Reconfigurable unitary transformations of optical beam arrays.

Spatial transformations of light are ubiquitous in optics, with examples ranging from simple imaging with a lens to quantum and classical information processing in waveguide meshes. Multi-plane light converter (MPLC) systems have emerged as a platform that promises completely general spatial transformations, i.e.

Recombinant Full-length Plasmodium falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein-Based Vaccine Adjuvanted With Glucopyranosyl Lipid A-Liposome Quillaja saponaria 21: Results of Phase 1 Testing With Malaria Challenge.

Background: Malaria is preventable yet causes >600 000 deaths annually. RTS,S, the first marketed malaria vaccine, has modest efficacy, but improvements are needed for eradication.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, dose escalation phase 1 study of a full-length recombinant circumsporozoite protein vaccine (rCSP) administered with adjuvant glucopyranosyl lipid A-liposome Quillaja saponaria 21 formulation (GLA-LSQ) on days 1, 29, and 85 or 1 and 490 to healthy, malaria-naive adults.

Large-scale optical compression of free-space using an experimental three-lens spaceplate.

Recently introduced, spaceplates achieve the propagation of light for a distance greater than their thickness. In this way, they compress optical space, reducing the required distance between optical elements in an imaging system. Here we introduce a spaceplate based on conventional optics in a 4-f arrangement, mimicking the transfer function of free-space in a thinner system - we term this device a three-lens spaceplate.

A randomized, controlled Phase 1b trial of the Sm-TSP-2 Vaccine for intestinal schistosomiasis in healthy Brazilian adults living in an endemic area.

Background: Recombinant Schistosoma mansoni Tetraspanin-2 formulated on Alhydrogel (Sm-TSP-2/Alhydrogel) is being developed to prevent intestinal and hepatic disease caused by S. mansoni. The tegumentary Sm-TSP-2 antigen was selected based on its unique recognition by cytophilic antibodies in putatively immune individuals living in areas of ongoing S.

Designing high-performance propagation-compressing spaceplates using thin-film multilayer stacks.

The development of metasurfaces has enabled unprecedented portability and functionality in flat optical devices. Spaceplates have recently been introduced as a complementary element to reduce the space between individual metalenses, which will further miniaturize entire imaging devices. However, spaceplates necessitate an optical response which depends on the transverse spatial frequency component of a light field - therefore making it challenging both to design them and to assess their ultimate performance and potential.

Arbitrary optical wave evolution with Fourier transforms and phase masks.

A large number of applications in classical and quantum photonics require the capability of implementing arbitrary linear unitary transformations on a set of optical modes. In a seminal work by Reck et al. [Phys.

Effect of Cations on the Oxidation and Atmospheric Corrosion of Iron Interfaces to Minerals.

Surface corrosion involves a series of redox reactions that are catalyzed by the presence of ions. On infrastructure surfaces and in complex and natural environments, iron surfaces readily undergo redox reactions, impacting chemical processes. In this study, the effect of how cations influence the formation of the mineral scale on iron surfaces and its connection to surface corrosion was investigated in CaCl(aq) and NaCl(aq) electrolytes.

An optic to replace space and its application towards ultra-thin imaging systems.

Centuries of effort to improve imaging has focused on perfecting and combining lenses to obtain better optical performance and new functionalities. The arrival of nanotechnology has brought to this effort engineered surfaces called metalenses, which promise to make imaging devices more compact. However, unaddressed by this promise is the space between the lenses, which is crucial for image formation but takes up by far the most room in imaging systems.

Approaching Quantum-Limited Metrology with Imperfect Detectors by Using Weak-Value Amplification.

Weak-value amplification (WVA) is a metrological protocol that amplifies ultrasmall physical effects. However, the amplified outcomes necessarily occur with highly suppressed probabilities, leading to the extensive debate on whether the overall measurement precision is improved in comparison to that of conventional measurement (CM). Here, we experimentally demonstrate the unambiguous advantages of WVA that overcome practical limitations including noise and saturation of photodetection and maintain a shot-noise-scaling precision for a large range of input light intensity well beyond the dynamic range of the photodetector.

Pump depletion in parametric down-conversion with low pump energies.

We report the efficient generation of high-gain parametric down-conversion, including pump depletion, with pump powers as low as 100 µW (energies 0.1 µJ/pulse) and conversion efficiencies up to 33%. In our simple configuration, the pump beam is tightly focused into a bulk periodically poled lithium niobate crystal placed in free space.

Constraints on Lorentz Invariance Violation from HAWC Observations of Gamma Rays above 100 TeV.

Because of the high energies and long distances to the sources, astrophysical observations provide a unique opportunity to test possible signatures of Lorentz invariance violation (LIV). Superluminal LIV enables the decay of photons at high energy. The high altitude water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is among the most sensitive gamma-ray instruments currently operating above 10 TeV.

