November 6, 2003

Physicists Herman Batelaan (left) and Hao Gong with the equipment their UNL research team used to create the first bit of quantum memory using polarized light. They captured and stored 20-microsecond pulses of light at different polarizations in a rubidium cell and then released the pulses intact. The pulses, 3.72 miles long, were stored in a tubular cell 1-1/2 inches long. Photo by Brett Hampton.

Physicists stop light, create bit of quantum memory

By Tom Simons, University Communications

Such as a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, the journey to a quantum computer begins with a single qubit - a single bit of quantum memory.

A first baby step in that journey was taken during an experiment in a UNL laboratory earlier this year when a team led by physicist Herman Batelaan captured polarized light in a cell containing a vapor of atoms of the metal rubidium.

In the experiment, designed by Gao Hong, a post-doctoral student in Batelaan's lab, 20-microsecond pulses of polarized light were beamed into a tubular, 4-centimeter-long cell containing rubidium vapor, where the pulses were captured before being released intact. Light normally moves through space at about 186,000 miles per second and a microsecond is one-millionth of a second, so a 20-microsecond light pulse normally would be about 3.72 miles long. But in Gao's experiment, that 3.72-mile-long light pulse was captured and stored in a tube about 1 1/2-inches in length.

That was a notable and interesting achievement, Batelaan said, but it only confirmed results published in 2001 by teams of scientists at Harvard University and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, both in Cambridge, Mass.

"We're happy that we at least are up to par with the people at Harvard, but Gao did something more," Batelaan said. "He changed the parameters and found out he could do something with it that actually might mean something."

Gao demonstrated that polarized light could be harnessed to create quantum memory.

The ability to store quantum information is a critical element in the quest to create quantum computers, devices that would vastly outstrip in power and speed any computer now in existence. In present-day computers, memory is stored as millions of zeros and ones on silicon chips. But the point of a quantum computer is to take advantage of how the laws of physics change at the atomic, or quantum, level, where it's possible to exist in more than one state simultaneously.

Something other than static ones and zeros on silicon chips, then, will be necessary for memory storage.

"If you have light going a certain way, you have an electric field that oscillates," Batelaan said. "It can oscillate horizontally or it can oscillate vertically. Those are the zeroes and ones of your qubit in this case.

"But the problem is, suppose I want to make a quantum computer out of light. I need to do something with the light, but the light goes by so quickly that I can't do anything with it. So it would be nice to take that light and dump it into something so that we can actually do something with it."

Batelaan, Gao and their research team (which included research assistant professor Mark Rosenberry and undergraduate student Ben Williams of Yankton, S.D.) "dumped" the light into the rubidium tube, and they found they were indeed able to do something with it. They created a quantum memory.

"The scientists at Harvard looked at one polarization only, and what Gao is capable of doing is not only two polarizations, but all combinations," Batelaan said. "The fidelity for all polarizations is better than 95 percent, so it's darn good. It shows that the polarization state is well-maintained during storage in the rubidium cell. He clinched this issue that you can use polarized light as a qubit, as a one-qubit quantum memory."

A standard, run-of-the-mill desktop computer typically has more than 100 million bits of memory, however, and Batelaan readily acknowledges that there is a long way to go in the quest for a functional quantum computer.

"How many bits do you have in a typical computer memory? A boatload. How many do we have on our table? One," he said. "But the difference between zero and one is often enormous and the obvious thing that we're discussing is how do we make more.

"It's anybody's guess what the future components of quantum computers are going to be. But if you ask my guess, light is definitely going to play a role, and some medium that can store the information, some material like rubidium that can talk to the light, is going to play a role. The process of how light talks to matter, that's what we're studying."

Gao, Rosenberry and Batelaan published their research in the May issue of Physical Review A, the journal of atomic, molecular and optical physics. Their research was supported by a Nebraska Research Initiative grant.

Research: Vaccine, additive cut E. coli

By Vicki Miller, IANR News Service

A new vaccine and a beneficial bacterial feed additive each significantly reduced E. coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle, and using both may offer added protection, University of Nebraska research shows.

For the past two summers, NU agricultural scientists tested the effectiveness of both E. coli control methods under typical feedlot conditions in studies of more than 1,100 cattle in the university's feedlots.

Results of these extensive trials look promising, said Terry Klopfenstein, an animal scientist on the NU Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources' research team.

"It looks like there are things in the works that can make a significant difference in controlling this organism," he said. That is good news for beef producers who are eager for science-based tools to help them reduce prevalence of this dangerous bacteria on farms and in feedlots. E. coli O157:H7 is the culprit in numerous foodborne illness outbreaks and ground beef recalls.

