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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of pyruvic acid photolysis at the air-liquid interface as a source of aqueous secondary organic aerosols

Pyruvic acid (PA) is a ubiquitous 2-oxocarboxylic acid in the atmosphere. Its photochemical process at the air-liquid (a-l) interface has been suggested as an important source of aqueous secondary organic aerosols. Here, we investigated the photochemical reaction pathways of PA at the a-l interface using synchrotron-based vacuum ultraviolet single-photon ionization mass spectrometry (VUV SPI-MS) coupled with the System for Analysis at the Liquid Vacuum Interface (SALVI) microreactor. Results from mass spectral analysis and the determination of appearance energies (AEs) indicate that photolysis of PA can generate radicals, then they recombine with carboxylic acids and simple molecular oligomers. Furthermore, the preliminary products could form larger oligomers via radical reaction or esterification in the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups. Mass spectral comparison shows that most photochemical reactions would complete within 4 h. The expanded photochemistry-driven reaction flowchart of PA is proposed based on the newly discovered products. Our results reveal that the interfacial PA photochemical reactions have different mechanisms from the bulk liquid due to the interfacial properties, such as molecular density, composition, and ion concentration. Our findings show that in situ mass spectral analysis with bright photon ionization is useful to elucidate the contribution of a-l interfacial reactions leading to aqSOA formation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1984

Atomic inner-shell transitions

Atomic inner-shell processes have quite different characteristics, in several important aspects, from processes in the optical regime. Energies are large, e.g., the 1s binding energy reaches 100 keV at Z = 87; relativistic and quantum-electrodynamic effects therefore are strong. Radiationless transitions vastly dominate over photon emission in most cases. Isolated inner-shell vacancies have pronounced single-particle character, with correlations generally contributing only approximately 1 eV to the 1s and 2p binding energies; the structure of such systems is thus well tractable by independent-particle self-consistent-field atomic models. For systems containing multiple deep inner-shell vacancies, or for highly stripped ions, the importance of relativistic intermediate coupling and configuration interaction becomes pronounced. Cancellation of the Coulomb interaction can lead to strong manifestations of the Breit interaction in such phenomena as multiplet splitting and hypersatellite X-ray shifts. Unique opportunities arise for the test of theory.

Crasemann, B.↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Role of Quantum Science Concepts in Enhancing Sensing and Imaging Technologies: Applications for Biology: Proceedings of a Workshop

