Showing papers on "Noise (electronics) published in 2018"

Frequency-Domain Compressive Channel Estimation for Frequency-Selective Hybrid Millimeter Wave MIMO Systems

Abstract: Channel estimation is useful in millimeter wave (mm-wave) MIMO communication systems. Channel state information allows optimized designs of precoders and combiners under different metrics, such as mutual information or signal-to-interference noise ratio. At mm-wave, MIMO precoders and combiners are usually hybrid, since this architecture provides a means to trade-off power consumption and achievable rate. Channel estimation is challenging when using these architectures, however, since there is no direct access to the outputs of the different antenna elements in the array. The MIMO channel can only be observed through the analog combining network, which acts as a compression stage of the received signal. Most of the prior work on channel estimation for hybrid architectures assumes a frequency-flat mm-wave channel model. In this paper, we consider a frequency-selective mm-wave channel and propose compressed sensing-based strategies to estimate the channel in the frequency domain. We evaluate different algorithms and compute their complexity to expose tradeoffs in complexity overhead performance as compared with those of previous approaches.

Fundamental limits and non-reciprocal approaches in non-Hermitian quantum sensing.

Abstract: Unconventional properties of non-Hermitian systems, such as the existence of exceptional points, have recently been suggested as a resource for sensing. The impact of noise and utility in quantum regimes however remains unclear. In this work, we analyze the parametric-sensing properties of linear coupled-mode systems that are described by effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. Our analysis fully accounts for noise effects in both classical and quantum regimes, and also fully treats a realistic and optimal measurement protocol based on coherent driving and homodyne detection. Focusing on two-mode devices, we derive fundamental bounds on the signal power and signal-to-noise ratio for any such sensor. We use these to demonstrate that enhanced signal power requires gain, but not necessarily any proximity to an exceptional point. Further, when noise is included, we show that nonreciprocity is a powerful resource for sensing: it allows one to exceed the fundamental bounds constraining any conventional, reciprocal sensor.

Harnessing electro-optic correlations in an efficient mechanical converter

Abstract: An optical network of superconducting quantum bits (qubits) is an appealing platform for quantum communication and distributed quantum computing, but developing a quantum-compatible link between the microwave and optical domains remains an outstanding challenge. Operating at T < 100 mK temperatures, as required for quantum electrical circuits, we demonstrate a mechanically mediated microwave–optical converter with 47% conversion efficiency, and use a classical feed-forward protocol to reduce added noise to 38 photons. The feed-forward protocol harnesses our discovery that noise emitted from the two converter output ports is strongly correlated because both outputs record thermal motion of the same mechanical mode. We also discuss a quantum feed-forward protocol that, given high system efficiencies, would allow quantum information to be transferred even when thermal phonons enter the mechanical element faster than the electro-optic conversion rate.

Ultrahigh Error Threshold for Surface Codes with Biased Noise.

Abstract: We show that a simple modification of the surface code can exhibit an enormous gain in the error correction threshold for a noise model in which Pauli Z errors occur more frequently than X or Y errors. Such biased noise, where dephasing dominates, is ubiquitous in many quantum architectures. In the limit of pure dephasing noise we find a threshold of 43.7(1)% using a tensor network decoder proposed by Bravyi, Suchara, and Vargo. The threshold remains surprisingly large in the regime of realistic noise bias ratios, for example 28.2(2)% at a bias of 10. The performance is, in fact, at or near the hashing bound for all values of the bias. The modified surface code still uses only weight-4 stabilizers on a square lattice, but merely requires measuring products of Y instead of Z around the faces, as this doubles the number of useful syndrome bits associated with the dominant Z errors. Our results demonstrate that large efficiency gains can be found by appropriately tailoring codes and decoders to realistic noise models, even under the locality constraints of topological codes.