For these studies both years, steers received either: a developmental vaccine, a commercially available Lactobacillus acidophilus feed additive as a direct-fed microbial or no treatment. During 2002, some steers received both the vaccine and feed additive.

The vaccine proved most effective at reducing the proportion of cattle shedding E. coli in their manure. Vaccination reduced E. coli prevalence an average of 59 percent in each year compared with unvaccinated steers, said NU Veterinary Scientist David Smith.

Feeding Lactobacillus acidophilus, a specially selected strain of a bacteria commonly used in yogurt, reduced prevalence an average of 35 percent compared with untreated steers in a two-year study.

While E. coli prevalence varied greatly across time and from pen to pen, it consistently was lower in cattle that received the vaccine, the direct-fed microbial or a combination of the two, compared to untreated pens.

In 2003, E. coli prevalence averaged less than 11 percent for vaccinated steers compared with 29 percent among unvaccinated steers, Smith said. In 2003, prevalence among cattle fed Lactobacillus averaged under 21 percent compared with 28 percent in untreated steers.

Knowing when and where E. coli is being shed in manure is key to accurately evaluating any control's effectiveness in real-world conditions, Smith said. Nebraska scientists sampled manure from individual animals at intervals throughout the feeding period to track fluxes in prevalence.

At market weight 84 days after vaccination in 2003, 19 percent of vaccinated cattle and about 34 percent of those fed Lactobacillus were shedding O157:H7 compared with nearly 41 percent of the untreated cattle.

In 2002, the NU team also evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccine/Lactobacillus combination and found it boosted overall control somewhat. At marketing, about 9 percent of steers that received the combination were shedding E. coli compared with about 17 percent of vaccine-only steers, about 23 percent of the Lactobacillus-only group and 26 percent of untreated steers.

"When we used them in combination, we observed an additive effect," Smith said. "Since they work differently, you could expect to get benefit from using either or both."

The Lactobacillus gets ingested with rations and travels to the cattle's digestive system, where it's thought to kill or impair growth of E. coli. The vaccine stimulates cattle's immunity against proteins that allow E. coli to attach to cattle's intestinal tracts. If it can't attach, the organism can't stick around to multiply, said Veterinary Scientist Rod Moxley. That ultimately means cattle are shedding less E. coli so less of the organism winds up in the environment through manure.

Moxley's analysis of blood tests also showed the vaccine induced significant immune response against specific E. coli proteins in the cattle.

Because O157:H7 is common in feedlots and can be reintroduced from other sources, complete eradication isn't likely. But controls that help reduce the organism at key times and perhaps cumulatively over time will have a significant effect, Moxley said.

Alan Janzen, a beef producer who owns Circle Five Feedyards at Henderson, Neb., agreed. Janzen has been involved in numerous national food safety efforts, including a stint as chair of the Beef Industry Food Safety Council's policy committee.

Meat packers have asked beef producers to reduce E. coli levels by half in cattle delivered for slaughter, he said. Such a reduction combined with improved food safety controls at processing plants should be a one-two punch to control E. coli and protect consumers.

Janzen said he expects to use an E. coli vaccine when it's available.

"This E. coli has cost our industry $3 billion so wouldn't it be worth something to get us past it?" he asked.

The vaccine used in the NU trials is being developed by an alliance of Canadian groups including the University of British Columbia, the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, the Alberta Research Council and Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company responsible for worldwide commercialization. NU researchers have collaborated with colleagues Andrew Potter of the University of Saskatchewan, Brett Finlay of the University of British Columbia, who developed the experimental vaccine, and with Bioniche scientists to test the vaccine's effectiveness.

Bioniche expects its E. coli vaccine could be available in the United States in 2004, pending completion of current studies and receipt of regulatory approvals.

The Lactobacillus feed additive is produced by Nutrition Physiology Corp., an Indiana based feed supplement company. It's already used in some feedlots.

NU scientists recently received another U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to expand vaccine and direct-fed microbial efficacy trials to the region's commercial feedlots next summer. They conduct their trials during the summer because that's when E. coli typically is most prevalent in feedlots.

"Our goal is to help the cattle industry in Nebraska find ways to reduce this organism and ultimately protect human health," Klopfenstein said.

These feedlot trials are part of intensive interdisciplinary research by NU scientists to understand E. coli, how it behaves in feedlots and how to reduce it in cattle. Collaboration with Nebraska's beef industry and feedlot operations helped the team develop extensive understanding of how E. coli behaves under real-world conditions.

The Nebraska Beef Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Nutrition Physiology and Bioniche Life Sciences helped fund this IANR Agricultural Research Division research.

