Enhanced Bulk-Edge Coulomb Coupling in Fractional Fabry-Perot Interferometers.

Recent experiments use Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometry to claim that the ν=5/2 quantum Hall state exhibits non-Abelian topological order. We note that the experiments appear inconsistent with a model neglecting bulk-edge Coulomb coupling and Majorana tunneling, so we reexamine the theory of FP devices. Even a moderate Coulomb coupling may strongly affect some fractional plateaus, but very weakly affect others, allowing us to model the data over a wide range of plateaus. While experiments are consistent with the ν=5/2 state harboring Moore-Read topological order, they may have measured Coulomb effects rather than an "even-odd effect" due to non-Abelian braiding.

Fractional quantum Hall effect of lattice bosons near commensurate flux.

We study interacting bosons on a lattice in a magnetic field. When the number of flux quanta per plaquette is close to a rational fraction, the low-energy physics is mapped to a multispecies continuum model: bosons in the lowest Landau level where each boson is given an internal degree of freedom, or pseudospin. We find that the interaction potential between the bosons involves terms that do not conserve pseudospin, corresponding to umklapp processes, which in some cases can also be seen as BCS-type pairing terms. We argue that in experimentally realistic regimes for bosonic atoms in optical lattices with synthetic magnetic fields, these terms are crucial for determining the nature of allowed ground states. In particular, we show numerically that certain paired wave functions related to the Moore-Read Pfaffian state are stabilized by these terms, whereas certain other wave functions can be destabilized when umklapp processes become strong.

Topological quantum computing with Read-Rezayi states.

Read-Rezayi fractional quantum Hall states are among the prime candidates for realizing non-Abelian anyons which, in principle, can be used for topological quantum computation. We present a prescription for efficiently finding braids which can be used to carry out a universal set of quantum gates on encoded qubits based on anyons of the Read-Rezayi states with k>2, k not equal 4. This work extends previous results which only applied to the case k=3 (Fibonacci) and clarifies why, in that case, gate constructions are simpler than for a generic Read-Rezayi state.

Numerical analysis of quasiholes of the moore-read wave function.

We demonstrate numerically that non-Abelian quasihole (qh) excitations of the nu=5/2 fractional quantum Hall state have some of the key properties necessary to support quantum computation. We find that as the qh spacing is increased, the unitary transformation which describes winding two qh's around each other converges exponentially to its asymptotic limit and that the two orthogonal wave functions describing a system with four qh's become exponentially degenerate. We calculate the length scales for these two decays to be xi(U) approximately 2.7l(0) and xi(E) approximately 2.3l(0), respectively. Additionally, we determine which fusion channel is lower in energy when two qh's are brought close together.

Reconstruction of volumetric ultrasound panorama based on improved 3D SIFT.

Registration of ultrasound volumes is a key issue for the reconstruction of volumetric ultrasound panorama. In this paper, we propose an improved three-dimensional (3D) scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm to globally register ultrasound volumes acquired from dedicated ultrasound probe, where local deformations are corrected by block-based warping algorithm. Original SIFT algorithm is extended to 3D and improved by combining the SIFT detector with Rohr3D detector to extract complementary features and applying the diffusion distance algorithm for robust feature comparison. Extensive experiments have been performed on both phantom and clinical data sets to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our approach.

Theory of activated transport in bilayer quantum Hall systems.

We analyze the transport properties of bilayer quantum Hall systems at total filling factor nu=1 in drag geometries as a function of interlayer bias, in the limit where the disorder is sufficiently strong to unbind meron-antimeron pairs, the charged topological defects of the system. We compute the typical energy barrier for these objects to cross incompressible regions within the disordered system using a Hartree-Fock approach, and show how this leads to multiple activation energies when the system is biased. We then demonstrate using a bosonic Chern-Simons theory that in drag geometries current in a single layer directly leads to forces on only two of the four types of merons, inducing dissipation only in the drive layer. Dissipation in the drag layer results from interactions among the merons, resulting in very different temperature dependences for the drag and drive layers, in qualitative agreement with experiment.

Bulk-edge coupling in the non-Abelian nu=5/2 quantum hall interferometer.

Recent schemes for probing non-Abelian statistics in the quantum Hall effect are based on geometries where current-carrying quasiparticles flow along edges that encircle bulk quasiparticles, which are localized. Here we consider one such scheme, the Fabry-Perot interferometer, and analyze how its interference patterns are affected by a coupling that allows tunneling of neutral Majorana fermions between the bulk and edge. While at weak coupling this tunneling degrades the interference signal, we find that at strong coupling, the bulk quasiparticle becomes essentially absorbed by the edge and the intereference signal is fully restored. Furthermore, we find that the strength of the coupling can be tuned by the source-drain voltage.