Achieving the Heisenberg limit in quantum metrology using quantum error correction

Abstract: Quantum metrology has many important applications in science and technology, ranging from frequency spectroscopy to gravitational wave detection. Quantum mechanics imposes a fundamental limit on measurement precision, called the Heisenberg limit, which can be achieved for noiseless quantum systems, but is not achievable in general for systems subject to noise. Here we study how measurement precision can be enhanced through quantum error correction, a general method for protecting a quantum system from the damaging effects of noise. We find a necessary and sufficient condition for achieving the Heisenberg limit using quantum probes subject to Markovian noise, assuming that noiseless ancilla systems are available, and that fast, accurate quantum processing can be performed. When the sufficient condition is satisfied, a quantum error-correcting code can be constructed that suppresses the noise without obscuring the signal; the optimal code, achieving the best possible precision, can be found by solving a semidefinite program.

Low Photon Count Phase Retrieval Using Deep Learning

Abstract: Imaging systems' performance at low light intensity is affected by shot noise, which becomes increasingly strong as the power of the light source decreases. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate the use of deep neural networks to recover objects illuminated with weak light and demonstrate better performance than with the classical Gerchberg-Saxton phase retrieval algorithm for equivalent signal over noise ratio. The prior contained in the training image set can be leveraged by the deep neural network to detect features with a signal over noise ratio close to one. We apply this principle to a phase retrieval problem and show successful recovery of the object's most salient features with as little as one photon per detector pixel on average in the illumination beam. We also show that the phase reconstruction is significantly improved by training the neural network with an initial estimate of the object, as opposed to training it with the raw intensity measurement.

Non-Hermitian Quantum Sensing: Fundamental Limits and Non-Reciprocal Approaches

Abstract: Unconventional properties of non-Hermitian systems, such as the existence of exceptional points, have recently been suggested as a resource for sensing. The impact of noise and utility in quantum regimes however remains unclear. In this work, we analyze the parametric-sensing properties of linear coupled-mode systems that are described by effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. Our analysis fully accounts for noise effects in both classical and quantum regimes, and also fully treats a realistic and optimal measurement protocol based on coherent driving and homodyne detection. Focusing on two-mode devices, we derive fundamental bounds on the signal power and signal-to-noise ratio for any such sensor. We use these to demonstrate that enhanced signal power requires gain, but not necessarily any proximity to an exceptional point. Further, when noise is included, we show that non-reciprocity is a powerful resource for sensing: it allows one to exceed the fundamental bounds constraining any conventional, reciprocal sensor. We analyze simple two-mode non-reciprocal sensors that allow this parametrically-enhanced sensing, but which do not involve exceptional point physics.

Quantum-Limited Directional Amplifiers with Optomechanics

Abstract: Directional amplifiers are an important resource in quantum-information processing, as they protect sensitive quantum systems from excess noise. Here, we propose an implementation of phase-preserving and phase-sensitive directional amplifiers for microwave signals in an electromechanical setup comprising two microwave cavities and two mechanical resonators. We show that both can reach their respective quantum limits on added noise. In the reverse direction, they emit thermal noise stemming from the mechanical resonators; we discuss how this noise can be suppressed, a crucial aspect for technological applications. The isolation bandwidth in both is of the order of the mechanical linewidth divided by the amplitude gain. We derive the bandwidth and gain-bandwidth product for both and find that the phase-sensitive amplifier has an unlimited gain-bandwidth product. Our study represents an important step toward flexible, on-chip integrated nonreciprocal amplifiers of microwave signals.

Quantum enhanced optomechanical magnetometry

Abstract: The resonant enhancement of both mechanical and optical response in microcavity optomechanical devices allows exquisitely sensitive measurements of stimuli, such as acceleration, mass, and magnetic fields. In this work, we show that quantum correlated light can improve the performance of such sensors, increasing both their sensitivity and their bandwidth. Specifically, we develop a silicon-chip-based cavity optomechanical magnetometer that incorporates phase squeezed light to suppress optical shot noise. At frequencies where shot noise is the dominant noise source, this allows a 20% improvement in magnetic field sensitivity. Furthermore, squeezed light broadens the range of frequencies at which thermal noise dominates, which has the effect of increasing the overall sensor bandwidth by 50%. These proof-of-principle results open the door to apply quantum correlated light more broadly in chip-scale sensors and devices.

