Ion-selective polymeric optical sensors – ion optodes – are a promising alternative to ion-selective electrodes and fluorescent dyes for analytical and biological applications, e.g. extra- and intracellular measurements. They are non-toxic, highly selective robust probes for ionic fluxes monitoring. A large-scale fabrication of ion optodes using a solvent displacement method is introduced. This method is a single-batch process that does not require any additional steps. The influence of numerous parameters, e.g. surfactant concentration, solvent nature and membrane concentration, on the average size of the synthesized optodes was studied. The solvent displacement method allows control of the particle size in 200 nm to 30 μm range. Ion optodes selective for sodium, potassium, and calcium cations were prepared and calibrated for hydrogen (pH), sodium, potassium, and calcium. Fabricated sensors demonstrated excellent selectivity, low drift, high stability and reproducibility. Further studies of ion-optodes of different sizes but the same chemical composition revealed a significant shift in their response function. This bias is clearly seen for all fabricated optodes. A strong correlation between a calculated specific surface area and the apparent ion-exchange constant was observed. Considering this, it may be hypothesized that the surface phenomena are contributing to the overall optode response resulting in the observed effect. As a consequence, the response models, developed for the macroscopic ion optodes, cannot be easily applied to the probes at micron- and nano-scale. A primary concern for continuous sensing application of optical sensors is photobleaching of lipophilic fluorescent dye which prevents quantitative fluorescence measurements. Quantum dots, known for their high photostability, brightness and broad excitation spectra with narrow emission bands, were incorporated into polymeric matrix. They excited a fluorophore indirectly, thus, reducing its photobleaching and increasing sensors life-time. We created a composite, quantum dots doped, polymeric sensor that can be integrated into high-throughput detection platforms, such as flow cytometry, chip-based micro-total analysis system technologies, or bundled optical fiber arrays. Ultimately, a fabricated ion-optode was introduced into a Boolean logic gate serving as a reporting microparticle. It responded to the pH changes generated in situ by the enzyme logic system. The present work aimed scaling down the size of biocomputing functional units which might reach the information processing by single molecules associated with signal-transducing single nanoparticles. / Graduation date: 2012

The algebra of SU(2) is ubiquitous in physics, applicable both to the atomic spin states and the polarisation states of light. The method developed by Majorana and Schwinger to represent pure, symmetric spin-states of arbitrary value as a product of spin-1/2 states is a powerful tool that allows for a great conceptual and practical simplification. Foremost, it allows the representation of a qudit on the same geometry as a qubit, i.e., the Bloch sphere. An experimental implementation of the Majorana representation in the realm of quantum optics is presented. The technique allows the projection of arbitrary quantum states from a coherent state input. It is also shown that the method can be used to synthesise arbitrary interference patterns with unit visibility, and without resorting to quantum resources. In this context, it is argued that neither the shape nor the visibility of the interference pattern is a good measure of quantumness. It is only the measurement scheme that allows for the perceived quantum behaviour. The Majorana representation also proves useful in delineating uncertainty limits of states with a particular spin value. Issues with traditional uncertainty relations involving the SU(2) operators, such as trivial bounds for certain states and non-invariance, are thereby resolved with the presented pictorial solution. / <p>QC 20170428</p>

Este trabalho apresenta os principais aspectos da automação de projetos de sistemas digitais com a utilização de computadores, detendo-se particularmente no problema da simulação. Apresenta uma visão do problema geral da automação e suas diferentes alternativas de solução bem como, um relato sobre aspectos da implementação de simuladores. Introduz um novo algoritmo desenvolvido especificamente para atender às necessidades de simulação em nível de registros portas. Descreve a implementação de um simulador em nível de portas lógicas, constituído de rotinas escritas em linguagem Assembler e Fortran do sistema HP 2116B do Laboratório de Sistemas Digitais do Departamento de Engenharia de Eletricidade da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. Finalmente, apresenta as regras de sua utilização, exemplos e as conclusões mais significativas obtidas através de seu emprego em vários casos práticos. / This paper deals with some basic features of computer-aided automation of digital systems design, particularly with those related to the simulation problem. It presents a general view of this problem and different approaches for solving it and reports also on the main aspects of simulator implementation. A new algorithm, developed to meet our specific requirements of register-level and gate level simulation, is described, together with the implementation of a gate-level simulator. The latter consists of routines written in the Assembler and Fortran languages of the HP 2116B System and was developed at the Laboratório de Sistemas Digitais do Departamento de Engenharia de Eletricidade da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. The document also includes rules for the use of the simulator, examples and some relevant conclusions which resulted from the application of the simulator in actual cases.

