The atmospheric lightwave propagation is considerably influenced by the random variations in the refractive index of air pockets due to turbulence. This undesired effect significantly degrades the performance of free-space optical (FSO) communication systems. Interestingly, the severity of such random degradations is highly related to the range of atmospheric propagation. In this thesis, we introduce relay-assisted FSO communications as a very promising technique to combat the degradation effects of atmospheric turbulence. Considering different configurations of the relays, we quantify the outage behavior of the relay-assisted system and identify the optimum relaying scheme. We further optimize the performance of the relay-assisted FSO system subject to some power constraints and provide optimal power control strategies for different scenarios under consideration. Moreover, an application of FSO relaying technique in quantum communications is investigated. The results demonstrate impressive performance improvements for the proposed relay-assisted FSO systems with respect to the conventional direct transmission whether applied in a classical or a quantum communication channel.

Weak-scale supersymmetry is one of the most favoured theories beyond the Standard Model of particle physics that elegantly solves various theoretical and observational problems in both particle physics and cosmology. In this thesis, I describe the theoretical foundations of supersymmetry, issues that it can address and concrete supersymmetric models that are widely used in phenomenological studies. I discuss how the predictions of supersymmetric models may be compared with observational data from both colliders and cosmology. I show why constraints on supersymmetric parameters by direct and indirect searches of particle dark matter are of particular interest in this respect. Gamma-ray observations of astrophysical sources, in particular dwarf spheroidal galaxies, by the Fermi satellite, and recording nuclear recoil events and energies by future ton-scale direct detection experiments are shown to provide powerful tools in searches for supersymmetric dark matter and estimating supersymmetric parameters. I discuss some major statistical issues in supersymmetric global fits to experimental data. In particular, I further demonstrate that existing advanced scanning techniques may fail in correctly mapping the statistical properties of the parameter spaces even for the simplest supersymmetric models. Complementary scanning methods based on Genetic Algorithms are proposed. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Submitted.

Submitted by Vasti Diniz (vastijpa@hotmail.com) on 2017-09-13T13:01:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 7899614 bytes, checksum: f001983854e55609b8ccfb1ce80578f2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-13T13:01:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 7899614 bytes, checksum: f001983854e55609b8ccfb1ce80578f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / One of the main problems that permeates the Particle Physics and Cosmology is the Dark Matter (DM), which makes up about 26% of the energy content of the Universe. The main evidence pointing to its existence provides us with important features, such as being neutral, stable (with lifetime over the age of the Universe), cold or warm, weakly interacting with Particle Physics Standard Model (SM) particles and sufficiently abundant. The SM does not provide a candidate who meets these characteristics and hence it is necessary to extend it. One of the most sophisticated extensions of the SM is the Supersymmetry, that in addition to solving the problem of DM, explains other unsolved puzzles that are present in SM, among them, the hierarchy and the unification of the gauge couplings. This model implies the inclusion of a new symmetry that puts bosons and fermions in equal footing. The minimal supersymmetric version of the SM is the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), whose viable candidate is the neutralino, which is a fermion composed of superpartners of neutral Higgs and gauge bosons. In this work, we performed the neutralino analysis as DM candidate in CMSSM or mSUGRA scenario, which contains 5 free parameters, M0, M1/2, tan , sign(μ) and A0, for two different analyzes. In the first one we varied the M0 and M1/2 parameters for three different values of tan while in the second and third one we varied all parameters except the sign(μ). In this study, we use some computational tools, including, SARAH, SPheno, SSP and Micromegas, in order to obtain DM Relic Abundance and DM scattering cross section in this scenario. We