Microwave-to-optics conversion using a mechanical oscillator in its quantum groundstate

Abstract: Conversion between signals in the microwave and optical domains is of great interest both for classical telecommunication, as well as for connecting future superconducting quantum computers into a global quantum network. For quantum applications, the conversion has to be both efficient, as well as operate in a regime of minimal added classical noise. While efficient conversion has been demonstrated using mechanical transducers, they have so far all operated with a substantial thermal noise background. Here, we overcome this limitation and demonstrate coherent conversion between GHz microwave signals and the optical telecom band with a thermal background of less than one phonon. We use an integrated, on-chip electro-opto-mechanical device that couples surface acoustic waves driven by a resonant microwave signal to an optomechanical crystal featuring a 2.7 GHz mechanical mode. We initialize the mechanical mode in its quantum groundstate, which allows us to perform the transduction process with minimal added thermal noise, while maintaining an optomechanical cooperativity >1, so that microwave photons mapped into the mechanical resonator are effectively upconverted to the optical domain. We further verify the preservation of the coherence of the microwave signal throughout the transduction process.

A silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor electron spin-orbit qubit

Abstract: The silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) material system is a technologically important implementation of spin-based quantum information processing. However, the MOS interface is imperfect leading to concerns about 1/f trap noise and variability in the electron g-factor due to spin–orbit (SO) effects. Here we advantageously use interface–SO coupling for a critical control axis in a double-quantum-dot singlet–triplet qubit. The magnetic field-orientation dependence of the g-factors is consistent with Rashba and Dresselhaus interface–SO contributions. The resulting all-electrical, two-axis control is also used to probe the MOS interface noise. The measured inhomogeneous dephasing time, $$T_{{\mathrm{2m}}}^ \star$$ , of 1.6 μs is consistent with 99.95% 28Si enrichment. Furthermore, when tuned to be sensitive to exchange fluctuations, a quasi-static charge noise detuning variance of 2 μeV is observed, competitive with low-noise reports in other semiconductor qubits. This work, therefore, demonstrates that the MOS interface inherently provides properties for two-axis qubit control, while not increasing noise relative to other material choices. As the performance of silicon-based qubits has improved, there has been increasing focus on developing designs that are compatible with industrial processes. Here, Jock et al. exploit spin-orbit coupling to demonstrate full, all-electrical control of a metal-oxide-semiconductor electron spin qubit.

Spin Lifetime and Charge Noise in Hot Silicon Quantum Dot Qubits

Abstract: We investigate the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the single-electron spin lifetime in silicon quantum dots and find a lifetime of 2.8 ms at a temperature of 1.1 K. We develop a model based on spin-valley mixing and find that Johnson noise and two-phonon processes limit relaxation at low and high temperature, respectively. We also investigate the effect of temperature on charge noise and find a linear dependence up to 4 K. These results contribute to the understanding of relaxation in silicon quantum dots and are promising for qubit operation at elevated temperatures.

A 1.2-V Dynamic Bias Latch-Type Comparator in 65-nm CMOS With 0.4-mV Input Noise

Abstract: A latch-type comparator with a dynamic bias pre-amplifier is implemented in a 65-nm CMOS process. The dynamic bias with a tail capacitor is simple to implement and ensures that the pre-amplifier output nodes are only partially discharged to reduce the energy consumption. The comparator is analyzed and compared to its prior art in terms of energy consumption and input referred noise voltage. First-order equations are presented that show how to optimize the pre-amplifier for low noise and high gain. Both the dynamic bias comparator and the prior art are implemented on the same die and measurements show that the dynamic bias can reduce the average energy consumption by about a factor 2.5 for the same input-equivalent noise at an input common-mode level of half the supply voltage.

