A proposal for an experimental realization of Bohm’s spin-1/2 particle version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen experiment is described. Two ${}_{}{}^{199}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Hg}$ atoms, each with nuclear spin 1/2, are produced in an entangled state with total nuclear spin zero. Such a state is obtained by dissociation of dimers of the ${}_{}{}^{199}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Hg}_2^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ isotopomer using a spectroscopically selective stimulated Raman process. The measurement of nuclear spin correlations between the two atoms in this entangled state is achieved by detection of the atoms using a spin state selective two-photon excitation-ionization scheme. The experiment will not only close the detector efficiency loophole, but in addition will permit enforcement of the locality condition.

Microneedle-based microfluidic systems have a great potential to become well-accepted medical devices for simple, accurate, and painless drug delivery and lab-on-a-chip diagnostics. In this work, we report on a novel hybrid approach combining femtosecond direct laser written microneedles with femtosecond laser generated microfluidic channels providing an important step towards versatile medical point-of-care systems. Hollow microneedle arrays are fabricated by a laser system designed for two-photon polymerization applications. Compression tests of two different types of truncated cone-shaped microneedle arrays prepared from OrmoComp® give information about the microneedle mechanical strength, and the results are compared to skin insertion forces. Three-dimensional microchannels are directly created inside PMMA bulk material by an ultrashort pulse laser system with vertical channels having adjustable cross-sectional areas, which allow attaching of microneedles to the microfluidic system. A comprehensive parameter study varying pulse duration and repetition rate is performed on two-photon polymerization to identify an optimal laser power range for fabricating microneedles using the same pulse duration and repetition rate as for microchannels. This addresses the advantage of a single laser system process that overcomes complex fabrication methods. A proof of concept flow test with a rhodamine B dye solution in distilled water demonstrates that the combination of microneedles and microchannels qualifies for microfluidic injection and extraction applications.

We present a scalable star-shaped quantum-key-distribution (QKD) optical-fiber network. We use wavelength-division demultiplexing (WDM) of broadband photon pairs to establish key exchange between multiple pairs of participants simultaneously. Our QKD system is the first entanglement-based network of four participants using BBM92 time-bin coding and the first network to achieve timing synchronization solely by clock recovery based on the photon arrival times. We demonstrate simultaneous bipartite key exchange between any possible combination of participants and show that the quantum bit error rate (QBER) itself can be used to stabilize the phase in the interferometers by small temperature adjustments. The key distribution is insensitive to polarization fluctuations in the network, enabling key distribution using deployed fibers even under challenging environmental conditions. We show that our network can be readily extended to 34 participants by using a standard arrayed-waveguide grating for WDM with 100 GHz channel spacing and that reconfigurable network connections are possible with a wavelength-selective switch. In a field test, we demonstrate secure key rates of 6.3 bits/s with a QBER of 4.5% over a total fiber length of 108 km with 26.8 km of deployed fiber between two participants with high stability. Our system features a relatively simple design of the receiver modules and enables scaling QKD networks without trusted nodes to distances up to more than 100 km and to more than 100 users. With such a network, a secure communication infrastructure on a metropolitan scale can be established.

Until recently, ground-state nuclear moments of the heaviest nuclei could only be inferred from nuclear spectroscopy, where model assumptions are required. Laser spectroscopy in combination with modern atomic structure calculations is now able to probe these moments directly, in a comprehensive and nuclear-model-independent way. Here we report on unique access to the differential mean-square charge radii of ${}^{252,253,254}\mathrm{No}$, and therefore to changes in nuclear size and shape. State-of-the-art nuclear density functional calculations describe well the changes in nuclear charge radii in the region of the heavy actinides, indicating an appreciable central depression in the deformed proton density distribution in ${}^{252,254}\mathrm{No}$ isotopes. Finally, the hyperfine splitting of ${}^{253}\mathrm{No}$ was evaluated, enabling a complementary measure of its (quadrupole) deformation, as well as an insight into the neutron single-particle wave function via the nuclear spin and magnetic moment.

In the frequency spectrum of light that is scattered in liquid water there is a central elastically scattered peak that is due mainly to scattering by suspended particles; and, there is a peak on each side of the central peak that is displaced by the Brillouin frequency shift. The Brillouin shift is a direct measure of sound speed. The linewidth of the Brillouin shifted lines is dependent on the bulk and shear viscosity of water as well as its density, thermal conductivity, and specific heat. The linewidth of the Brillouin peaks has been investigated in laboratory experiments over a range 1°C to 35°C. The frequency spectrum of back-scattered laser light was analysed using a scanning Fabry-Perot etalon. A strong dependence of the linewidth of the Brillouin shifted lines on temperature was found. In particular, for low temperatures in the range 10°C down to 1°C the linewidth shows an increase from 750 MHz to 1.4 GHz.