Quantum concepts hold the potential to enable significant advances in sensing and imaging technologies that could be vital to the study of biological systems. The workshop Quantum Science Concepts in Enhancing Sensing and Imaging Technologies: Applications for Biology, held online March 8–10, 2021, was organized to examine the research and development needs to advance biological applications of quantum technology. Hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the event brought together experts working on state-of-the-art, quantum-enabled technologies and scientists who are interested in applying these technologies to biological systems. Through talks, panels, and discussions, the workshop facilitated a better understanding of the current and future biological applications of quantum-enabled technologies in fields such as microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, plant science, mycology, and many others. The workshop was organized around three main themes. The first, quantum in biology, examined quantum concepts that are hypothesized to be important for life processes and that researchers are working to observe through biological imaging and sensing. The second, quantum for biology, addressed ways to use quantum concepts to enhance technologies for biological imaging and sensing. The third, biology for quantum, offered a wider discussion of how the frontiers of biological imaging and sensing could enable future study using quantum concepts, tools, or technologies. Throughout the workshop, participants identified a wide range of emerging approaches and opportunities at the intersection of quantum physics and biological sensing and imaging. During the workshop, there were some differences in how each speaker defined the term quantum. During one of the panels, Prem Kumar offered thoughts on what phenomena are classical versus quantum, explaining that techniques get progressively more quantum as you move from just having superposition to having superposition with measurement and entanglement. Another explanation from Clarice Aiello delineates the definition into several levels. This includes a base level of “quantum-ness,” which reflects that all matter is made of atoms, and when these particles are isolated they behave based on quantum mechanical principles. A second level is related to quantum coherence, where a single quantum object might be found in a coherent superposition state. A final level, which she described as the quantum-entangled level, involves multiple quantum systems which are entangled among themselves. Overall, the workshop touched on concepts such as superposition, entanglement, and squeezing and their potential implications for communication, computing, and simulation, in addition to the workshop’s main focal area, biological sensing and imaging. At the opening of the workshop, Thorsten Ritz of the University of California, Irvine, identified two questions at the heart of quantum biology: Is the machinery of life quantum mechanical, and can quantum mechanics be used to study the machinery of life in new ways? Participants highlighted systems in which researchers have explored these questions, from the vast array of molecular interactions involved in biological processes such as photosynthesis, to the mechanics involved in cellular functions such as differentiation and aggregation, to the role of oscillating magnetic fields in flight orientation among birds. Sensing and imaging technologies are crucial to biological research; these technologies could both enhance the study of quantum effects and be enhanced by quantum concepts. A critical challenge in biological research is to develop imaging and sensing tools that do not damage or interfere with the often fragile and fleeting systems being studied. Attendees discussed a variety of established and emerging technologies that could enhance noninvasive biological imaging, including single- and two-photon spectroscopy, single-molecule spectroscopy, quantum illumination, ghost imaging, and cryo-electron microscopy. One example came from Marlan Scully who gave a keynote address on the first day of the workshop. Scully emphasized the use of different laser technologies, which exhibit coherence and other quantum properties, in moving toward real-world biological applications, such as the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Both tools and theory will play an important role in advancing quantum biology research and applications. Several participants suggested theorists and experimentalists should work in tandem to understand and model biological processes. While physics often reduces systems to their simplest forms for fundamental insights, participants also noted the value of observing and understanding biological systems in all their “messiness,” capturing both the inner workings of biological systems and the complex interactions that occur within and between organisms. In discussions among participants, several attendees stressed the need to match emerging tools with the right scientific questions. Rather than developing quantum technologies as “a hammer looking for a nail,” participants emphasized a focus on exploring the problems these technologies are best suited to address. For example, it is important to consider the size of the phenomenon being studied, the timescales that are important in answering the scientific question, and other relevant considerations. Every tool along the spectrum from classical to quantum involves its own set of trade-offs. For example, Ted Laurence of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said that quantum measurements, such as single photon counting, fluorescence transitions, and lasers, can take longer to produce the same results as classical measurements. These quantum measurements, however, do not require calibration and can enable new research questions to be answered. Prem Kumar, Northwestern University, noted that, despite their promise, quantum approaches should not be used simply for the sake of using quantum, especially in situations where classical approaches better meet the needs of the researcher. Understanding and applying quantum concepts could enable advances in a wide range of application areas including energy, synthetic biology, medicine, and sustainability. For example, Michelle O’Malley, University of California, Santa Barbara, described how improved noninvasive imaging approaches could help capture the complex interactions and functions involved in the breakdown of organic matter by microbial communities and lead to new technologies for capturing valuable products from plant waste. Several other participants discussed needs in tracking the movement of metabolites and molecules in microbial communities for insights into nutrient cycling in environments such as soil. Margaret Ahmad, Sorbonne University, discussed potential opportunities to leverage the magnetic properties of cryptochromes to advance new treatment approaches for diseases such as COVID-19 and cancer. Looking toward the future development of the field, participants discussed challenges to advancing quantum biology that arise from disciplinary disconnects between physicists and biologists. The siloing of academic research disciplines represents a significant barrier to progress. Disconnects in terminology, motivations and priorities, and structural barriers to collaborative work underscore the need for concerted efforts to bridge these divides. Attendees and speakers offered suggestions for resolving these divergences, establishing a shared language, moving the field forward, and fostering meaningful feedback between disciplines. Overall, participants stressed a need for balance, open communication, collaboration, unity, and clear dialogue on trade-offs between quantum and classical approaches. Keiko Torii, The University of Texas at Austin, said that the best collaborations happen when the project provides mutual advantages that can show off everyone’s talents, each team finds the work interesting, and partners develop a camaraderie to pursue new knowledge. To enable near- and long-term opportunities in this space, participants suggested that exploratory, high-risk funding could improve existing instrumentation to explore quantum enhancement collaboratively. They also emphasized the need for collaboration between quantum physicists and sensing/imaging scientists, which could be advanced through a dedicated quantum biology investigator program. People, even more than technology, will be crucial to the future of quantum biology. Participants explored training, education, and workforce needs to further develop this burgeoning field and cultivate the next generation of scientists. While many programs are still in their nascent stages, participants highlighted examples of approaches and programs being developed at various types of institutions to engage students and professional scientists in quantum biology research. Several participants stressed the need for an inclusive approach, spanning disciplines as well as communities to foster a diverse field fueled by the intellectual contributions of a wide range of people, including historically under-resourced schools and students. To increase awareness and excitement about quantum physics and related areas of biology, attendees suggested capitalizing on the “buzz” around quantum. Several participants emphasized the need to start early, introducing students to quantum concepts and their appealing “weirdness” in K–12 education. Engaging students early—before they become entrenched in traditional disciplinary siloes as typically happens in graduate school—could help to galvanize interest in the area and foster a generation of scientists with the interdisciplinary mindset and skills needed to advance this interdisciplinary field. While these efforts could be advanced at many levels and across multiple sectors, several participants suggested a national quantum biology center could be a valuable hub to coordinate and support quantum biology education and workforce development across academia, industry, and government.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Time-walk and jitter correction in SNSPDs at high count rates