Nessa dissertação, abordamos o problema de dois qubits interagindo com campos externos e entre si controladamente, de acordo com um Hamiltoniano considerado realista para implementação da porta lógica quântica XOR. Introduzimos acoplamentos entre as observáveis do sistema de dois qubits e um banho de osciladores harmônicos a fim de tratarmos o problema da dissipação e da decoerência. Primeiramente nós consideramos o limite no qual a decoerência é mais rápida que qualquer processo gerado pelo Hamiltoniano do sistema. Prosseguimos então, através do método numérico conhecido como Integrador Unitário, com o estudo da matriz densidade do sistema durante a operação da porta lógica quântica sem incluir, inicialmente, o acoplamento com o banho de osciladores harmônicos. Finalmente, implementamos o método numérico conhecido como Propagador quase adiabático para estudar a decoerência e a dissipação durante a operação da porta lógica quântica XOR, a fim de analisarmos os aspectos perturbativos do sistema quântico de dois qubits. / In this dissertation, we approach the problem of two qubits interading with themselves and with externa1 fields in a controlled way, according to a Hamiltonian considered realistic to implement the XOR quantum gate. We introduce couplings between the observables of the two-qubits system and of a bath of harmonic oscillators, to treat the problems of dissipation and decoherence. Preliminarly, we consider the limit in which decoherence is faster than any process dictated by the Hamiltonian evolution of the system. Then, through a unitary-integrator numerical method, we proceed with the study of the evolution of the density matrix of the system during the operation of the logical quantum gate, initially, without the coupling with the bath of harmonic oscillators. Finally, we use the quasiadiabatic path integral method to study the dissipation and decoherence during the logical operation, through the inclusion of the bath.

Este trabalho apresenta os principais aspectos da automação de projetos de sistemas digitais com a utilização de computadores, detendo-se particularmente no problema da simulação. Apresenta uma visão do problema geral da automação e suas diferentes alternativas de solução bem como, um relato sobre aspectos da implementação de simuladores. Introduz um novo algoritmo desenvolvido especificamente para atender às necessidades de simulação em nível de registros portas. Descreve a implementação de um simulador em nível de portas lógicas, constituído de rotinas escritas em linguagem Assembler e Fortran do sistema HP 2116B do Laboratório de Sistemas Digitais do Departamento de Engenharia de Eletricidade da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. Finalmente, apresenta as regras de sua utilização, exemplos e as conclusões mais significativas obtidas através de seu emprego em vários casos práticos. / This paper deals with some basic features of computer-aided automation of digital systems design, particularly with those related to the simulation problem. It presents a general view of this problem and different approaches for solving it and reports also on the main aspects of simulator implementation. A new algorithm, developed to meet our specific requirements of register-level and gate level simulation, is described, together with the implementation of a gate-level simulator. The latter consists of routines written in the Assembler and Fortran languages of the HP 2116B System and was developed at the Laboratório de Sistemas Digitais do Departamento de Engenharia de Eletricidade da Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. The document also includes rules for the use of the simulator, examples and some relevant conclusions which resulted from the application of the simulator in actual cases.