compared our results with the most recent experimental data, namely, we have used Planck satellite data for the relic abundance, LUX and XENON1T (prospect) for the spin-independent scattering cross section and XENON100 for the spin dependent one. We finally analyzed the implications concerning the viability of the MSSM under the light of the DM problem. / Um dos principais problemas que permeia a Física de Partículas e Cosmologia é a Matéria Escura (ME), que compõe cerca de 26% do conteúdo energético do Universo. As principais evidências que apontam para a sua existência nos fornecem importantes características, tais como, ser neutra, estável (com tempo de vida maior que a idade do Universo), fria ou morna, pouco interagente com partículas do Modelo Padrão de Física de Partículas (MP)e suficientemente abundante. O MP não fornece um candidato que supre estas características, sendo necessário estendê-lo. Uma das mais sofisticadas extensões do MP é a Supersimetria, que além de resolver o problema da ME, soluciona outros que estão presentes no MP, dentre eles, a hierarquia e a unificação dos acoplamentos de gauge. Tal modelo implica na inclusão de uma nova simetria que coloca bósons e férmions em pé de igualdade. A versão mínima supersimétrica do MP é o Modelo Padrão Supersimétrico Mínimo (MSSM), cujo candidato viável à ME é o neutralino, que se trata de um férmion composto pelos superparceiros dos bósons de gauge e Higgs neutros. Neste trabalho, fizemos uma análise do neutralino como candidato à ME no cenário CMSSM ou mSUGRA, que contém 5 parâmetros livres, M0, M1/2, tan , sinal(μ) e A0, para três análises distintas. Na primeira variamos apenas os parâmetros M0 e M1/2 para três valores distintos da tan e na segunda e terceira variamos todos os parâmetros com exceção do sinal(μ). Neste estudo, utilizamos algumas ferramentas computacionais, entre as quais, SARAH, SPheno, SSP e micrOMEGAs, no intuito de obter abundância e seção de choque de espalhamento de ME neste cenário. Obtidos os gráficos, comparamos com os resultados experimentais mais recentes, para a abundância utilizamos dados do satélite Planck, para a seção de choque de espalhamento independente de spin, o LUX e XENON1T (2017) e para dependente de spin, XENON100 e verificamos suas implicações na viabilidade do modelo.

L'expérience EDELWEISS-III est dédiée à la détection directe de matière noire sous forme de WIMPs. Ces particules massives devraient constituer plus de 80% de la masse de l'univers et être détectables via leur diffusion élastique sur un noyau de l'absorbeur d'un détecteur. Le taux d'événements WIMPs attendu étant très faible (<1/kg/an) , une méthode de double mesure chaleur/ionisation est réalisée afin de discriminer les reculs électroniques issus du fond et , des reculs nucléaires engendrés par les neutrons et WIMPs. Le travail de thèse a consisté en l'étude des signaux induits par le piégeage de charges. Un modèle analytique de son impact sur les signaux des voies ionisation et chaleur est présenté. Les prédictions du modèle, confortées par leur accord avec les données et une simulation numérique, ont donné lieu à diverses applications : amélioration des résolutions, sensibilité à la profondeur des dépôts d'énergie, caractérisation du piégeage de charges dans les cristaux. L'analyse des données du Run308 est détaillée et les résultats interprétés en terme de limite d'exclusion. Cette analyse a mis au jour la présence d'un bruit de fond neutron limitant pour la recherche de WIMPs de haute masse (>20GeV). La dernière partie est consacrée à une étude de l'optimisation des détecteurs cryogéniques aux WIMPs de basse masse. Ce travail, réalisée via un test statistique de rapport de vraisemblance profilé, a permis d'étudier l'influence des divers paramètres expérimentaux sur le potentiel d'exclusion. Les conclusions de cette analyse, conjointement aux résultats du Run308, ont mené l'expérience EDELWEISS à privilégier la recherche de WIMPs de basse masse (<20GeV) / The EDELWEISS-III experiment is dedicated to direct dark matter searches aiming at detecting WIMPS. These massive particles should account for more than 80% of the mass of the Universe and be detectable through their elastic scattering on nuclei constituting the absorber of a detector. As the expected WIMP event rate is extremely low (<1/kg/year), a double measurement heat/ionization is performed to discriminate electronic recoils originating from _ and backgrounds and nuclear recoils induced by neutrons and WIMPs. The first part of the thesis work consisted in studying the signals induced by charge carrier trapping. An analytical model of its impact on both ionization and heat signals