Bulk evidence of anisotropic s-wave pairing with no sign change in the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5.

The recently discovered kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) exhibit unusual charge-density-wave (CDW) orders with time-reversal and rotational symmetry breaking. One of the most crucial unresolved issues is identifying the symmetry of the superconductivity that develops inside the CDW phase. Theory predicts a variety of unconventional superconducting symmetries with sign-changing and chiral order parameters. Experimentally, however, superconducting phase information in AV3Sb5 is still lacking. Here we report the impurity effects in CsV3Sb5 using electron irradiation as a phase-sensitive probe of superconductivity. Our magnetic penetration depth measurements reveal that with increasing impurities, an anisotropic fully-gapped state changes to an isotropic full-gap state without passing through a nodal state. Furthermore, transport measurements under pressure show that the double superconducting dome in the pressure-temperature phase diagram survives against sufficient impurities. These results support that CsV3Sb5 is a non-chiral, anisotropic s-wave superconductor with no sign change both at ambient and under pressure.

Spectroscopic (multi-energy) CT distinguishes iodine and barium contrast material in MICE.

OBJECTIVE: Spectral CT differs from dual-energy CT by using a conventional X-ray tube and a photon-counting detector. We wished to produce 3D spectroscopic images of mice that distinguished calcium, iodine and barium. METHODS: We developed a desktop spectral CT, dubbed MARS, based around the Medipix2 photon-counting energy-discriminating detector. The single conventional X-ray tube operated at constant voltage (75 kVp) and constant current (150 microA). We anaesthetised with ketamine six black mice (C57BL/6). We introduced iodinated contrast material and barium sulphate into the vascular system, alimentary tract and respiratory tract as we euthanised them. The mice were preserved in resin and imaged at four detector energy levels from 12 keV to 42 keV to include the K-edges of iodine (33.0 keV) and barium (37.4 keV). Principal component analysis was applied to reconstructed images to identify components with independent energy response, then displayed in 2D and 3D. RESULTS: Iodinated and barium contrast material was spectrally distinct from soft tissue and bone in all six mice. Calcium, iodine and barium were displayed as separate channels on 3D colour images at <55 microm isotropic voxels. CONCLUSION: Spectral CT distinguishes contrast agents with K-edges only 4 keV apart. Multi-contrast imaging and molecular CT are potential future applications.

A method for patient set-up guidance in radiotherapy using augmented reality.

A system for patient set-up in external beam radiotherapy was developed using Augmented Reality (AR). Live images of the linac treatment couch and patient were obtained with video cameras and displayed on a nearby monitor. A 3D model of the patient's external contour was obtained from planning CT data, and AR tracking software was used to superimpose the model onto the video images in the correct position for treatment. Throughout set-up and treatment, the user can view the monitor and visually confirm that the patient is positioned correctly. To ensure that the virtual contour was displayed in the correct position, a process was devised to register the coordinates of the linac with the camera images. A cube with AR tracking markers attached to its faces was constructed for alignment with the isocentre using room lasers or cone-beam CT. The performance of the system was investigated in a clinical environment by using it to position an anthropomorphic phantom without the aid of additional set-up methods. The positioning errors were determined by means of CBCT and image registration. The translational set-up errors were found to be less than 2.4 mm and the rotational errors less than 0.3 degrees. This proof-of-principle study has demonstrated the feasibility of using AR for patient position and pose guidance.