THIN-FILM BIPBSRCACUO DIRECT-CURRENT SUPERCONDUCTING QUANTUM INTERFERING DEVICES OPERATING AT 78-K

Direct current SQUIDs (superconducting quantum interference devices) have been successfully fabricated by using a Pb-doped BiSrCaCuO superconducting thin film made by mixed evaporation of a single source composed of related components with a resistance heater. The dc SQUID comprises a square washer with a small hole. These SQUIDs show perfectly periodic voltage-flux characteristics without magnetic shield, that is, typically, the flux noise and energy resolution at a frequency range from dc to 1 Hz and at 78 K being 1.7 x 10(-3) PHI-0/ square-root Hz and 3.6 x 10(-26) J/Hz, respectively. Meanwhile, we have found out that one of the SQUIDs still was able to operate on flux-locked mode without bias currents and showed voltage-flux second harmonic characteristics. This phenomenon is not well understood, but it may be related to I-V (current-voltage) characteristics of the dc SQUID.

Effects of Noise and Detection Error in a Dynamic Adaptive Optics System

It is well known that noise and detection error can affect the performances of an adaptive optics (AO) system. Effects of noise and detection error on the phase compensation effectiveness in a dynamic AO system are investigated by means of a pure numerical simulation in this paper. A theoretical model for numerically simulating effects of noise and detection error in a static AO system and a corresponding computer program were presented in a previous article. A numerical simulation of effects of noise and detection error is combined with our previous numeral simulation of a dynamic AO system in this paper and a corresponding computer program has been compiled. Effects of detection error, readout noise and photon noise are included and investigated by a numerical simulation for finding the preferred working conditions and the best performances in a practical dynamic AO system. An approximate model is presented as well. Under many practical conditions such approximate model is a good alternative to the more accurate one. A simple algorithm which can be used for reducing the effect of noise is presented as well. When signal to noise ratio is very low, such method can be used to improve the performances of a dynamic AO system.

First-passage time of Duffing oscillator under combined harmonic and white-noise excitations

The first-passage time of Duffing oscillator under combined harmonic and white-noise excitations is studied. The equation of motion of the system is first reduced to a set of averaged Ito stochastic differential equations by using the stochastic averaging method. Then, a backward Kolmogorov equation governing the conditional reliability function and a set of generalized Pontryagin equations governing the conditional moments of first-passage time are established. Finally, the conditional reliability function, and the conditional probability density and moments of first-passage time are obtained by solving the backward Kolmogorov equation and generalized Pontryagin equations with suitable initial and boundary conditions. Numerical results for two resonant cases with several sets of parameter values are obtained and the analytical results are verified by using those from digital simulation.

Quantum Monte Carlo study of the CO interaction with a dimer model surface for Cr(110)

The chemisorption of CO on a Cr( 110) surface is investigated using the quantum Monte Carlo method in the diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) variant and a model Cr2CO cluster. The present results are consistent with the earlier ab initio HF study with this model that showed the tilted/ near-parallel orientation as energetically favoured over the perpendicular arrangement. The DMC energy difference between the two orientations is larger (1.9 eV) than that computed in the previous study. The distribution and reorganization of electrons during CO adsorption on the model surface are analysed using the topological electron localization function method that yields electron populations, charge transfer and clear insight on the chemical bonding that occurs with CO adsorption and dissociation on the model surface.

Optimal bounded control of first-passage failure of strongly non-linear oscillators under combined harmonic and white-noise excitations

A procedure for designing the optimal bounded control of strongly non-linear oscillators under combined harmonic and white-noise excitations for minimizing their first-passage failure is proposed. First, a stochastic averaging method for strongly non-linear oscillators under combined harmonic and white-noise excitations using generalized harmonic functions is introduced. Then, the dynamical programming equations and their boundary and final time conditions for the control problems of maximizing reliability and of maximizing mean first-passage time are formulated from the averaged Ito equations by using the dynamical programming principle. The optimal control law is derived from the dynamical programming equations and control constraint. Finally, the conditional reliability function, the conditional probability density and mean of the first-passage time of the optimally controlled system are obtained from solving the backward Kolmogorov equation and Pontryagin equation. An example is given to illustrate the proposed procedure and the results obtained are verified by using those from digital simulation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum and variational monte-carlo interaction potentials for li2 (x1-sigma-g+)

Optimized trial functions are used in quantum Monte Carlo and variational Monte Carlo calculations of the Li₂(X ¹Σ⁺_g) potential curve. The trial functions used are a product of a Slater determinant of molecular orbitals multiplied by correlation functions of electron—nuclear and electron—electron separation. The parameters of the determinant and correlation functions are optimized simultaneously by reducing the deviations of the local energy E_L (E_L  Ψ⁻¹_THΨ_T, where Ψ_T denotes a trial function) over a fixed sample. At the equilibrium separation, the variational Monte Carlo and quantum Monte Carlo methods recover 68% and 98% of the correlation energy, respectively. At other points on the curves, these methods yield similar accuracies.