Aborda-se, nesse trabalho, o fenômeno de envelhecimento de transistores MOS por bias temperature instability (BTI), relevante fator de degradação da confiabilidade e de redução do tempo de vida de circuitos integrados CMOS. Uma nova modelagem matemática determinística para BTI é introduzida, proporcionando, rapidamente, informação acerca do desvio na tensão de limiar de um transistor em decorrência da ação de BTI. O modelo é, então, implementado em uma ferramenta comercial SPICE, com o intuito de se verificarem, através de simulações transientes, os efeitos de BTI em circuitos CMOS; nesse sentido, a abordagem determinística representa um enorme avanço em relação à modelagem estocástica tradicional, que, muitas vezes, não pode ser aplicada em simulações transientes de circuitos complexos, devido ao seu vultoso custo computacional. O fenômeno de alargamento de pulso induzido pela propagação (PIPB) de single event transients (SETs), verificado experimentalmente na literatura, é estudado e tido como resultado da ação de BTI nas bordas de subida e descida do pulso transiente. À vista disso, simula-se a propagação de um pulso SET injetado na entrada de uma cadeia de 10000 inversores lógicos de tecnologia PTM bulk 90nm, verificando a dependência do alargamento de pulso com a tensão de alimentação, com o tempo de estresse DC anterior à aplicação do pulso e com a frequência do sinal de entrada. O aumento do atraso de portas lógicas em decorrência da ação de bias temperature instability é abordado, também, através da simulação da aplicação de um pulso nas entradas de uma porta NAND, medindo-se a variação do tempo de atraso de propagação devido à inserção da modelagem matemática para BTI. Utiliza-se novamente o modelo de transistores PTM bulk 90nm, e apuram-se os efeitos da variação da tensão de alimentação e do tempo de estresse DC no tempo de atraso de propagação. Por fim, as disparidades na variação do atraso para as bordas de subida e descida de pulsos lógicos de nível alto-baixo-alto (“101”) e baixo-alto-baixo (“010”) são verificadas, sendo explicadas em termos do diferente impacto de BTI para os períodos de estresse e de relaxação e, também, para transistores PMOS e NMOS. / This work addresses the aging of MOS transistors by bias temperature instability (BTI), which is a key factor to the degradation of the reliability and of the lifetime of CMOS integrated circuits. A novel deterministic mathematical model is presented, providing fast information about the impact of BTI in the transistors threshold voltage shifts. The model is implemented in a commercial SPICE tool, in order to verify the effects of BTI in CMOS circuits through transient simulations; in this sense, the deterministic approach represents a great advance compared to the traditional stochastic modelling, that may result in prohibitively long transient simulations for complex circuits, due to its huge computation cost. The phenomenon of propagation induced pulse broadening (PIPB) of single event transients (SETs), verified experimentally in the literature, is studied and understood as the result of the BTI effect on the rising and falling edges of the transient pulse. Therefore, the propagation of a SET injected in the input of a 10,000-inverters chain is simulated, using the PTM bulk 90nm technology model, verifying the dependence of the pulse broadening on the supply voltage, on the DC stress time previous to the application of the pulse and on the input signal frequency. The increase of the propagation delay of logic gates due the action of bias temperature instability is also studied through the simulation of the injection of a pulse in the inputs of a NAND gate, and the variation of the propagation delay time due to the BTI effect is evaluated. The PTM bulk 90nm model is used once again, and the outcome of variations on the supply voltage and on the DC stress time on the propagation delay is measured. Finally, the disparities on the delay variation for the rising and falling edges of high-low-high (“101”) and low-high-low (“010”) input logic pulses are verified, and they are explained as the result of the different impact of BTI for the stress and recovery periods and also for PMOS and NMOS transistors.

From fighting microbial infections to preparing for pandemics, Brett Finlay is discovering how the body's own defenses could boost our chances in the battle against infectious diseases.

