Algorithmic decoding of dense OAM signal constellations for optical communications in turbulence.

We demonstrate an optical detection and decoding strategy to increase the information rate and spectral efficiency of free-space laser communication links affected by turbulence by means of dense orbital angular momentum (OAM) modulation. Using three candidate receiver architectures-based on a Shack-Hartmann sensor, a Mode Sorter, and a complex conjugate projection scheme as a base case-we demonstrate an algorithmic classification system based on the received OAM spectra produced by these architectures. This classification scheme allows low-error-rate data transmission in turbulence using 16-OAM, 32-OAM, and 64-OAM symbol constellations, with OAM states between -20 and 20. We evaluate and compare their performance under weak to strong atmospheric turbulence conditions using an accuracy metric and confusion matrices.

Spatial-diversity detection of optical vortices for OAM signal modulation.

We propose a method for identifying orbital angular momentum (OAM) states within a vortex superposition using a Shack-Hartmann (SH) sensor as a spatial-diversity detector. We define a local OAM at every pixel of the SH image, from which we construct an OAM spectrum. The topological charges are determined from the OAM spectrum using a low-complexity algorithm, resulting in estimates that are robust to beam wandering. Data from a 200 m experimental transmission are successfully tested using the proposed technique.

Study of Resting-State Functional Connectivity Networks Using EEG Electrodes Position As Seed.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the standard diagnosis method for a wide variety of diseases such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, encephalopathies, and coma, among others. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) is currently a technique used in research in both healthy individuals as well as patients. EEG and fMRI are procedures used to obtain direct and indirect measurements of brain neural activity: EEG measures the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp, and fMRI detects the changes in blood oxygenation that occur in response to neural activity. EEG has a high temporal resolution and low spatial resolution, while fMRI has high spatial resolution and low temporal resolution. Thus, the combination of EEG with rs-fMRI using different methods could be very useful for research and clinical applications. In this article, we describe and show the results of a new methodology for processing rs-fMRI using seeds positioned according to the 10-10 EEG standard. We analyze the functional connectivity and adjacency matrices obtained using 65 seeds based on 10-10 EEG scheme and 21 seeds based on 10-20 EEG. Connectivity networks are created using each 10-20 EEG seeds and are analyzed by comparisons to the seven networks that have been found in recent studies. The proposed method captures high correlation between contralateral seeds, ipsilateral and contralateral occipital seeds, and some in the frontal lobe.

Influence of turbulence strength on temporal correlation of scintillation.

Through extensive laboratory experimentation we demonstrate that the temporal frequency content of turbulence-induced scintillation strongly depends on the temperature gradient exerted at the propagation path of a collimated laser beam. We find a power law relating the turbulence strength induced by convection with the vertical temperature gradient and we show that the cutoff frequency of scintillation shows an approximately linear growth with turbulence strength, measured by angle-of-arrival fluctuations. The impact of these findings are discussed in the context of free-space optical communications.

Bifurcations of lurching waves in a thalamic neuronal network.

We consider a two-layer, one-dimensional lattice of neurons; one layer consists of excitatory thalamocortical neurons, while the other is comprised of inhibitory reticular thalamic neurons. Such networks are known to support "lurching" waves, for which propagation does not appear smooth, but rather progresses in a saltatory fashion; these waves can be characterized by different spatial widths (different numbers of neurons active at the same time). We show that these lurching waves are fixed points of appropriately defined Poincaré maps, and follow these fixed points as parameters are varied. In this way, we are able to explain observed transitions in behavior, and, in particular, to show how branches with different spatial widths are linked with each other. Our computer-assisted analysis is quite general and could be applied to other spatially extended systems which exhibit this non-trivial form of wave propagation.

Oscillatory thermomechanical instability of an ultrathin catalyst.

Because of the small thermal capacity of ultrathin ( approximately 200 nanometers) metal single crystals, it is possible to explore the coupling of catalytic and thermal action at low pressures. We analyzed a chemothermomechanical instability in this regime, in which catalytic reaction kinetics interact with heat transfer and mechanical buckling to create oscillations. These interacting components are separated and explored through experimentation, mathematical modeling, and scientific computation, and an explanation of the phenomenon emerges from their synthesis.