is presented. The model predictions, through their agreement with both data and a numerical simulation, lead to various applications : improvement of the resolutions, statistical sensitivity to energy deposit depths, characterization of trapping within the crystals. The analysis of the Run308 data is detailed and its results are interpreted in terms of an exclusion limit on the WIMP-nucleon cross section (SI). This study brings to light the presence of a limiting neutron background for high mass WIMP searches (>20GeV). Finally, a study dedicated to the optimization of solid cryogenic detectors to low mass WIMP searches is presented. This study is performed on simulated data using a statistical test based on a profiled likelihood ratio that allows for statistical background subtraction and spectral shape discrimination. This study combined with results from Run308, has lead the EDELWEISS experiment to favor low mass WIMP searches (<20GeV)

L'un des grands mystères de la physique qu'il nous reste à élucider est d'identifier de quoi est composée la matière sombre. L'expérience SuperCDMS a décidé de se pencher sur la question il y a plus de 20 ans. Nous utilisons des détecteurs semi-conducteurs qui mesurent le signal de phonons engendré par des événements de recul.Nous mesurons également l'énergie déposée sous forme de d'ionisation à l'aide de l'effet Neganov-Trofimov-Luke (NTL) qui produit des phonons d'énergie totale proportionnelle à l'énergie d'ionisation initiale. Pour ce faire, nous appliquons un voltage sur le détecteur qui amplifie également le signal par un facteur proportionnel au voltage appliqué. Nous sommes allés à TUNL en Caroline du Nord, afin de calibrer notre détecteur HVeV fait d'un cristal de silicium. Le but de cette calibration est de déterminer le taux d'ionisation produit par des reculs nucléaires produits par le faisceau de neutrons fourni par TUNL. Cette mesure est importante puisque le taux d'ionisation est atténué pour le recul nucléaire par rapport au recul électronique et qu'il détermine l'amplification du signal par l'effet NTL. Nous avons utilisé des scintillateurs liquides couplés à des PMTs afin de déterminer l'énergie déposée dans le HVeV en les positionnant à des angles de diffusion précis. Nous avons jusqu'ici uniquement effectué l'analyse des données pour lesquelles il n'y a pas d'amplification NTL. Par conséquant, nous ne pouvons pas encore déterminer le taux d'ionisation. Cependant, nous concluons que notre méthode d'analyse est valide et que l'énergie déposée dans le HVeV est bien celle qui correspond aux angles de diffusion auxquels nous avions placé nos PMTs. / One of the biggest mysteries left to be solved in physics is the question of what dark matter is made of. The SuperCDMS experiment decided to explore this question and has done so for the last 20 years. We use semiconducting detectors that measure phonon signals generated by recoils. The HVeV detectors also use the Neganov-Trofimov-Luke (NTL) effect to generate a phonon signal proportional to the ionization signal that is also produced by the recoil. To do so, we apply a voltage bias the HVeV detector, which also amplify the signal by a factor proportional to the bias. We went to TUNL in North Carolina to calibrate our HVeV detector, made of a silicon crystal. The goal of the experiment is to determine the ionization yield of the nuclear recoil produced by the neutron beam provided to us by TUNL. This measurement is important since the ionization yield is dampened for nuclear recoil compared to electronic recoil and is linked to the gain of the signal in the HVeV. We use liquid scintillators coupled to PMTs to determine the energy deposited in the HVeV using the scattering angle between the HVeV and the chosen position of the PMTs. At this point, we only have the analyses for the data with no NTL gain, meaning that we do not yet have a measure for the ionization yield. Still, this analysis allowed us to validate our analysis method and the energy deposited in the HVeV for coincident events with PMTs of different position.

With the increase in speculation about the nature of our universe, there has been a growing need to find the truth about Dark Matter. Recent research shows that the Planck-Mass range could be a well-motivated space to probe for the detection of Dark Matter through gravitational coupling. This thesis dives into the possibility of doing the same in two parts. The first part lays out the analysis framework that would sense such an interaction, while the second part outlines a prototype experiment that when scaled up using quantum optomechanical sensors would serve as the skeleton to perform the analysis with.

