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Wang, Yueying

Publications and source records attributed to Wang, Yueying.

Tip‐Enhanced Imaging and Control of Infrared Strong Light‐Matter Interaction

Optical antenna resonators enable control of light‐matter interactions on the nano‐scale via electron–photon hybrid states in strong coupling. Specifically, mid‐infrared (MIR) nano‐antennas coupled to saturable intersubband transitions in multi‐quantum‐well (MQW) semiconductor heterostructures allow for the coupling strength to be tuned through antenna resonance and field intensity. Here, in this study, tip‐enhanced nano‐scale variation of antenna‐MQW coupling across the antenna is demonstrated, with a spatially‐dependent coupling strength $g_{\textrm{aq}}$ varying from 73 (strong coupling) to 24 cm -1 (weak coupling). This behavior is modeled based on the spatially dependent local constructive and destructive interference between tip and antenna fields. Using a quantum‐mechanical density‐matrix model of the MQW system with its designed values of transition dipole moment, doping density, and population decay time, the picosecond IR pulse coupling to intersubband transitions and the associated tip induced strong‐field saturation effects are described. These results present a new regime of nonlinear IR light‐matter control based on the dynamic manipulation of quantum hybrid states on the nanoscale and in the infrared, with a perspective regarding extension to molecular vibrations.

Wang, Yueying↗

Challenges of COVID-19 Case Forecasting in the US, 2020–2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasting COVID-19 trends to support planning and response was a priority for scientists and decision makers alike. In the United States, COVID-19 forecasting was coordinated by a large group of universities, companies, and government entities led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub ( https://covid19forecasthub.org ). We evaluated approximately 9.7 million forecasts of weekly state-level COVID-19 cases for predictions 1–4 weeks into the future submitted by 24 teams from August 2020 to December 2021. We assessed coverage of central prediction intervals and weighted interval scores (WIS), adjusting for missing forecasts relative to a baseline forecast, and used a Gaussian generalized estimating equation (GEE) model to evaluate differences in skill across epidemic phases that were defined by the effective reproduction number. Overall, we found high variation in skill across individual models, with ensemble-based forecasts outperforming other approaches. Forecast skill relative to the baseline was generally higher for larger jurisdictions (e.g., states compared to counties). Over time, forecasts generally performed worst in periods of rapid changes in reported cases (either in increasing or decreasing epidemic phases) with 95% prediction interval coverage dropping below 50% during the growth phases of the winter 2020, Delta, and Omicron waves. Ideally, case forecasts could serve as a leading indicator of changes in transmission dynamics. However, while most COVID-19 case forecasts outperformed a naïve baseline model, even the most accurate case forecasts were unreliable in key phases. Further research could improve forecasts of leading indicators, like COVID-19 cases, by leveraging additional real-time data, addressing performance across phases, improving the characterization of forecast confidence, and ensuring that forecasts were coherent across spatial scales. In the meantime, it is critical for forecast users to appreciate current limitations and use a broad set of indicators to inform pandemic-related decision making.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