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a leading detector type for time correlated single photon counting, especially in the near-infrared. When operated at high count rates, SNSPDs exhibit increased timing jitter caused by internal device properties and features of the RF amplification chain. Variations in RF pulse height and shape lead to variations in the latency of timing measurements. To compensate for this, we demonstrate a calibration method that correlates delays in detection events with the time elapsed between pulses. The increase in jitter at high rates can be largely canceled in software by applying corrections derived from the calibration process. We demonstrate our method with a single-pixel tungsten silicide SNSPD and show it decreases high count rate jitter. The technique is especially effective at removing a long tail that appears in the instrument response function at high count rates. At a count rate of 11.4 MCounts/s, we reduce the full width at 1% maximum level (FW1%M) by 45%. The method, therefore, enables certain quantum communication protocols that are rate-limited by the FW1%M metric to operate almost twice as fast.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Effect of Many Modes on Self-Polarization and Photochemical Suppression in Cavities

The standard description of cavity-modified molecular reactions typically involves a single (resonant) mode, while in reality the quantum cavity supports a range of photon modes. In this work we demonstrate that as more photon modes are accounted for, physico-chemical phenomena can dramatically change, as illustrated by the cavity-induced suppression of the important and ubiquitous process of proton-coupled electron-transfer. Using a multi-trajectory Ehrenfest treatment for the photonmodes, we find that self-polarization effects become essential, and we introduce the concept of selfpolarization- modified Born-Oppenheimer surfaces as a new construct to analyze dynamics. As the number of cavity photon modes increases, the increasing deviation of these surfaces from the cavityfree Born-Oppenheimer surfaces, together with the interplay between photon emission and absorption inside the widening bands of these surfaces, leads to enhanced suppression. The present findings are general and will have implications for the description and control of cavity-driven physical processes of molecules, nanostructures and solids embedded in cavities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ultrafast infrared plasmon switching in aligned carbon-nanotube optical resonators

Reconfigurable plasmonic materials are crucial components in active photonic devices for optical communication, signal processing, and sensing applications. Certain candidates including transparent conducting oxides, small-bandgap semiconductors (i.e. Ge, InSb), and conducting polymers can exhibit switchable free carrier concentrations triggered by optical, electrical or thermal excitations. Here, we show that aligned films of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can serve as all-optically tunable plasmonic material in the mid-infrared range, thereby adding them to the library of switchable plasmonic materials. Interband optical pumping with femtosecond laser pulses results in the photoexcitation of free charge carriers, which transiently blueshifts the plasmon resonances of patterned, periodic SWCNT nano-resonators spanning the mid-infrared spectral range from 1700 to 2700 cm -1 . Furthermore. the ultrafast plasmon modulation exhibits a nearly single-picosecond decay time, attributed to interband carrier relaxation and inter-tube charge transfer. Given that aligned films of SWCNTs have high thermal stability, excellent photostability, epsilon-near-zero property, and extremely large optical anisotropy, their dynamic tunability represents a promising pathway towards active optical devices in the technologically important mid-infrared range.

single-walled carbon nanotubes↗
NASA NTRS2017

Rapid Generation of Large Dimension Photon Sieve Designs

A photon sieve is a revolutionary optical instrument that provides high resolution imaging at a fraction of the weight of typical telescopes (areal density of 0.3 kg/m2 compared to 25 kg/m2 for the James Webb Space Telescope). The photon sieve is a variation of a Fresnel Zone Plate consisting of many small holes spread out in a ring-like pattern, which focuses light of a specific wavelength by diffraction. The team at NASA Langley Research Center has produced a variety of small photon sieves for testing. However, it is necessary to increase both the scale and rate of production, as a single sieve previously took multiple weeks to design and fabricate. This report details the different methods used in producing photon sieve designs in two file formats: CIF and DXF. The difference between these methods, and the two file formats were compared, to determine the most efficient design process. Finally, a step-by-step sieve design and fabrication process was described. The design files can be generated in both formats using an editing tool such as Microsoft Excel. However, an approach using a MATLAB program reduced the computing time of the designs and increased the ability of the user to generate large photon sieve designs. Although the CIF generation process was deemed the most efficient, the design techniques for both file types have been proven to generate complete photon sieves that can be used for scientific applications

