spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC), in which the signal-idler photon pairs are emitted as two separate circular beams with small emission angles rather than as two diverging cones.Comment: 4 pages, two-colum

Bell State Preparation using Pulsed Non-Degenerate Two-Photon Entanglement

We report a novel Bell state preparation experiment. High-purity Bell states are prepared by using femtosecond pulse pumped \emph{nondegenerate} collinear spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The use of femtosecond pump pulse {\em does not} result in reduction of quantum interference visibility in our scheme in which post-selection of amplitudes and other traditional mechanisms, such as, using thin nonlinear crystals or narrow-band spectral filters are not used. Another distinct feature of this scheme is that the pump, the signal, and the idler wavelengths are all distinguishable, which is very useful for quantum communications.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to PR

Inflammation and the coagulation system in tuberculosis: Tissue Factor leads the dance

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, drives the formation of granulomas, structures in which both immune cells and the bacterial pathogen cohabit. The most abundant cells in granulomas are macrophages, which contribute as both cells with bactericidal activity and as targets for M. tuberculosis infection and proliferation during the entire course of infection. The mechanisms and factors involved in the regulation and control of macrophage microenvironment-specific polarization and plasticity are not well understood, as some granulomas are able to control bacteria growth and others fail to do so, permitting bacterial spread. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Venkatasubramanian et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2016. 46: 464-479] show that mice lacking the tissue factor gene in myeloid cells have augmented M. tuberculosis growth and increased inflammation in the lungs. This suggests that tissue factor, an initiator of coagulation, is important for the generation of fibrin, which supports granuloma formation. This article demonstrates for the first time the involvement of tissue factor in inducing effective immunity against M. tuberculosis, and sheds new lights on the complex interplay between host inflammatory response, the coagulation system, and the control of M. tuberculosis infection

The Stokes Phenomenon and Quantum Tunneling for de Sitter Radiation in Nonstationary Coordinates

We study quantum tunneling for the de Sitter radiation in the planar coordinates and global coordinates, which are nonstationary coordinates and describe the expanding geometry. Using the phase-integral approximation for the Hamilton-Jacobi action in the complex plane of time, we obtain the particle-production rate in both coordinates and derive the additional sinusoidal factor depending on the dimensionality of spacetime and the quantum number for spherical harmonics in the global coordinates. This approach resolves the factor of two problem in the tunneling method.Comment: LaTex 10 pages, no figur

XMM-Newton X-ray spectroscopy of the high-mass X-ray binary 4U1700-37 at low flux

We present results of a monitoring campaign of the high-mass X-ray binary system 4U 1700-37/HD 153919, carried out with XMM-Newton in February 2001. The system was observed at four orbital phase intervals, covering 37% of one 3.41-day orbit. The lightcurve includes strong flares, commonly observed in this source. We focus on three epochs in which the data are not affected by photon pile up: the eclipse, the eclipse egress and a low-flux interval in the lightcurve around orbital phase phi ~0.25. The high-energy part of the continuum is modelled as a direct plus a scattered component, each represented by a power law with identical photon index (alpha ~1.4), but with different absorption columns. We show that during the low-flux interval the continuum is strongly reduced, probably due to a reduction of the accretion rate onto the compact object. A soft excess is detected in all spectra, consistent with either another continuum component originating in the outskirts of the system or a blend of emission lines. Many fluorescence emission lines from near-neutral species and discrete recombination lines from He- and H-like species are detected during eclipse and egress. The detection of recombination lines during eclipse indicates the presence of an extended ionised region surrounding the compact object. The observed increase in strength of some emission lines corresponding to higher values of the ionisation parameter xi further substantiates this conclusion.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic