Coherent Control of a Few-Channel Hole Type Gatemon Qubit.

Gatemon qubits are the electrically tunable cousins of superconducting transmon qubits. In this work, we demonstrate the full coherent control of a gatemon qubit based on hole carriers in a Ge/Si core/shell nanowire, with the longest coherence times in group IV material gatemons to date. The key to these results is a high-quality Josephson junction obtained using a straightforward and reproducible annealing technique. We demonstrate that the transport through the narrow junction is dominated by only two quantum channels, with transparencies up to unity. This novel qubit platform holds great promise for quantum information applications, not only because it incorporates technologically relevant materials, but also because it provides new opportunities, like an ultrastrong spin-orbit coupling in the few-channel regime of Josephson junctions.

Spectroradiometer Calibration for Radiance Transfer Measurements.

Optical remote sensing and Earth observation instruments rely on precise radiometric calibrations which are generally provided by the broadband emission from large-aperture integrating spheres. The link between the integrating sphere radiance and an SI-traceable radiance standard is made by spectroradiometer measurements. In this work, the calibration efforts of a Spectra Vista Corporation (SVC) HR-1024i spectroradiometer are presented to study how these enable radiance transfer measurements at the Calibration Home Base (CHB) for imaging spectrometers at the Remote Sensing Technology Institute (IMF) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The spectral and radiometric response calibrations of an SVC HR-1024i spectroradiometer are reported, as well as the measurements of non-linearity and its sensitivity to temperature changes and polarized light. This achieves radiance transfer measurements with the calibrated spectroradiometer with relative expanded uncertainties between 1% and 3% (k=2) over the wavelength range of 380 nm to 2500 nm, which are limited by the uncertainties of the applied radiance standard.

Spin cross-correlation experiments in an electron entangler.

Correlations are fundamental in describing many-body systems. However, in experiments, correlations are notoriously difficult to assess on a microscopic scale, especially for electron spins. Even though it is firmly established theoretically that the electrons in a Cooper pair1 of a superconductor form maximally spin-entangled singlet states with opposite spin projections2-4, no spin correlation experiments have been demonstrated so far. Here we report the direct measurement of the spin cross-correlations between the currents of a Cooper pair splitter5-13, an electronic device that emits electrons originating from Cooper pairs. We use ferromagnetic split-gates14,15, compatible with nearby superconducting structures, to individually spin polarize the transmissions of the quantum dots in the two electronic paths, which act as tunable spin filters. The signals are detected in standard transport and in highly sensitive transconductance experiments. We find that the spin cross-correlation is negative, consistent with spin singlet emission, and deviates from the ideal value mostly due to the overlap of the Zeeman split quantum dot states. Our results demonstrate a new route to perform spin correlation experiments in nano-electronic devices, especially suitable for those relying on magnetic field sensitive superconducting elements, like triplet or topologically non-trivial superconductors16-18, or to perform Bell tests with massive particles19,20.

Impact of the gate geometry on adiabatic charge pumping in InAs double quantum dots.

We compare the adiabatic quantized charge pumping performed in two types of InAs nanowire double quantum dots (DQDs), either with tunnel barriers defined by closely spaced narrow bottom gates, or by well-separated side gates. In the device with an array of bottom gates of 100 nm pitch and 10 µm lengths, the pump current is quantized only up to frequencies of a few MHz due to the strong capacitive coupling between the bottom gates. In contrast, in devices with well-separated side gates with reduced mutual gate capacitances, we find well-defined pump currents up to 30 MHz. Our experiments demonstrate that high frequency quantized charge pumping requires careful optimization of the device geometry, including the typically neglected gate feed lines.

Assessment of Physiological Rat Kidney Ageing-Implications for the Evaluation of Allograft Quality Prior to Renal Transplantation.

Due to organ shortage and rising life expectancy the age of organ donors and recipients is increasing. Reliable biomarkers of organ quality that predict successful long-term transplantation outcomes are poorly defined. The aim of this study was the identification of age-related markers of kidney function that might accurately reflect donor organ quality. Histomorphometric, biochemical and molecular parameters were measured in young (3-month-old) and old (24-month-old) male Sprague Dawley rats. In addition to conventional methods, we used urine metabolomics by NMR spectroscopy and gene expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR to identify markers of ageing relevant to allograft survival. Beside known markers of kidney ageing like albuminuria, changes in the concentration of urine metabolites such as trimethylamine-N-oxide, trigonelline, 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, hippurate, glutamine, acetoacetate, valine and 1-methyl-histidine were identified in association with ageing. In addition, expression of several genes of the toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway, known for their implication in inflammaging, were upregulated in the kidneys of old rats. This study led to the identification of age-related markers of biological allograft age potentially relevant for allograft survival in the future. Among those, urine metabolites and markers of immunity and inflammation, which are highly relevant to immunosuppression in transplant recipients, are promising and deserve further investigation in humans.

Superconducting Contacts to a Monolayer Semiconductor.

We demonstrate superconducting vertical interconnect access (VIA) contacts to a monolayer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a layered semiconductor with highly relevant electronic and optical properties. As a contact material we use MoRe, a superconductor with a high critical magnetic field and high critical temperature. The electron transport is mostly dominated by a single superconductor/normal conductor junction with a clear superconductor gap. In addition, we find MoS2 regions that are strongly coupled to the superconductor, resulting in resonant Andreev tunneling and junction-dependent gap characteristics, suggesting a superconducting proximity effect. Magnetoresistance measurements show that the bandstructure and the high intrinsic carrier mobility remain intact in the bulk of the MoS2. This type of VIA contact is applicable to a large variety of layered materials and superconducting contacts, opening up a path to monolayer semiconductors as a platform for superconducting hybrid devices.

Transformation of point spread functions on an individual pixel scale.

In some types of imaging systems, such as imaging spectrometers, the spectral and geometric pixel properties like center wavelength, center angle, response shape and resolution change rapidly between adjacent pixels. Image transformation techniques are required to either correct these effects or to compare images acquired by different systems. In this paper we present a novel image transformation method that allows to manipulate geometric and spectral properties of each pixel individually. The linear transformation employs a transformation matrix to associate every pixel of a target sensor B with all related pixels of a source sensor A. The matrix is derived from the cross-correlations of all sensor A pixels and cross-correlations of sensor A and sensor B pixels. We provide the mathematical background, discuss the propagation of uncertainty, demonstrate the use of the method in a case study, and show that the method is a generalization of the Wiener deconvolution filter. In the study, the transformation of images with random, non-uniform pixel properties to distortion-free images leads to errors that are one order of magnitude smaller than those obtained with a conventional approach.

Magnetic-Field-Independent Subgap States in Hybrid Rashba Nanowires.

Subgap states in semiconducting-superconducting nanowire hybrid devices are controversially discussed as potential topologically nontrivial quantum states. One source of ambiguity is the lack of an energetically and spatially well defined tunnel spectrometer. Here, we use quantum dots directly integrated into the nanowire during the growth process to perform tunnel spectroscopy of discrete subgap states in a long nanowire segment. In addition to subgap states with a standard magnetic field dependence, we find topologically trivial subgap states that are independent of the external magnetic field, i.e., that are pinned to a constant energy as a function of field. We explain this effect qualitatively and quantitatively by taking into account the strong spin-orbit interaction in the nanowire, which can lead to a decoupling of Andreev bound states from the field due to a spatial spin texture of the confined eigenstates. This result constitutes an important step forward in the research on superconducting subgap states in nanowires, such as Majorana bound states.

Mobility Enhancement in Graphene by in situ Reduction of Random Strain Fluctuations.

Microscopic corrugations are ubiquitous in graphene even when placed on atomically flat substrates. These result in random local strain fluctuations limiting the carrier mobility of high quality hBN-supported graphene devices. We present transport measurements in hBN-encapsulated devices where such strain fluctuations can be in situ reduced by increasing the average uniaxial strain. When ∼0.2% of uniaxial strain is applied to the graphene, an enhancement of the carrier mobility by ∼35% is observed while the residual doping reduces by ∼39%. We demonstrate a strong correlation between the mobility and the residual doping, from which we conclude that random local strain fluctuations are the dominant source of disorder limiting the mobility in these devices. Our findings are also supported by Raman spectroscopy measurements.

Large spatial extension of the zero-energy Yu-Shiba-Rusinov state in a magnetic field.

Various promising qubit concepts have been put forward recently based on engineered superconductor subgap states like Andreev bound states, Majorana zero modes or the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (Shiba) states. The coupling of these subgap states via a superconductor strongly depends on their spatial extension and is an essential next step for future quantum technologies. Here we investigate the spatial extension of a Shiba state in a semiconductor quantum dot coupled to a superconductor. With detailed transport measurements and numerical renormalization group calculations we find a remarkable more than 50 nm extension of the zero energy Shiba state, much larger than the one observed in very recent scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. Moreover, we demonstrate that its spatial extension increases substantially in a magnetic field.

Highly symmetric and tunable tunnel couplings in InAs/InP nanowire heterostructure quantum dots.

We present a comprehensive electrical characterization of an InAs/InP nanowire (NW) heterostructure, comprising of two InP barriers forming a quantum dot (QD), two adjacent lead segments and two metallic contacts. We demonstrate how to extract valuable quantitative information of the QD. The QD shows very regular Coulomb blockade resonances over a large gate voltage range. By analyzing the resonance line shapes, we map the evolution of the tunnel couplings from the few to the many electron regime, with electrically tunable tunnel couplings from <1 µeV to >600 µeV, and a transition from the temperature to the lifetime broadened regime. The InP segments form tunnel barriers with almost fully symmetric tunnel couplings and a barrier height of ∼350 meV. All of these findings can be understood in great detail based on the deterministic material composition and geometry. Our results demonstrate that integrated InAs/InP QDs provide a promising platform for electron tunneling spectroscopy in InAs NWs, which can readily be contacted by a variety of superconducting materials to investigate subgap states in proximitized NW regions, or be used to characterize thermoelectric nanoscale devices in the quantum regime.

Grating monochromator wavelength calibration using an echelle grating wavelength meter.

Monochromators are a common utility for the spectral calibration of spectrometers. To guarantee traceability of characterization measurements to SI-standards, monochromators used as secondary standards must be properly calibrated. Common calibration procedures are based on the measurement of spectral lines emitted by gas-discharge lamps or lasers. Due to the nature of these light sources, the sampling of calibration points cannot be freely chosen. In this paper we present an approach where an echelle grating wavelength meter (WM) is used to traceably calibrate the emitted center wavelength of a monochromator at almost any sampling interval. In addition, it is possible to calibrate the monochromator outside the sensitive spectral range of the WM used. It is demonstrated how a WM is calibrated and then how it is used to calibrate the monochromator of DLR's Calibration Home Base (CHB) for imaging spectrometers at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The same approach is also used for the monochromator, which is intended for the laboratory calibration of the German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP.

In Situ Strain Tuning in hBN-Encapsulated Graphene Electronic Devices.

Using a simple setup to bend a flexible substrate, we demonstrate deterministic and reproducible in situ strain tuning of graphene electronic devices. Central to this method is the full hBN encapsulation of graphene, which preserves the exceptional quality of pristine graphene for transport experiments. In addition, the on-substrate approach allows one to exploit strain effects in the full range of possible sample geometries and at the same time guarantees that changes in the gate capacitance remain negligible during the deformation process. We use Raman spectroscopy to spatially map the strain magnitude in devices with two different geometries and demonstrate the possibility to engineer a strain gradient, which is relevant for accessing the valley degree of freedom with pseudomagnetic fields. Comparing the transport characteristics of a suspended device with those of an on-substrate device, we demonstrate that our new approach does not suffer from the ambiguities encountered in suspended devices.

New Generation of Moiré Superlattices in Doubly Aligned hBN/Graphene/hBN Heterostructures.

The specific rotational alignment of two-dimensional lattices results in a moiré superlattice with a larger period than the original lattices and allows one to engineer the electronic band structure of such materials. So far, transport signatures of such superlattices have been reported for graphene/hBN and graphene/graphene systems. Here we report moiré superlattices in fully hBN encapsulated graphene with both the top and the bottom hBN aligned to the graphene. In the graphene, two different moiré superlattices form with the top and the bottom hBN, respectively. The overlay of the two superlattices can result in a third superlattice with a period larger than the maximum period (14 nm) in the graphene/hBN system, which we explain in a simple model. This new type of band structure engineering allows one to artificially create an even wider spectrum of electronic properties in two-dimensional materials.

Screening of Ready-to-Eat Meat Products for Hepatitis E Virus in Switzerland.

Seroprevalence data for pig herds suggested that there must be a relevant reservoir for hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Switzerland. To know more about the viral presence in ready-to-eat meat products, we screened pork liver sausages and raw meat sausages from the Swiss retail market for the presence of HEV. Testing was performed with a detection method where the virus extraction step was optimized. As for the performance of the improved method, the mean recovery rate for the mengovirus process control was 24.4%, whereas for HEV-inoculated sample matrices between 10.4 and 100% were achieved. The limit of detection was about 1.56 × 103 and 1.56 × 102 genome copies per gram for liver sausages and raw meat sausages, respectively. In the screening programme, HEV-RNA was detected in 10 of total 90 (11.1%) meat products, 7 of 37 (18.9%) liver sausages, and 3 of 53 (5.7%) raw meat sausages. Virus loads of up to 5.54 log10 HEV genome copies per gram were measured. All sequences retrieved from positive samples belonged to HEV genotype 3. The significance of the presented work was a current overview of the HEV prevalence in ready-to-eat meat products on the Swiss retail marked and an improvement of the extraction efficiency of the HEV detection method.

Advancements in NORM metrology - Results and impact of the European joint research project MetroNORM.

The results of the three years European Metrology Research Programme's (EMRP) joint research project 'Metrology for processing materials with high natural radioactivity' (MetroNORM) are presented. In this project, metrologically sound novel instruments and procedures for laboratory and in-situ NORM activity measurements have been developed. Additionally, standard reference materials and sources for traceable calibration and improved decay data of natural radionuclides have been established.

Environmental radioactivity study of Austrian and Bavarian forest ecosystems: Long-term behaviour of contamination of soil, vegetation and wild boar and its radioecological coherences.

137Cs and 40K in soil, vegetation and flesh of wild boar samples from Austrian and Bavarian regions were investigated by gamma-ray spectrometry and 90Sr in bones of wild boar with Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) after radiochemical separation. The soil core profiles revealed that 70-97% of the soil caesium content is still accumulated in the 0-10cm soil depth. From all vegetation samples the mushrooms, particularly the bay boletus showed the highest 137Cs contamination. The activity concentration of 137Cs in muscle tissue of boar ranged from 14.9±1.5Bq/kg (Bavaria) to 4711±377Bq/kg (Lower Austria). In the bones of wild boars, 90Sr activity concentration ranged from 1.4±0.2Bq/kg (Bavaria) to 70.3±10.5Bq/kg (Upper Austria).

Long-term environmental radioactive contamination of Europe due to the Chernobyl accident - Results of the Joint Danube Survey 2013.

In the course of the Joint Danube Survey 3 (JDS3), coordinated by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), laboratory ships travelled 2375km down the Danube River engaging in sampling, processing and on-board analyses during the summer of 2013. The results of the radiometric analysis of 90Sr, 137Cs and natural radionuclides in recent riverbed sediment are presented. The activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in Danube sediments have been found below 100Bq/kg.

Study of particular problems appearing in NORM samples and recommendations for best practice gamma-ray spectrometry.

In this paper spectral interference effects for selected gamma-emitting radionuclides of the natural decay series and 40K in selected NORM samples are studied. Recommendations for the choice of γ-lines and the consideration of possible spectral interferences are provided. Special attention is given to the radon tightness of the sample containers. A simple and sensitive method for the estimation of the 222Rn leakage of sample containers is introduced. The applied polystyrene sample containers show 222Rn leakages lower than 1%.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli, Enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus from Raw Fish and Seafood Imported into Switzerland.

A total of 44 samples of salmon, pangasius (shark catfish), shrimps, and oysters were tested for the presence of Escherichia coli, enterococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, which are indicator organisms commonly used in programs to monitor antibiotic resistance. The isolated bacterial strains, confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, were tested against a panel of 29 antimicrobial agents to obtain MICs. Across the four sample types, Enterococcus faecalis (59%) was most common, followed by E. coli (55%), P. aeruginosa (27%), and S. aureus (9%). All bacterial species were resistant to some antibiotics. The highest rates of resistance were in E. faecalis to tetracycline (16%), in E. coli to ciprofloxacin (22%), and in S. aureus to penicillin (56%). Antibiotic resistance was found among all sample types, but salmon and oysters were less burdened than were shrimps and pangasius. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were exclusively found in shrimps and pangasius: 17% of pangasius samples (MDR E. coli and S. aureus) and 64% of shrimps (MDR E. coli, E. faecalis, and S. aureus). Two of these MDR E. coli isolates from shrimps (one from an organic sample) were resistant to seven antimicrobial agents. Based on these findings, E. coli in pangasius, shrimps, and oysters, E. faecalis in pangasius, shrimps, and salmon, and P. aeruginosa in pangasius and shrimps are potential candidates for programs monitoring antimicrobial resistance. Enrichment methods for the detection of MDR bacteria of special public health concern, such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus and E. coli producing extended-spectrum ß-lactamases and carbapenemases, should be implemented.