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Die Photodynamische Inaktivierung von Mikroorganismen (PDI) ist eine vielversprechende Methode zur Bekämpfung verschiedener Mikroorganismen. Grundlage der PDI ist die Generierung von reaktiven Sauerstoffspezies in toxischer Dosis, insbesondere von Singulettsauerstoff (1O2). Die Generierung von 1O2 erfolgt durch die Wechselwirkung eines Photosensibilisators mit Licht und molekularem Sauerstoff. Ein direkter Nachweis von 1O2 ist nur durch die Detektion seiner Phosphoreszenz bei 1269 nm (1O2 Lumineszenz) möglich. Die Kinetik der 1O2 Lumineszenz erlaubt Rückschlüsse auf die Mikroumgebung des Photosensibilisators. Die Phosphoreszenz-Quantenausbeute des 1O2 ist sehr gering und die spektrale Lage der 1O2 Lumineszenz bedingt geringe Detektionseffizienz und hohes Rauschen. Daher erfordert die zeitaufgelöste Detektion der 1O2 Lumineszenz hohen Aufwand an Technik und Fachwissen. Bisher gelang die zeitaufgelöste Detektion von 1O2 Lumineszenz an Mikroorganismen nur in Suspensionen. In dieser Arbeit werden Grundlagen für die Nutzung der orts- und zeitaufgelösten Detektion der 1O2 Lumineszenz auf Oberflächen als Werkzeug für die Evaluierung der PDI auf Oberflächen vorgestellt. Um diese Grundlagen zu schaffen, wurde ein Messplatz zur orts- und zeitaufgelösten Detektion von 1O2 Lumineszenz auf Oberflächen geplant, konstruiert, charakterisiert und getestet. In Untersuchungen an vier verschiedenen Mikroorganismen mit zwei Photosensibilisatoren gelingt erstmals der direkte, zeitaufgelöste Nachweis von 1O2 an Oberflächen kultivierter Mikroorganismen. Durch den Vergleich von Fluoreszenz-Scans und 1O2 Lumineszenz-Scans können Aussagen über das Diffusionsverhalten der Photosensibilisatoren und das 1O2 Lumineszenz Quenching der Mikro-organismen getroffen werden. Eine Analyse der 1O2 Lumineszenzkinetik zeigt, dass die Detektion der 1O2 Lumineszenz und die Bestimmung der 1O2 Lumineszenzkinetik im Zeitraum der PDI aller untersuchten Mikroorganismen möglich ist. / The Photodynamic Inactivation of Microorganisms (PDI) is a promising method to combat different microorganisms. The mechanism of PDI is based on the selective generation of reactive oxygen species, particularly of singlet oxygen (1O2), in a lethal dose. 1O2 is generated via the interaction of a photosensitizer with light and molecular oxygen. The only method for directly detecting 1O2 is the measurement of its characteristic phosphorescence at 1269 nm (1O2 luminescence). The kinetics of the 1O2 luminescence can be utilized to draw conclusions about the microenvironment of the photosensitizer. Due to the extremely low phosphorescence quantum yield of 1O2 and low detection efficiency because of its spectral position, the detection of 1O2 luminescence requires a considerable amount of specialised knowledge and technical efforts. Hitherto, the time-resolved detection of 1O2 luminescence at microorganisms has only been successful in suspensions. This thesis presents fundamentals for the use of laterally and time-resolved detection of 1O2 luminescence as a tool for evaluating PDI of microorganisms on surfaces. To provide these fundamentals, a setup for lateral and time-resolved 1O2 luminescence detection was planned, constructed and characterised. In studies regarding four different microorganisms and two photosensitizer, the direct time-resolved detection of 1O2 luminescence on the surface of cultured microorganisms was succeeded for the first time. The comparison of fluorescence and 1O2 luminescence scans allows gathering information about the diffusion properties of the photosensitizer as well as the quenching properties of the microorganisms. The analysis of the 1O2 luminescence kinetics exemplifies, that the determination of the 1O2 luminescence kinetics is possible over the period of the microorganisms’ PDI.