Albion College

About: Albion College is a education organization based out in Albion, Michigan, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Higher education. The organization has 485 authors who have published 754 publications receiving 20907 citations.

Direct measurement of the Wigner function by photon-number-resolving detection

Abstract: Photon-number-resolving (PNR) detection allows for the direct measurement of the Wigner quasi-probability distribution of an optical mode without the need for numerically processing an inverse Radon transform [Phys Rev Lett76, 4344 (1996)101103/PhysRevLett764344PRLTAO0031-9007] In this work, we reproduced the seminal experiment of Banaszek et al [Phys Rev A60, 674 (1999)101103/PhysRevA60674PLRAAN1050-2947] of quantum tomography of a pure coherent state, and of a statistical mixture thereof, and extended it to the more general case of photon fluxes with much more than one photon per detection time This was made possible by the use of a superconducting transition-edge sensor to perform PNR detection from zero to five photons at 1064 nm, at ∼70% system efficiency and with no dead time We detail signal acquisition and detection efficiency and discuss prospects for applying such quantum tomography to non-Gaussian states

Large Lecture Transformation: Adopting Evidence-Based Practices to Increase Student Engagement and Performance in an Introductory Science Course

Abstract: This study investigated students' attitudes, engagement, satisfaction, and performance in Introduction to Environmental Science after it was transformed from a typical large lecture to a student-centered learning environment. The instructors of the course collaborated with the Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology and radically redesigned the course by adopting evidence-based pedagogical methods and instructional technology to offer a rich active learning environment. Students' engagement, satisfaction, and performance in the transformed course were compared to the students in the same course that was traditionally taught in a previous semester in order to measure the effect of the transformed course on student learning. Four self-reported surveys and a focus group interview were administered during the semester, and performance scores, prior learning data, and demographic information were collected at the end of the semester. The assessment results indicate that the students in the transform...

The Transformation of Urban Politics in France the Roots of Growth Politics and Urban Regimes

Abstract: French urban planning and politics has moved away from traditional spatial and social policy goals toward a new politics of local economic development. The roots of this transformation are found in...

Portable Conduction Velocity Experiments Using Earthworms for the College and High School Neuroscience Teaching Laboratory.

Abstract: The earthworm is ideal for studying action potential conduction velocity in a classroom setting, as its simple linear anatomy allows easy axon length measurements and the worm's sparse coding allows single action potentials to be easily identified. The earthworm has two giant fiber systems (lateral and medial) with different conduction velocities that can be easily measured by manipulating electrode placement and the tactile stimulus. Here, we present a portable and robust experimental setup that allows students to perform conduction velocity measurements within a 30-min to 1-h laboratory session. Our improvement over this well-known preparation is the combination of behaviorally relevant tactile stimuli (avoiding electrical stimulation) with the invention of minimal, low-cost, and portable equipment. We tested these experiments during workshops in both a high school and college classroom environment and found positive learning outcomes when we compared pre- and posttests taken by the students.