Impact of spin-orbit coupling on quantum Hall nematic phases.

Anisotropic charge transport is observed in a two-dimensional (2D) hole system in a perpendicular magnetic field at filling factors nu=7/2, nu=11/2, and nu=13/2 at low temperature. In stark contrast, the transport at nu=9/2 is isotropic for all temperatures. Isotropic hole transport at nu=7/2 is restored for sufficiently low 2D densities or an asymmetric confining potential. The density and symmetry dependences of the observed anisotropies suggest that strong spin-orbit coupling in the hole system contributes to the unusual transport behavior.

Topological quantum computing with only one mobile quasiparticle.

In a topological quantum computer, universal quantum computation is performed by dragging quasiparticle excitations of certain two dimensional systems around each other to form braids of their world lines in 2 + 1 dimensional space-time. In this Letter we show that any such quantum computation that can be done by braiding n identical quasiparticles can also be done by moving a single quasiparticle around n - 1 other identical quasiparticles whose positions remain fixed.

Vortex lattices in rotating atomic bose gases with dipolar interactions.

We show that dipolar interactions have dramatic effects on the ground states of rotating atomic Bose gases in the weak-interaction limit. With increasing dipolar interaction (relative to the net contact interaction), the mean field, or high filling factor, ground state undergoes a series of transitions between vortex lattices of different symmetries: triangular, square, "stripe," and "bubble" phases. We also study the effects of dipolar interactions on the quantum fluids at low filling factors. We show that the incompressible Laughlin state at filling factor nu = 1/2 is replaced by compressible stripe and bubble phases.

Braid topologies for quantum computation.

In topological quantum computation, quantum information is stored in states which are intrinsically protected from decoherence, and quantum gates are carried out by dragging particlelike excitations (quasiparticles) around one another in two space dimensions. The resulting quasiparticle trajectories define world lines in three-dimensional space-time, and the corresponding quantum gates depend only on the topology of the braids formed by these world lines. We show how to find braids that yield a universal set of quantum gates for qubits encoded using a specific kind of quasiparticle which is particularly promising for experimental realization.

Oscillating sign of drag in high Landau levels.

Motivated by experiments, we study the sign of the Coulomb drag voltage in a double layer system in a strong magnetic field. We show that the commonly used Fermi golden rule approach implicitly assumes a linear dependence of intralayer conductivity on density, and is thus inadequate in strong magnetic fields. Going beyond this approach, we show that the drag voltage commonly changes sign with density difference between the layers. We find that, in the quantum Hall regime, the Hall and longitudinal drag resistivities may be comparable. Our results are also relevant for pumping and acoustoelectric experiments.

The HRIS: what capabilities must it have?

Unfortunately, there are no commonly accepted standards to guide personnel managers in evaluating HRIS (human resources information system) software. Until such standards developed, the advice offered here by author Sidney H. Simon (manager of personnel information systems and benefits administration of Bechtel Power Corporation) will stand the personnel manager in good stead. Focusing on the minimum capabilities that any HRIS should possess, he discusses the basic functions of input, data maintenance, and output in terms of both standard and optional items. This is not to say, however, that the personnel manager need do no homework. Simon emphasizes the importance having carefully and accurately defined the data required to support a company's personnel functions before software evaluation even begins. And he notes that human resources managers will have to familiarize themselves with some of the data processing terminology in use, just as the data processors have to familiarize themselves with personnel terminology. Simon illustrates the text with eight exhibits that clarify the functions explained to help the reader translate the concepts involved in terms of his or her organization's needs.

Negative effects of oral fatty acid supplementation on sweat chloride in cystic fibrosis.

Essential fatty acid supplementation with oral safflower oil (1 gm/kg/day) to 11 cystic fibrosis patients (aged 6 months to 14 years) for one year produced no significant change in sweat chloride concentration (mEq/liter) or sweat rate (gm/min/m2), Addition of vitamin E (10 mg/kg/day) to the safflower oil had no effect on sweat chloride concentration or rate compared to placebo. No clinical improvement could be detected compared to a control group. These results do not support previous reports of the effects of fatty acid supplementation on sweat electrolyte concentrations in cystic fibrosis.

Some factors relating to success and failure of male chronic schizophrenics on their first foster home placement.

The relationship between 9 demographic variables and the success or failure of 102 male chronic schizophrenic patients on their first foster home placement were investigated. "Failure" was defined as staying out of the hospital less than 11 months. Three significant findings all independent of each other showed that compared to the 25 "failures" the 77 "successes" had been older at their first hospitalization, had a shorter period between first hospitalization and placement in a foster home, and had fewer admissions to this hospital. Some factors relating to differences in patients, communities, and the use of tranquilizers are suggested as possible reasons underlying the discrepancies in results between this study and others.