Mixed Numerologies Interference Analysis and Inter-Numerology Interference Cancellation for Windowed OFDM Systems

Abstract: Extremely diverse service requirements are one of the critical challenges for the upcoming fifth-generation (5G) radio access technologies. As a solution, mixed numerologies transmission is proposed as a new radio air interface by assigning different numerologies to different subbands. However, coexistence of multiple numerologies induces the inter-numerology interference (INI), which deteriorates the system performance. In this paper, a theoretical model for INI is established for windowed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (W-OFDM) systems. The analytical expression of the INI power is derived as a function of the channel frequency response of interfering subcarrier, the spectral distance separating the aggressor and the victim subcarrier, and the overlapping windows generated by the interferer's transmitter windows and the victim's receiver window. Based on the derived INI power expression, a novel INI cancelation scheme is proposed by dividing the INI into a dominant deterministic part and an equivalent noise part. A soft-output ordered successive interference cancelation (OSIC) algorithm is proposed to cancel the dominant interference, and the residual interference power is utilized as effective noise variance for the calculation of log-likelihood ratios for bits. Numerical analysis shows that the INI theoretical model matches the simulated results, and the proposed interference cancelation algorithm effectively mitigates the INI and outperforms the state-of-the-art W-OFDM receiver algorithms.

The Impact of Solar Irradiance on Visible Light Communications

Abstract: This paper aims to address the perception that visible light communication (VLC) systems cannot work under the presence of sunlight. A complete framework is presented to evaluate the performance of VLC systems in the presence of solar irradiance at any given location and time. The effect of solar irradiance is investigated in terms of degradations in signal to noise ratio, data rate, and bit error rate. Direct current (DC) optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is used with adaptive bit and energy loading to mitigate DC wander interference and low-frequency ambient light noise. It was found that reliable communication can be achieved under the effect of solar irradiance at high-speed data rates. An optical bandpass blue filter is shown to compensate for half of the reduced data rate in the presence of sunlight. This work demonstrates data rates above 1 Gb/s of a VLC link under strong solar illuminance measured at 50350 lux in clear weather conditions.

1.2-GHz Balanced Homodyne Detector for Continuous-Variable Quantum Information Technology

Abstract: Balanced homodyne detector (BHD) that can measure the field quadratures of coherent states has been widely used in a range of quantum information technologies. Generally, the BHD tends to suffer from narrow bands and an expanding bandwidth behavior usually traps into a compromise with the gain, electronic noise, and quantum to classical noise ratio, etc. In this paper, we design and construct a wideband BHD based on radio frequency and integrated circuit technology. Our BHD shows bandwidth behavior up to 1.2 GHz and its quantum to classical noise ratio is around 18 dB. Simultaneously, the BHD has a linear performance with a gain of 4.86 k and its common mode rejection ratio has also been tested as 57.9 dB. With this BHD, the secret key rate of continuous-variable quantum key distribution system has a potential to achieve 66.55 Mb/s and 2.87 Mb/s, respectively, at the transmission distance of 10 and 45 km. Besides, with this BHD, the generation rate of quantum random number generator could reach up to 6.53 Gb/s.

Quantum phase estimation of multiple eigenvalues for small-scale (noisy) experiments

Abstract: Quantum phase estimation is the workhorse behind any quantum algorithm and a promising method for determining ground state energies of strongly correlated quantum systems. Low-cost quantum phase estimation techniques make use of circuits which only use a single ancilla qubit, requiring classical post-processing to extract eigenvalue details of the system. We investigate choices for phase estimation for a unitary matrix with low-depth noise-free or noisy circuits, varying both the phase estimation circuits themselves as well as the classical post-processing to determine the eigenvalue phases. We work in the scenario when the input state is not an eigenstate of the unitary matrix. We develop a new post-processing technique to extract eigenvalues from phase estimation data based on a classical time-series (or frequency) analysis and contrast this to an analysis via Bayesian methods. We calculate the variance in estimating single eigenvalues via the time-series analysis analytically, finding that it scales to first order in the number of experiments performed, and to first or second order (depending on the experiment design) in the circuit depth. Numerical simulations confirm this scaling for both estimators. We attempt to compensate for the noise with both classical post-processing techniques, finding good results in the presence of depolarizing noise, but smaller improvements in $9$-qubit circuit-level simulations of superconducting qubits aimed at resolving the electronic ground-state of a $H_4$-molecule.

Fast, Noise-Free Memory for Photon Synchronization at Room Temperature

Abstract: Future quantum photonic networks require coherent optical memories for synchronizing quantum sources and gates of probabilistic nature. Room temperature operation is also desirable for ease of scaling up. Until now, however, room-temperature atomic memories have suffered from an intrinsic read-out noise due to spontaneous four-wave-mixing. Here we demonstrate a new scheme for storing photons at room temperature, the fast ladder memory (FLAME). In this scheme, stimulated two-photon absorption is used instead of the previously used stimulated Raman scattering. As here the competing spontaneous processes would require spontaneous absorption of an optical photon, rather than emission, the noise is greatly suppressed. Furthermore, high external efficiency can be achieved as the control is well separated in frequency from the signal, and could be filtered out using highly efficient interference filters. We run the protocol in rubidium vapour, both on and off single-photon resonance, demonstrating a ratio of 50 between storage time and signal pulse width, an external total efficiency of over 25%, and only 2.3 × 10−4 noise photons per extracted signal photon. This paves the way towards the efficient synchronization of probabilistic gates and sources at room temperature, and the controlled production of large quantum states of light.

Crossover from anomalous to normal diffusion: truncated power-law noise correlations and applications to dynamics in lipid bilayers

Abstract: The emerging diffusive dynamics in many complex systems shows a characteristic crossover behaviour from anomalous to normal diffusion which is otherwise fitted by two independent power-laws. A prominent example for a subdiffusive-diffusive crossover are viscoelastic systems such as lipid bilayer membranes, while superdiffusive-diffusive crossovers occur in systems of actively moving biological cells. We here consider the general dynamics of a stochastic particle driven by so-called tempered fractional Gaussian noise, that is noise with Gaussian amplitude and power-law correlations, which are cut off at some mesoscopic time scale. Concretely we consider such noise with built-in exponential or power-law tempering, driving an overdamped Langevin equation (fractional Brownian motion) and fractional Langevin equation motion. We derive explicit expressions for the mean squared displacement and correlation functions, including different shapes of the crossover behaviour depending on the concrete tempering, and discuss the physical meaning of the tempering. In the case of power-law tempering we also find a crossover behaviour from faster to slower superdiffusion and slower to faster subdiffusion. As a direct application of our model we demonstrate that the obtained dynamics quantitatively described the subdiffusion-diffusion and subdiffusion-subdiffusion crossover in lipid bilayer systems. We also show that a model of tempered fractional Brownian motion recently proposed by Sabzikar and Meerschaert leads to physically very different behaviour with a seemingly paradoxical ballistic long time scaling.

Electronic noise due to temperature differences in atomic-scale junctions

Abstract: Since the discovery a century ago1–3 of electronic thermal noise and shot noise, these forms of fundamental noise have had an enormous impact on science and technology research and applications. They can be used to probe quantum effects and thermodynamic quantities4–11, but they are also regarded as undesirable in electronic devices because they obscure the target signal. Electronic thermal noise is generated at equilibrium at finite (non-zero) temperature, whereas electronic shot noise is a non-equilibrium current noise that is generated by partial transmission and reflection (partition) of the incoming electrons8. Until now, shot noise has been stimulated by a voltage, either applied directly8 or activated by radiation12,13. Here we report measurements of a fundamental electronic noise that is generated by temperature differences across nanoscale conductors, which we term ‘delta-T noise’. We experimentally demonstrate this noise in atomic and molecular junctions, and analyse it theoretically using the Landauer formalism8,14. Our findings show that delta-T noise is distinct from thermal noise and voltage-activated shot noise8. Like thermal noise, it has a purely thermal origin, but delta-T noise is generated only out of equilibrium. Delta-T noise and standard shot noise have the same partition origin, but are activated by different stimuli. We infer that delta-T noise in combination with thermal noise can be used to detect temperature differences across nanoscale conductors without the need to fabricate sophisticated local probes. Thus it can greatly facilitate the study of heat transport at the nanoscale. In the context of modern electronics, temperature differences are often generated unintentionally across electronic components. Taking into account the contribution of delta-T noise in these cases is likely to be essential for the design of efficient nanoscale electronics at the quantum limit. A fundamental electronic noise—beyond electronic thermal noise and voltage-activated shot noise—that is generated by temperature differences across nanoscale conductors is demonstrated, with possible implications for thermometry and electronics.

Reservoir computing with the frequency, phase and amplitude of spin-torque nano-oscillators

Abstract: Spin-torque nano-oscillators can emulate neurons at the nanoscale. Recent works show that the non-linearity of their oscillation amplitude can be leveraged to achieve waveform classification for an input signal encoded in the amplitude of the input voltage. Here we show that the frequency and the phase of the oscillator can also be used to recognize waveforms. For this purpose, we phase-lock the oscillator to the input waveform, which carries information in its modulated frequency. In this way we considerably decrease amplitude, phase and frequency noise. We show that this method allows classifying sine and square waveforms with an accuracy above 99% when decoding the output from the oscillator amplitude, phase or frequency. We find that recognition rates are directly related to the noise and non-linearity of each variable. These results prove that spin-torque nano-oscillators offer an interesting platform to implement different computing schemes leveraging their rich dynamical features.

Application of LMS-Based NN Structure for Power Quality Enhancement in a Distribution Network Under Abnormal Conditions

Abstract: This paper proposes an application of a least mean-square (LMS)-based neural network (NN) structure for the power quality improvement of a three-phase power distribution network under abnormal conditions. It uses a single-layer neuron structure for the control in a distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) to attenuate the harmonics such as noise, bias, notches, dc offset, and distortion, injected in the grid current due to connection of several nonlinear loads. This admittance LMS-based NN structure has a simple architecture which reduces the computational complexity and burden which makes it easy to implement. A DSTATCOM is a custom power device which performs various functionalities such as harmonics attenuation, reactive power compensation, load balancing, zero voltage regulation, and power factor correction. Other main contribution of this paper involves operation of the system under abnormal conditions of distribution network which means noise and distortion in voltage and imbalance in three-phase voltages at the point of interconnection. For substantiating and demonstrating the performance of proposed control approach, simulations are carried on MATLAB/Simulink software and corresponding experimental tests are conducted on a developed prototype in the laboratory.

A 13-ENOB Second-Order Noise-Shaping SAR ADC Realizing Optimized NTF Zeros Using the Error-Feedback Structure

Abstract: The noise-shaping successive approximation register (NS-SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is an emerging hybrid architecture that achieves high resolution and power efficiency simultaneously by combining the merits of the SAR ADC and the $\Delta \Sigma $ ADC. Most prior works adopting the cascaded integrator feed-forward (CIFF) structure demonstrate inefficiency in realizing optimized noise transfer function (NTF). This paper presents a second-order NS-SAR ADC employing the error-feedback (EF) structure to realize complex NTF zeros for noise-shaping enhancement with the minimum modification to a standard SAR. It implements a low-power scaling-friendly EF path by using a passive finite impulse response (FIR) and a comparator-reused dynamic amplifier with process-voltage-temperature (PVT) tracking background calibration. Fabricated in 40-nm CMOS, the prototype chip consumes $84~\mu \text{W}$ when operating at 10 MS/s. The NS-SAR achieves peak Schreier FoM of 178 dB with 79-dB signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) at an oversampling ratio (OSR) of 8.

A Low-Noise, Low-Power Amplifier With Current-Reused OTA for ECG Recordings

Abstract: This paper presents a low-power and low-noise capacitive-feedback amplifier with a current-reused OTA for ECG recordings. To improve the noise-power efficiency, the proposed OTA employs a current-reused architecture, which adopts an inverter-based differential input stage for low noise, and a class-AB output stage for large output range and high g m/ I efficiency. The driving branch of the class-AB output stage is merged into the input stage to realize current reuse and reduce power consumption further. Fabricated in a 0.35-μm CMOS process, the amplifier consumes 160 nA from a 2-V supply, while achieving an input-referred noise of 2.05 μVrms, corresponding to a noise efficiency factor (NEF) of 2.26. The measured common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) and power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) exceed 65 dB and 70 dB, respectively. The total harmonic distortion (THD) is less than 1% with a 15-mVpp input at 20 Hz and the active area is 0.3 mm × 0.6 mm.

Topologically protected vortex structures for low-noise magnetic sensors with high linear range

Abstract: Micromagnetic sensors play a key role in a variety of industries, including the automotive industry, where they are used, for example, for speed and position detection. The adoption of emerging magnetoresistive sensor technology such as anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance and tunnel magnetoresistance sensors is driven principally by their enhanced sensitivity and improved integration capabilities compared with conventional Hall effect sensors. At the heart of such sensors is a microstructured ferromagnetic thin-film element that transduces the magnetic signal, but these elements often exhibit a nonlinear hysteresis curve and the performance of the sensors is limited by magnetic noise. Here, we examine the origin of magnetic noise in magnetoresistive sensors and show that a topologically protected magnetic vortex state in the transducer element can be used to overcome these limitations. Using analytic and micromagnetic models, we find that the noise is due mainly to irreproducible magnetic switching of the transducer element at external fields that are close to the Stoner–Wohlfarth switching field. Then, using a flux-closed vortex configuration, we develop a giant magnetoresistance sensor layout that, compared to existing state-of-the-art sensors, has lower magnetic noise, a linear regime that is around an order of magnitude higher and negligible hysteresis.

Efficient Thermal Noise Removal for Sentinel-1 TOPSAR Cross-Polarization Channel

Abstract: The intensity of a Sentinel-1 Terrain Observation with Progressive Scans synthetic aperture radar image is disturbed by additive thermal noise, particularly in the cross-polarization channel. Although the European Space Agency provides calibrated noise vectors for noise power subtraction, residual noise contributions are significant when considering the relatively narrow backscattering distribution of the cross-polarization channel. In this paper, we investigate the characteristics of noise and propose an efficient method for noise reduction based on a three-step correction process comprised of azimuth descalloping, noise scaling and interswath power balancing, and local residual noise power compensation. The core idea is to find the optimal correction coefficients resulting in the most noise-uncorrelated gentle backscatter profile over a homogeneous region and to combine them with the scalloping gain for a reconstruction of the complete 2-D noise field. Denoising is accomplished by subtracting the reconstructed noise field from the original image. The performance improvement in some applications by adopting the denoising procedure shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Numerical and experimental study on the pressure fluctuation, vibration, and noise of multistage pump with radial diffuser

Abstract: Multistage pump can provide high-pressure liquid, which is widely used in various areas of national economy. In order to improve the stability and reduce the noise of multistage pump, the relationships among the pressure fluctuation, vibration, and noise were studied deeply by using computational fluid dynamics and experimental measurement. Based on the unsteady numerical calculation, the phase of the pressure fluctuation wave in the middle section of the impeller and the diffuser was obtained, and the unsteady velocity distribution was acquired in the rotor–stator interaction (RSI) region between the rotational impeller and the stationary diffuser. Moreover, the vibration and noise tests of a five-stage pump with radial diffuser were performed. The results show that the phase distribution of the pressure fluctuation wave in the impeller and diffuser can be divided into four regions: the impeller flow channel region, the impeller transition region, the diffuser transition region, and the diffuser flow channel region. In addition, the pressure fluctuation, vibration and noise of the multistage pump are strongly related to each other, that is, RSI induces strong unsteady flow and pressure fluctuation in the pump, which makes the pump produce serious vibration and cause the corresponding noise. The key to controlling the vibration and noise is to reduce the effect of RSI between the impeller and the diffuser.