Hariharan, Shravan↗
DOE OSTI2021

Seamless High-Q Microwave Cavities for Multimode Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics

Multimode cavity quantum electrodynamics ---where a two-level system interacts simultaneously with many cavity modes---provides a versatile framework for quantum information processing and quantum optics. Due to the combination of long coherence times and large interaction strengths, one of the leading experimental platforms for cavity QED involves coupling a superconducting circuit to a 3D microwave cavity. In this work, we realize a 3D multimode circuit QED system with single photon lifetimes of $2$ ms and cooperativities of $0.5-1.5\times10^9$ across 9 modes of a novel seamless cavity. We demonstrate a variety of protocols for universal single-mode quantum control applicable across all cavity modes, using only a single drive line. We achieve this by developing a straightforward flute method for creating monolithic superconducting microwave cavities that reduces loss while simultaneously allowing control of the mode spectrum and mode-qubit interaction. We highlight the flexibility and ease of implementation of this technique by using it to fabricate a variety of 3D cavity geometries, providing a template for engineering multimode quantum systems with exceptionally low dissipation. This work is an important step towards realizing hardware efficient random access quantum memories and processors, and for exploring quantum many-body physics with photons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Proposal for a quantum random number generator using coherent light and a non-classical observable

The prototype quantum random number (random bit) generator (QRNG) consists of one photon at a time falling on a 50:50 beam splitter followed by random detection in one or the other output beams due to the irreducible probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. Due to the difficulties in producing single photons on demand, in practice, pulses of weak coherent (laser) light are used. In this paper, we take a different approach, one that uses moderate coherent light. It is shown that a QRNG can be implemented by performing photon-number parity measurements. For moderate coherent light, the probabilities of obtaining even or odd parity in photon counts are 0.5 each. Photon counting with single-photon resolution can be performed through use of a cascade of beam splitters and single-photon detectors, as was done recently in a photon-number parity-based interferometry experiment involving coherent light. We highlight the point that unlike most quantum-based random number generators, our proposal does not require the use of classical de-biasing algorithms or post-processing of the generated bit sequence.

Gerry, Christopher C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Imaging techniques in X-ray astronomy.

Some of the imaging problems encountered in space-borne X-ray astronomy are reviewed, along with the techniques considered for their solution. Following a discussion of X-ray focussing and X-ray image processing, the development of X-ray imaging devices is surveyed. It is shown that the imaging devices that will be used in X-ray astronomy will take advantage of developments intended for infrared and optical astronomy. The special requirements of X-ray observation - especially, single photon detection and high time resolution - rule out the use of existing devices, particularly because of readout problems.

Gursky, H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Reaction rate and energy-loss rate for photopair production by relativistic nuclei

The process of e(+/-) pair production by relativistic nuclei on ambient photons is considered. The process is important for cosmic-ray nuclei in interstellar and intergalactic space as well as in galactic and extragalactic compact objects. The rate of this process is given by an integral of the cross section over the photon angular and energy distribution. In the case of isotropic photons, the angular integration is performed to provide an expression for the rate at given photon energy in the nucleus rest frame. The total rate then becomes a single integral of that rate over the photon energy distribution. Formulas are also given for the fractional energy loss of a relativistic nucleus colliding with a photon of a given energy in the rest frame. The nucleus energy-loss rate is integrated over the photon angular distribution in the case of isotropic photons, and simple fits are provided.

Chodorowski, Michal J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Probing Coherent States of Light and Matter in Two-Dimensional Semiconductors. Final Report