The central argument that I advance in this dissertation is that the influence of the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in the governance of global health and agricultural development has been derived from their ability to advance knowledge structures crafted to accommodate the preferences of the dominant states operating within the contexts where they have sought to catalyze change. Consequently, this dissertation provides a new way of conceptualizing knowledge power broadly conceived as well as private governance as it relates to the provision of public goods. In the first half of the twentieth-century, RF funds drove scientific research that produced tangible solutions, such as vaccines and high-yielding seed varieties, to longstanding problems undermining the health and wealth of developing countries emerging from the clutches of colonialism. At the country-level, the Foundation provided advanced training to a generation of agricultural scientists and health practitioners, and RF expertise was also pivotal to the creation of specialized International Organizations (IOs) for health (e.g. the League of Nations Health Organization) and agriculture (e.g. the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) as well as many informal international networks of experts working to solve common problems. Finally in the neo-liberal era, RF effectively demonstrated how the public-private partnership paradigm could provide public goods in the face of externally imposed austerity constraining public sector capacity and the failure of the free-market to meet the needs of populations with limited purchasing power. Since its inception, the BMGF has demonstrated a similar commitment to underwriting innovation through science oriented towards reducing global health disparities and increasing agricultural productivity in poor countries, and has greatly expanded the application of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach in both health and agriculture. Unlike its intellectual forebear, BMGF has been far more focused on end-points and silver bullets than investing directly in the training of human resources. Moreover whereas RF has for most of its history decentralized its staff, those of BMGF have been concentrated mainly at its headquarters in Seattle. With no operational programs of its own, BMGF has instead relied heavily on external consultants to inform its programs and remains dependent on intermediary organizations to implement its grants. Despite these and other differences, both RF and BMGF have exhibited a common capacity to catalyse institutional innovation that has benefited historically marginalized populations in the absence of structural changes to the dominant global power structure. A preference for compromise over contestation, coupled with a capacity for enabling innovation in science and governance, has resulted in broad acceptance for RF and BMGF knowledge structures within both state and international policy arenas. This acceptance has translated into both Foundations having direct influence over (i) how major challenges related to disease and agriculture facing the global south are understood (i.e. the determinants and viable solutions); (ii) what types of knowledge matters for solving said problems (i.e. who leads); and (iii) how collective action focused on addressing these problems is structured (i.e. the institutional frameworks).

This thesis deals with a series of quantum computer implementation issues from the Kane 31P in 28Si architecture to Shor’s integer factoring algorithm and beyond. The discussion begins with simulations of the adiabatic Kane CNOT and readout gates, followed by linear nearest neighbor implementations of 5-qubit quantum error correction with and without fast measurement. A linear nearest neighbor circuit implementing Shor’s algorithm is presented, then modified to remove the need for exponentially small rotation gates. Finally, a method of constructing optimal approximations of arbitrary single-qubit fault-tolerant gates is described and applied to the specific case of the remaining rotation gates required by Shor’s algorithm.

La diminution de la taille des transistors actuellement utilisés en microélectronique ainsi que l’augmentation de leurs performances demeure encore au centre de toutes les attentions. Cette thèse propose d’étudier et de fabriquer des transistors à base de nanofils empilés. Cette architecture avec des grilles enrobantes est l’ultime solution pour concentrer toujours plus de courant électrique dans un encombrement minimal. Les simulations ont par ailleurs révélé le potentiel des nanofeuillets de silicium qui permettent à la fois d’optimiser l’espace occupé tout en proposant des performances supérieures aux dispositifs actuels. L’importance de l’ajout de certaines étapes de fabrication a également été soulignée. En ce sens, deux séries d’étapes de fabrication ont été proposées : la première option vise à minimiser le nombre de variations par rapport à ce qui est aujourd’hui en production tandis que la deuxième alternative offre potentiellement de meilleures performances au prix de développements plus importants. Les transistors ainsi fabriqués proposent des performances prometteuses supérieures à ce qui a pu être fabriqué dans le passé notamment grâce à l’introduction de contraintes mécaniques importantes favorables au transport du courant électrique. / The future of the transistors currently used in Microelectronics is still uncertain: shrinking these devices while increasing their performances always remains a challenge. In this thesis, stacked nanowire transistors are studied, fabricated and optimized. This architecture embeds gate all around which is the ultimate solution for concentrating always more current within a smaller device. Simulations have shown that silicon nanosheets provide an optimal utilization of the space with providing increased performances over the other technologies. Crucial process steps have also been identified. Subsequently, two process flows have been suggested for the fabrication of SNWFETs. The first approach consists in minimizing the number of variations from processes already in mass production. The second alternative has potentially better performances but its development is more challenging. Finally, the fabricated transistors have shown improved performances over state-of-the-art especially due to mechanical stress induced for improving electric transport.