Enhancing biolistic plant transformation and genome editing with a flow guiding barrel
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Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Ji, Qing.
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Abstract High-power lasers are vital for particle acceleration, imaging, fusion and materials processing, requiring precise control and high-energy delivery. Laser plasma accelerators (LPAs) demand laser positional stability at focus to ensure consistent electron beams in applications such as X-ray free-electron lasers and high-energy colliders. Achieving this stability is especially challenging for the low-repetition-rate lasers in current LPAs. We present a machine learning method that predicts and corrects laser pointing instabilities in real-time using a high-frequency pilot beam. By preemptively adjusting a correction mirror, this approach overcomes traditional feedback limits. Demonstrated on the BELLA petawatt laser operating at the terawatt level (30 mJ amplification), our method achieved root mean square pointing stabilization of 0.34 and 0.59 $\unicode{x3bc} \mathrm{rad}$ in the x and y directions, reducing jitter by 65% and 47%, respectively. This is the first successful application of predictive control for shot-to-shot stabilization in low-repetition-rate laser systems, paving the way for full-energy petawatt lasers and transformative advances across science, industry and security.
Developing collaborative research platforms for quantum bit control is crucial for driving innovation in the field, as they enable the exchange of ideas, data, and implementation to achieve more impactful outcomes. Furthermore, considering the high costs associated with quantum experimental setups, collaborative environments are vital for maximizing resource utilization efficiently. However, the lack of dedicated data management platforms presents a significant obstacle to progress, highlighting the necessity for essential assistive tools tailored for this purpose. Current qubit control systems are unable to handle complicated management of extensive calibration data and do not support effectively visualizing intricate quantum experiment outcomes. In this paper, we introduce Qubit Control Storage and Visualization ( QubiCSV ), a platform specifically designed to meet the demands of quantum computing research, focusing on the storage and analysis of calibration and characterization data in qubit control systems. As an open-source tool, QubiCSV facilitates efficient data management of quantum computing, providing data versioning capabilities for data storage and allowing researchers and programmers to interact with qubits in real time. The insightful visualization are developed to interpret complex quantum experiments and optimize qubit performance. QubiCSV not only streamlines the handling of qubit control system data but also improves the user experience with intuitive visualization features, making it a valuable asset for researchers in the quantum computing domain.
Near-infrared color centers in silicon are emerging candidates for on-chip integrated quantum emitters, optical-access quantum memories, and sensing. We access ensemble G-color-center formation dynamics and radiation-induced atomic disorder in silicon for a series of megaelectronvolt proton-flux conditions. The photoluminescence results reveal that the G centers are formed more efficiently by pulsed-proton irradiation than by continuous-wave proton irradiation. The enhanced transient excitations and dynamic annealing within nanoseconds allows optimization of the ratio of G-center formation to nonradiative defect accumulation. The G centers preserve narrow line widths of about 0.1 nm when they are generated by moderate pulsed-proton fluences, while the line width broadens significantly as the pulsed-proton fluence increases. This implies vacancy or interstitial clustering by overlapping collision cascades. The tracking of G-center properties for a series of irradiation conditions enables sensitive probing of atomic disorder, serving as a complementary analytical method for sensing damage accumulation. Aided by ab initio electronic structure calculations, we provide insight into the atomic disorder induced inhomogeneous broadening by introducing vacancies, silicon interstitials, and oriented strain fields in the vicinity of a G center. A vacancy leads to a tensile strain and can result in either a red shift or a blue shift of the G-center emission, depending on its position relative to the G center. Meanwhile, Si interstitials lead to compressive strain, which results in a monotonic red shift. In conclusion, high-flux and tunable ion pulses enable the exploration of the fundamental dynamics of radiation-induced defects as well as methods for the optimization of G-center formation and qubit synthesis for quantum information processing.