Long-haul optical transmission link using low-noise phase-sensitive amplifiers

Abstract: The capacity and reach of long-haul fiber optical communication systems is limited by in-line amplifier noise and fiber nonlinearities. Phase-sensitive amplifiers add 6 dB less noise than conventional phase-insensitive amplifiers, such as erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, and they can provide nonlinearity mitigation after each span. Realizing a long-haul transmission link with in-line phase-sensitive amplifiers providing simultaneous low-noise amplification and nonlinearity mitigation is challenging and to date no such transmission link has been demonstrated. Here, we demonstrate a multi-channel-compatible and modulation-format-independent long-haul transmission link with in-line phase-sensitive amplifiers. Compared to a link amplified by conventional erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, we demonstrate a reach improvement of 5.6 times at optimal launch powers with the phase-sensitively amplified link operating at a total accumulated nonlinear phase shift of 6.2 rad. The phase-sensitively amplified link transmits two data-carrying waves, thus occupying twice the bandwidth and propagating twice the total power compared to the phase-insensitively amplified link.

Gate-Tunable WSe2/SnSe2 Backward Diode with Ultrahigh-Reverse Rectification Ratio

Abstract: Backward diodes conduct more efficiently in the reverse bias than in the forward bias, providing superior high-frequency response, temperature stability, radiation hardness, and 1/f noise performance than a conventional diode conducting in the forward direction. Here, we demonstrate a van der Waals material-based backward diode by exploiting the giant staggered band offsets of WSe2/SnSe2 vertical heterojunction. The diode exhibits an ultrahigh-reverse rectification ratio (R) of ∼2.1 × 104, and the same is maintained up to an unusually large bias of 1.5 V—outperforming existing backward diode reports using conventional bulk semiconductors as well as one- and two-dimensional materials by more than an order of magnitude while maintaining an impressive curvature coefficient (γ) of ∼37 V–1. The transport mechanism in the diode is shown to be efficiently tunable by external gate and drain bias, as well as by the thickness of the WSe2 layer and the type of metal contacts used. These results pave the way for prac...

Correcting coherent errors with surface codes

Abstract: Surface codes are building blocks of quantum computing platforms based on 2D arrays of qubits responsible for detecting and correcting errors. The error suppression achieved by the surface code is usually estimated by simulating toy noise models describing random Pauli errors. However, Pauli noise models fail to capture coherent processes such as systematic unitary errors caused by imperfect control pulses. Here we report the first large-scale simulation of quantum error correction protocols based on the surface code in the presence of coherent noise. We observe that the standard Pauli approximation provides an accurate estimate of the error threshold but underestimates the logical error rate in the sub-threshold regime. We find that for large code size the logical-level noise is well approximated by random Pauli errors even though the physical-level noise is coherent. Our work demonstrates that coherent effects do not significantly change the error correcting threshold of surface codes. This gives more confidence in the viability of the fault-tolerance architecture pursued by several experimental groups. Coherent effects are shown not to play a significant role in error correction with quantum surface codes. To build a quantum computer, the quantum bit (qubit) has to be protected from external noise and steps have to be taken to detect and correct for errors. Surface codes are a type of quantum code that can correct for such errors. However, the models used to study such codes often fail to capture quantum coherent processes, which could play an important role. By performing large-scale simulations, Robert Konig from Technical University of Munich and an international team of collaborators show that coherent effects do not significantly impact the error correction in surface codes, giving confidence in the viability of this approach for developing fault-tolerance quantum computing architectures.