Multiple Galactic Sources with Emission Above 56 TeV Detected by HAWC.

We present the first catalog of gamma-ray sources emitting above 56 and 100 TeV with data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory, a wide field-of-view observatory capable of detecting gamma rays up to a few hundred TeV. Nine sources are observed above 56 TeV, all of which are likely galactic in origin. Three sources continue emitting past 100 TeV, making this the highest-energy gamma-ray source catalog to date.

Implementation of nearly arbitrary spatially varying polarization transformations: an in-principle lossless approach using spatial light modulators.

A fast and automated scheme for general polarization transformations holds great value in adaptive optics, quantum information, and virtually all applications involving light-matter and light-light interactions. We present an experiment that uses a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator to perform polarization transformations on a light field. We experimentally demonstrate the point-by-point conversion of uniformly polarized light fields across the wavefront to realize arbitrary, spatially varying polarization states.

A variable partially polarizing beam splitter.

We present designs for variably polarizing beam splitters. These are beam splitters allowing the complete and independent control of the horizontal and vertical polarization splitting ratios. They have quantum optics and quantum information applications, such as quantum logic gates for quantum computing and non-local measurements for quantum state estimation.

Analysis of First-Time Unsuccessful Attempts on the Certified Nurse Educator Examination.

Aim: This retrospective analysis examined first-time unsuccessful attempts on the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) examination from September 2005 through September 2011 (n = 390).

Background: There are few studies examining certification within the academic nurse educator role. There is also a lack of evidence to assist nurse educators in understanding those factors that best support success on the CNE exam.

Determining Complementary Properties with Quantum Clones.

In a classical world, simultaneous measurements of complementary properties (e.g., position and momentum) give a system's state.

The Development of a Clinical Peer Review Tool.

Faculty evaluation for the purpose of promotion and tenure frequently includes peer review as a part of the process. Faculty review by a peer may provide an assessment of teaching effectiveness and information related to the faculty member's professional development activities. This article presents an innovative, evidence-based approach using selected National League for Nursing core competencies and International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning clinical simulation standards in the development of a faculty peer review tool to gather data on clinical teaching to be used during the promotion and tenure process.

Ruthenium Complexes are pH-Activated Metallo Prodrugs (pHAMPs) with Light-Triggered Selective Toxicity Toward Cancer Cells.

Metallo prodrugs that take advantage of the inherent acidity surrounding cancer cells have yet to be developed. We report a new class of pH-activated metallo prodrugs (pHAMPs) that are activated by light- and pH-triggered ligand dissociation. These ruthenium complexes take advantage of a key characteristic of cancer cells and hypoxic solid tumors (acidity) that can be exploited to lessen the side effects of chemotherapy.

Using coherence to enhance function in chemical and biophysical systems.

Coherence phenomena arise from interference, or the addition, of wave-like amplitudes with fixed phase differences. Although coherence has been shown to yield transformative ways for improving function, advances have been confined to pristine matter and coherence was considered fragile. However, recent evidence of coherence in chemical and biological systems suggests that the phenomena are robust and can survive in the face of disorder and noise.

Weak Value Amplification Can Outperform Conventional Measurement in the Presence of Detector Saturation.

Weak value amplification (WVA) is a technique by which one can magnify the apparent strength of a measurement signal. Some have claimed that WVA can outperform more conventional measurement schemes in parameter estimation. Nonetheless, a significant body of theoretical work has challenged this perspective, suggesting WVA to be fundamentally suboptimal.

Super-critical phasematching for photon pair generation in structured light modes.

We propose a method for directly producing radially and azimuthally polarized photon pairs through spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC). This method constitutes a novel geometry for SPDC, in which a radially polarized Bessel-Gauss pump beam is directed into a nonlinear crystal, with the central propagation direction parallel to the crystal axis. The phasematching conditions are controlled by changing the opening angle of the pump beam; as the crystal axis cannot be tuned, we refer to this process as super-critical phasematching.

Direct Measurement of the Density Matrix of a Quantum System.

One drawback of conventional quantum state tomography is that it does not readily provide access to single density matrix elements since it requires a global reconstruction. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a scheme that can be used to directly measure individual density matrix elements of general quantum states. The scheme relies on measuring a sequence of three observables, each complementary to the last.

Observing Dirac's classical phase space analog to the quantum state.

In 1945, Dirac attempted to develop a “formal probability” distribution to describe quantum operators in terms of two noncommuting variables, such as position x and momentum p [Rev. Mod. Phys.

Procedure for direct measurement of general quantum states using weak measurement.

Recent work by Lundeen et al. [Nature (London) 474, 188 (2011)] directly measured the wave function by weakly measuring a variable followed by a normal (i.e.