University of California, Santa Barbara

About: University of California, Santa Barbara is a education organization based out in Santa Barbara, California, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 30281 authors who have published 80852 publications receiving 4626827 citations. The organization is also known as: UC Santa Barbara & UCSB.

Big data and the future of ecology

Abstract: The need for sound ecological science has escalated alongside the rise of the information age and “big data” across all sectors of society. Big data generally refer to massive volumes of data not readily handled by the usual data tools and practices and present unprecedented opportunities for advancing science and inform- ing resource management through data-intensive approaches. The era of big data need not be propelled only by “big science” – the term used to describe large-scale efforts that have had mixed success in the individual-driven culture of ecology. Collectively, ecologists already have big data to bolster the scientific effort – a large volume of distributed, high-value information – but many simply fail to contribute. We encourage ecologists to join the larger scientific community in global initiatives to address major scientific and societal problems by bringing their distributed data to the table and harnessing its collective power. The scientists who contribute such information will be at the forefront of socially relevant science – but will they be ecologists?

Quantum Spintronics: Engineering and Manipulating Atom-Like Spins in Semiconductors

Abstract: The past decade has seen remarkable progress in isolating and controlling quantum coherence using charges and spins in semiconductors. Quantum control has been established at room temperature, and electron spin coherence times now exceed several seconds, a nine–order-of-magnitude increase in coherence compared with the first semiconductor qubits. These coherence times rival those traditionally found only in atomic systems, ushering in a new era of ultracoherent spintronics. We review recent advances in quantum measurements, coherent control, and the generation of entangled states and describe some of the challenges that remain for processing quantum information with spins in semiconductors.

Langmuir-Blodgett films

Abstract: The controlled transfer of organized monolayers of amphiphilic molecules from the airwater interface to a solid substrate was the first molecular-scale technology for the creation of new materials. However, the potential benefits of the technology envisioned by Langmuir and Blodgett in the 1930s have yet to be fully realized. Problems of reproducibility and defects and the lack of basic understanding of the packing of complex molecules in thin films have continued to thwart practical applications of Langmuir-Blodgett films and devices made from such films. However, modern high-resolution x-ray diffraction and scanning probe microscopy have proven to be ideal tools to resolve many of the basic questions involving thin organic films. Here, studies are presented of molecular order and organization in thin films of fatty acid salts, the prototypical system of Katharine Blodgett. Even these relatively simple systems present liquid, hexatic, and crystalline order; van der Waals and strained layer epitaxy on various substrates; wide variations in crystal symmetry and interfacial area with counterions; modulated superstructures; and coexisting lattice structures. The wide variety of possible structures presents both a challenge and an opportunity for future molecular design of organic thin-film devices.

Correspondence principle for black holes and strings

Abstract: For most black holes in string theory, the Schwarzschild radius in string units decreases as the string coupling is reduced. We formulate a correspondence principle, which states that (i) when the size of the horizon drops below the size of a string, the typical black hole state becomes a typical state of strings and D-branes with the same charges, and (ii) the mass does not change abruptly during the transition. This provides a statistical interpretation of black hole entropy. This approach does not yield the numerical coefficient, but gives the correct dependence on mass and charge in a wide range of cases, including neutral black holes. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}