Optimization of tried wave-function in quantum monte-carlo method

A method for optimizing tried wave functions in quantum Monte Carlo method has been found and used to calculate the energies of molecules, such as H-2, Li-2, H-3+, H-3 and H-4. Good results were obtained.

Measurement of high-voltage pulses employing a quartz pockels cell

A high-voltage measuring system, employing a quartz Pockels cell, is described. The system is capable of a large voltage range, a fast response time (ns), a high SNR, an excellent accuracy, a good linearity, and high reliability. Furthermore, the Pockels cell can be isolated from ground potential. Equally important, the detection system can be isolated from sources of electrical noise present in, for example, fast discharges.

Computation of turbulence-generated noise by large-eddy simulation

The hybrid method of large eddy simulation (LES) and the Lighthill analogy is being developed to compute the sound radiated from turbulent flows. The results obtained from the hybrid method are often contaminated by the absence of small scales in LES, since the energy level of sound is much smaller than that of turbulent flows. Previous researches investigate the effects of subgrid sacle (SGS) eddies on the frequency spectra of sound radiated by isotropic turbulence and suggest a SGS noise model to represent the SGS contributions to the frequency spectra. Their investigations are conducted in physical space and are unavoidably influenced by boundary conditions. In this paper, we propose to perform such calculations in Fourier space so that the effects of boundary conditions can be correctly treated. Posteriori tests are carried out to investigate the SGS contribution to the sound. The results obtained recover the -7/2 law within certain wave-number ranges, but under-estimate the amplitudes of the frequency spectra. The reason for the underestimation is also discussed.

A delay model for noise-induced bi-directional switching

Many biological systems can switch between two distinct states. Once switched, the system remains stable for a period of time and may switch back to its original state. A gene network with bistability is usually required for the switching and stochastic effect in the gene expression may induce such switching. A typical bistable system allows one-directional switching, in which the switch from the low state to the high state or from the high state to the low state occurs under different conditions. It is usually difficult to enable bi-directional switching such that the two switches can occur under the same condition. Here, we present a model consisting of standard positive feedback loops and an extra negative feedback loop with a time delay to study its capability to produce bi-directional switching induced by noise. We find that the time delay in the negative feedback is critical for robust bi-directional switching and the length of delay affects its switching frequency.

Quantum Efficiency And Temperature Coefficients Of Gainp/Gaas Dual-Junction Solar Cell

GaInP/GaAs dual-junction solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 25.2% has been fabricated using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique. Quantum efficiencies of the solar cell were measured within a temperature range from 25 to 160A degrees C. The results indicate that the quantum efficiencies of the subcells increase slightly with the increasing temperature. And red-shift phenomena of absorption limit for all subcells are observed by increasing the cell's work temperature, which are consistent with the viewpoint of energy gap narrowing effect. The short-circuit current density temperature coefficients dJ (sc)/dT of GaInP subcell and GaAs subcell are determined to be 8.9 and 7.4 mu A/cm(2)/A degrees C from the quantum efficiency data, respectively. And the open-circuit cell voltage temperature coefficients dV (oc)/dT calculated based on a theoretical equation are -2.4 mV/A degrees C and -2.1 mV/A degrees C for GaInP subcell and GaAs subcell.

Coherent quantum control of atomic and molecular processes by using the technique of laser pulses

Several schemes for coherent quantum control of atomic and molecular processes have been proposed and investigated by using the techniques of adiabatic passage and ultrashort pulses, respectively. Some interesting results have been found.

Enhancing Kerr nonlinearity in an asymmetric double quantum well via Fano interference

We investigate the enhancement of Kerr nonlinearity in an asymmetric GaAs double quantum well via Fano interference, which is caused by tunneling from the excited subband to the continuum. In our structure, owing to Fano interference, the Kerr nonlinearity can be enhanced by appropriately choosing the values of the detunings and the intensity of the pump field, while cancel the linear and nonlinear absorptions.