Laser-driven ion beams have gained considerable attention for their potential use in multidisciplinary research and technology. Preclinical studies into their radiobiological effectiveness have established the prospect of using laser-driven ion beams for radiotherapy. In particular, research into the beneficial effects of ultrahigh instantaneous dose rates is enabled by the high ion bunch charge and uniquely short bunch lengths present for laser-driven ion beams. Such studies require reliable, online dosimetry methods to monitor the bunch charge for every laser shot to ensure that the prescribed dose is accurately applied to the biological sample. In this paper, we present the first successful use of an Integrating Current Transformer (ICT) for laser-driven ion accelerators. This is a noninvasive diagnostic to measure the charge of the accelerated ion bunch. It enables online estimates of the applied dose in radiobiological experiments and facilitates ion beam tuning, in particular, optimization of the laser ion source, and alignment of the proton transport beamline. We present the ICT implementation and the correlation with other diagnostics, such as radiochromic films, a Thomson parabola spectrometer, and a scintillator.
High-temperature superconducting REBCO coated conductor is one of the main candidates for next-generation high field magnets in fusion reactors and particle accelerators owing to their high current-carrying capability. Although these materials can operate at higher temperatures and generate higher magnetic fields than their counterparts with lower critical temperatures, protecting the REBCO magnet against quench is challenging. A variety of candidate technologies that may be able to enable self-protection, including no-insulation technology and insulative coatings with temperature-dependent resistance, are in development. Here, in order to understand current sharing and thermal processes during a quench, we model a REBCO pancake coil as an electrical circuit, considering power generation and heat transfer along conductor turns, and study the current distribution around a local defect with lower critical current. The magnetic field and coil terminal voltage predicted by the simulation was compared to published experimental results. Our results provide useful insights into how current sharing occurs around defects.
Short-pulse ion beams have been developed in recent years and now enable applications in materials science. A tunable flux of selected ions delivered in pulses of a few nanoseconds can affect the balance of defect formation and dynamic annealing in materials. We report results from color center formation in silicon with pulses of 900 keV protons. G-centers in silicon are near-infrared photon emitters with emerging applications as single-photon sources and for spin-photon qubit integration. G-centers consist of a pair of substitutional carbon atoms and one silicon interstitial atom and are often formed by carbon ion implantation and thermal annealing. Here, we report on G-center formation with proton pulses in silicon samples that already contained carbon, without carbon ion implantation or thermal annealing. The number of G-centers formed per proton increased when we increased the pulse intensity from 6.9 × 10 9 to 7.9 × 10 10 protons/cm 2 /pulse, demonstrating a flux effect on G-center formation efficiency. We observe a G-center ensemble linewidth of 0.1 nm (full width half maximum), narrower than previously reported. Pulsed ion beams can extend the parameter range available for fundamental studies of radiation-induced defects and the formation of color centers for spin-photon qubit applications.
Ultra-stable, tunable magnetic fields are desirable for a wide range of applications in medical imaging, electron microscopy, quantum science, and atomic physics. Superconducting magnets operated in persistent current mode, with device current flowing in a closed superconducting loop disconnected from a power source, are a common approach for applications with the most stringent requirements on temporal field stability. In this work, we present a method for active control of this persistent current by means of dynamic inductance change within the superconducting circuit. For a first realization of this general technique, we consider a variable superconducting inductor placed in series with the main magnet. The inductor acts as a dynamic flux storage device capable of transferring flux to or from the main magnet through inductance change. This allows for fine and fast adjustments of the persistent current without the use of thermal switches that limit the speed and accuracy of many present-day methods. With first experiments employing this technique, we demonstrate stabilization of a 1.95 T Nb–Ti round lens for electron microscopy against decay resulting from residual losses in the superconducting circuit, and more generally show flexibility for precise control over the magnitude and waveform of the persistent current.