The ability to enhance light-matter interactions in engineered optical environments is well-established in micro- and nano-photonics. New classes of materials bring new rich correlations between spin, momentum, and light polarization that can be exploited in these photonic systems for information processing and low-power electronics. Interfacing these novel material features with strong optical interactions suggests the compelling capability to create hybrid light-matter systems harnessing low-energy and protected material properties such as spin. The long-term objective of this program was to investigate the interplay between pseudospin in 2D materials and light, revealing new coherent phenomena. The materials studied are the monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which support polarization-sensitive optical transitions when isolated to a single sub-nanometer crystal layer in thickness. In particular, monolayer TMD semiconductors such as MoS 2 exhibit degenerate valleys in momentum space with distinct spin character. These valleys can be separately addressed by circularly polarized light, providing a tool for manipulation. Integrating this valley pseudospin of excitons in monolayer TMDs with engineered strong optical excitations to create novel coherent phenomena was a key long-term goal of this research. The scope of this research primarily focused on studying light-matter interactions of valley-sensitive excitations in monolayer TMDs. The scope also included the integration of monolayer materials that support valley-polarized emission into photonic devices. This approach extends prior work on exciton-polaritons in 2D materials toward a platform with far more control and improved light input and output characteristics to aid scalability of these polarization-sensitive phenomena to many-body, long-range optical networks. During the course of the five-year Early Career program, the approaches led to successful progress on each proposed aim. Initial successful work seeded additional research that developed from the main themes, while this program focus evolved toward coherent manipulation of valley polaritons and integration with photonics. Both of these advanced topics set the stage for new capabilities in future innovative research. The results of this project provide advances in materials and methods relevant for new visions of opto-electronics and photonics that can improve information processing in an era of increased focus on quantum and coherent phenomena. The research has also contributed to the training of two postdoctoral scholars and five graduate students.

2D Materials↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultrahigh‐Flux X‐ray Detection by a Solution‐Grown Perovskite CsPbBr 3 Single‐Crystal Semiconductor Detector

Abstract Solution‐processed perovskites are promising for hard X‐ray and gamma‐ray detection, but there are limited reports on their performance under extremely intense X‐rays. Here, a solution‐grown all‐inorganic perovskite CsPbBr 3 single‐crystal semiconductor detector capable of operating at ultrahigh X‐ray flux of 10 10 photons s −1 mm −2 is reported. High‐quality solution‐grown CsPbBr 3 single crystals are fabricated into detectors with a Schottky diode structure of eutectic gallium indium/CsPbBr 3 /Au. A high reverse‐bias voltage of 1000 V (435 V mm − 1 ) can be applied with a small and stable dark current of ≈60–70 nA (≈9–10 nA mm − 2 ), which enables a high sensitivity larger than 10 000 µC Gy air −1 cm − 2 and a simultaneous low detection limit of 22 nGy air s − 1 . The CsPbBr 3 semiconductor detector shows an excellent photocurrent linearity and reproducibility under 58.61 keV synchrotron X‐rays with flux from 10 6 to 10 10 photons s − 1 mm − 2 . Defect characterization by thermally stimulated current spectroscopy shows a similar low defect density of a synchrotron X‐ray and a lab X‐ray irradiated device. Solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggests that the excellent performance of the solution‐grown CsPbBr 3 single crystal may be associated with its good short‐range order, comparable to the spectrometer‐grade melt‐grown CsPbBr 3 .

Pan, Lei↗
NASA NTRS2008

The ALI-ARMS Code for Modeling Atmospheric non-LTE Molecular Band Emissions: Current Status and Applications

The Accelerated Lambda Iteration (ALI) technique was developed in stellar astrophysics at the beginning of 1990s for solving the non-LTE radiative transfer problem in atomic lines and multiplets in stellar atmospheres. It was later successfully applied to modeling the non-LTE emissions and radiative cooling/heating in the vibrational-rotational bands of molecules in planetary atmospheres. Similar to the standard lambda iterations ALI operates with the matrices of minimal dimension. However, it provides higher convergence rate and stability due to removing from the iterating process the photons trapped in the optically thick line cores. In the current ALI-ARMS (ALI for Atmospheric Radiation and Molecular Spectra) code version additional acceleration of calculations is provided by utilizing the opacity distribution function (ODF) approach and "decoupling". The former allows replacing the band branches by single lines of special shape, whereas the latter treats non-linearity caused by strong near-resonant vibration-vibrational level coupling without additional linearizing the statistical equilibrium equations. Latest code application for the non-LTE diagnostics of the molecular band emissions of Earth's and Martian atmospheres as well as for the non-LTE IR cooling/heating calculations are discussed.