Abstract Radiotherapy is the current standard of care for more than 50% of all cancer patients. Improvements in radiotherapy (RT) technology have increased tumor targeting and normal tissue sparing. Radiations at ultra-high dose rates required for FLASH-RT effects have sparked interest in potentially providing additional differential therapeutic benefits. We present a new experimental platform that is the first one to deliver petawatt laser-driven proton pulses of 2 MeV energy at 0.2 Hz repetition rate by means of a compact, tunable active plasma lens beamline to biological samples. Cell monolayers grown over a 10 mm diameter field were exposed to clinically relevant proton doses ranging from 7 to 35 Gy at ultra-high instantaneous dose rates of 10 7 Gy/s. Dose-dependent cell survival measurements of human normal and tumor cells exposed to LD protons showed significantly higher cell survival of normal-cells compared to tumor-cells for total doses of 7 Gy and higher, which was not observed to the same extent for X-ray reference irradiations at clinical dose rates. These findings provide preliminary evidence that compact LD proton sources enable a new and promising platform for investigating the physical, chemical and biological mechanisms underlying the FLASH effect.
A wafer-based charged particle accelerator includes a charged particle source and at least one RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly and a power supply coupled to the at least one RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly. The wafer-based charged particle accelerator may further include a beam current-sensor. The wafer-based charged particle accelerator may further include at least a second RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly and at least one ESQ charged particle focusing wafer. Fabrication methods are disclosed for RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assemblies, ESQ charged particle focusing wafers, and the wafer-based charged particle accelerator.
High-temperature superconductors such as REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (REBCO, RE = rare earth) enable high-current cables and high-field magnets. By removing the turn-to-turn insulation in a magnet application, recent experiments demonstrated that REBCO magnets can self-protect against catastrophic damage during a superconducting-to-normal transition (quench), i.e., when the stored magnetic energy rapidly converts to heat. The current can bypass the hot spot during a quench, thereby reducing the localized heat dissipation. The removal of the insulation between turns, however, leads to excessive eddy currents during current ramping, thereby forcing a much-prolonged magnet charging time. To address this issue, we investigate vanadium oxide (VO x ) coatings as a temperature-dependent self-switching medium that automatically manages current sharing. VO x coatings (with 1.70 ≤ × ≤ to 2.07) were deposited by reactive cathodic arc deposition, initially on insulating glass to determine the electrical properties, and later on commercial REBCO tapes. The coatings are x-ray amorphous but with a short-range crystalline ordering according to Raman spectrometry. The resistivity of VO x decreased by at least three orders of magnitude when the temperature increased from 80 to 300 K. The coating process is compatible with commercial REBCO tapes as evidenced by the negligible change in the critical current caused by the coating process. Here, the results from current sharing experiments and circuit analysis suggest that the VO x coating can effectively self-regulate current sharing in REBCO magnets, suppress excessive eddy currents, and enable self-protection during quenches.
REBCO coated conductor has demonstrated high current capacity that can enable high-field magnets for high energy physics and fusion applications. However, quench protection is still one of the main challenges to be addressed for these applications. In addition, Ic and n value variations along the length of REBCO tapes exist in commercial production. The inter-tape contact resistance plays a key role to develop the self protection capability in cables and magnets by enabling current sharing and suppressing excessive eddy currents. Here we propose an electric-circuit model to describe the inter-tape contact resistance and its impact on the current sharing between REBCO tapes. We report the experiments on a 2-stacked tape REBCO cable with local Ic drop to validate the model. With the developed model, we study the upper limit of the contact resistance which allows current sharing between tapes. We also study the impact of variation in Ic and n values in tapes on the cable performance. Finally, our model is expected to provide useful insight into the current sharing and target values for inter-tape contact resistance in REBCO cables and magnets for various applications.
A wafer-based charged particle accelerator includes a charged particle source and at least one RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly and a power supply coupled to the at least one RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly. The wafer-based charged particle accelerator may further include a beam current-sensor. The wafer-based charged particle accelerator may further include at least a second RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assembly and at least one ESQ charged particle focusing wafer. Fabrication methods are disclosed for RF charged particle accelerator wafer sub-assemblies, ESQ charged particle focusing wafers, and the wafer-based charged particle accelerator.