Kutepov, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Simplified Architecture for Precise Aiming of a Deep-Space Communication Laser Transceiver

The simplified architecture is a minimal system for a deep-space optical communications transceiver. For a deepspace optical communications link the simplest form of the transceiver requires (1) an efficient modulated optical source, (2) a point-ahead mechanism (PAM) to compensate for two-way light travel, (3) an aperture to reduce the divergence of the transmit laser communication signal and also to collect the uplink communication signal, and (4) a receive detector to sense the uplink communication signal. Additional components are introduced to mitigate for spacecraft microvibrations and to improve the pointing accuracy. The Canonical Transceiver implements this simplified architecture (see figure). A single photon-counting smart focal plane sensor combines acquisition, tracking, and forward link data detection functionality. This improves optical efficiency by eliminating channel splits. A transmit laser blind sensor (e.g. silicon with 1,550-nm beam) provides transmit beam-pointing feedback via the two-photon absorption (TPA) process. This vastly improves the transmit/receive isolation because only the focused transmit beam is detected. A piezoelectric tiptilt actuator implements the required point-ahead angle. This point-ahead mechanism has been demonstrated to have near zero quiescent power and is flight qualified. This architecture also uses an innovative 100-mHz resonant frequency passive isolation platform to filter spacecraft vibrations with voice coil actuators for active tip-tilt correction below the resonant frequency. The canonical deep-space optical communications transceiver makes synergistic use of innovative technologies to reduce size, weight, power, and cost. This optical transceiver can be used to retire risks associated with deep-space optical communications on a planetary pathfinder mission and is complementary to ongoing lunar and access link developments.

Ortiz, Gerard G.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Non-Gaussian photonic state engineering with the quantum frequency processor

Non-Gaussian quantum states of light are critical resources for optical quantum information processing, but methods to generate them efficiently remain challenging to implement. Here we introduce a generic approach for non-Gaussian state production from input states populating discrete frequency bins. Based on controllable unitary operations with a quantum frequency processor, followed by photon-number-resolved detection of ancilla modes, our method combines recent developments in both frequency-based quantum information and non-Gaussian state preparation. Leveraging and refining the K-function representation of quantum states in the coherent basis, we develop a theoretical model amenable to numerical optimization and, as specific examples, design quantum frequency processor circuits for the production of Schrödinger cat states, exploring the performance tradeoffs for several combinations of ancilla modes and circuit depth. Our scheme provides a valuable framework for producing complex quantum states in frequency bins, paving the way for single-spatial-mode, fiber-optic-compatible non-Gaussian resources.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

First results on ProtoDUNE-SP liquid argon time projection chamber performance from a beam test at the CERN Neutrino Platform

The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber with an active volume of 7.2× 6.1× 7.0 m3. It is installed at the CERN Neutrino Platform in a specially-constructed beam that delivers charged pions, kaons, protons, muons and electrons with momenta in the range 0.3 GeV/c to 7 GeV/c. Beam line instrumentation provides accurate momentum measurements and particle identification. The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a prototype for the first far detector module of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and it incorporates full-size components as designed for that module. This paper describes the beam line, the time projection chamber, the photon detectors, the cosmic-ray tagger, the signal processing and particle reconstruction. It presents the first results on ProtoDUNE-SP's performance, including noise and gain measurements, dE/dx calibration for muons, protons, pions and electrons, drift electron lifetime measurements, and photon detector noise, signal sensitivity and time resolution measurements. The measured values meet or exceed the specifications for the DUNE far detector, in several cases by large margins. ProtoDUNE-SP's successful operation starting in 2018 and its production of large samples of high-quality data demonstrate the effectiveness of the single-phase far detector design.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2026

Universal Jaynes-Cummings Control of an Oscillator

The Jaynes-Cummings (JC) interaction-the coherent exchange of excitations between a two-level system and a harmonic oscillator-is one of the fundamental interactions of quantum optics, realized across platforms such as cavity quantum electrodynamics, trapped ions, mechanical resonators, and superconducting circuits. Although JC interactions and qubit rotations form a universal gate set for oscillator control, practical implementations have not been demonstrated. Here we develop and experimentally demonstrate universal JC-based oscillator control by compiling arbitrary unitary gates into sequences of JC interactions and qubit rotations. In our experiment, the oscillator is realized using a mode of a high quality factor microwave cavity and the ancilla qubit using a superconducting transmon circuit, with the JC interaction implemented by a sideband interaction enabled by the Josephson nonlinearity. The native gates are constructed to be closed below a chosen cutoff photon number, encoding a qudit with suppressed leakage errors, while ancilla relaxation errors are detectable. We further find that the dispersive shift serves as a compilation resource that reduces circuit depths. We demonstrate universal qudit control and implement a single-qutrit gate set with a mean post-selected process fidelity of 96%, as well as ququart and ququint shift gates. These results establish Jaynes-Cummings control as a practical route to universal oscillator control, enabling programmable bosonic processors across a variety of quantum platforms.

Huang, Jordan [Rutgers U., Piscataway]↗