UNL is a top 10 place to work in academia, The Scientist says

For the second time this year, UNL was singled out by scientists as one of the top research institutions, according to a survey by the international magazine The Scientist.

The Oct. 20 issue of the magazine lists UNL as ninth of the top 10 institutions in its survey, "Best Places to Work in Academia." The non-scientific, Web-based survey was conducted by The Scientist in September and polled researchers on their personal satisfaction with categories ranging from their interaction with peers, research resources, pay and benefits, teaching and mentoring opportunities, management, regulatory issues and others.

"The recipe for job satisfaction couldn't be simpler," The Scientist reporters Alexander Grimwade and Paula Park wrote in the Oct. 20 online issue. "...Give scientists colleagues with whom they can collaborate, and the tools - both physical and financial - they need to do their work." Survey respondents also reported valuing core facilities including libraries, microscopes and up-to-date buildings that allow them to pursue cutting-edge research.

In February, UNL was listed by The Scientist as one of the top places to work for post-doctoral researchers. In that survey, UNL was ranked fifth among respondents as a "Best Place for Post-docs."

"We strive to create an environment that maximizes success for our researchers," said Prem Paul, vice chancellor for research. "We are pleased to be recognized in the company of major research institutions around the United States. Any listing like this, especially among peers, is another indicator of quality and respect that is noticed by colleagues, potential research faculty and graduate and post-graduate scientists."

Top on the list of U.S. research institutions in the "Best Places to Work in Academia" was Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, followed by Purdue, Yale, California-San Francisco, Minnesota, Cornell, the National Cancer Institute, Michigan State, UNL and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Details about the listing are available at <www.the-scientist.com>.

Martin	Middendorf	Mount	Tolstedt	Williams

Alumni return for UNL Masters Week

Five distinguished UNL alumni will return to campus Nov. 12-15 for Masters Week, an annual event that connects successful Nebraska graduates with current students.

This year's UNL Masters are:

• Lee Martin, an author and associate professor of English at Ohio State University;
• Lyle Middendorf, senior vice president and chief technical officer for LI-COR;
• David Mount, former chairman and chief executive officer of Warner/Elektra/Atlantic (WEA Inc.);
• Carrie Tolstedt, group executive vice president in regional banking for Wells Fargo & Co.;
• Jamie Williams, founder and chief executive officer of YMotion Media Inc.

Martin earned his Ph.D. in English from UNL in 1994, with a concentration in creative writing. Martin's memoir, From Our House, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Several short stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He received the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction in 1995 for The Least You Need to Know. His memoir, Turning Bones, was published this year by the University of Nebraska Press.

Middendorf is senior vice president and chief technical officer for LI-COR, a Lincoln-based manufacturer of instrumentation systems for environmental and biological research. He graduated from the UNL College of Engineering and Technology in 1973 with high distinction in electrical engineering. In 1983, he collaborated with a life sciences professor at UNL to develop instrumentation systems for molecular biology and genetics research. This led to a new business unit for LI-COR. Middendorf focuses on applications involving the labeling and detection of DNA and other biomolecules using fluorescence technology.

Mount retired in 2002 from his position as chairman and chief executive officer of the California-based Warner/Elektra/Atlantic (WEA Inc), an organization with more than 1,000 recording artists under contract. During nearly 20 years of leadership at the company, Mount led its transition from a company that managed music groups to an enterprise engaged in all aspects of the entertainment business. Mount received his bachelor of arts in political science from UNL in 1967 and his M.B.A. from Pepperdine University in 1980. Mount is a national trustee for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a member of the Video Hall of Fame.

Tolstedt is the group executive vice president in regional banking for Wells Fargo & Co., overseeing 23 states; $160 billion in assets; 40,000 team members; 3,000 banking stores; and 10 million banking customers. Tolstedt graduated from the UNL College of Business Administration in 1982 with a bachelor of science in business administration and has completed the Pacific Coast Bank School at the University of Washington. USBanker has listed her as one of the 25 "most powerful women in banking."

Williams is founder and chief executive officer of YMotion Media Inc., a San Francisco-based media company focused on the development and production of original sports-related entertainment content for film and television. Williams graduated from UNL in 1983 with a bachelor of science in broadcast journalism. He received a master of science in mass communications from San Jose State University and a doctorate in organization and leadership management from the University of San Francisco. He teamed with filmmaker Oliver Stone in 1995 as a writer to create the film Any Given Sunday. A Nebraska football player from 1979-1982, Williams retired from football in 1993 after 12 years in the National Football League and a Super Bowl championship with the San Francisco 49ers.

UNL Masters Week brings successful alumni into contact with students through class visitations, campus tours and meetings with clubs and organizations. More than 200 alumni have returned to campus as Masters since the program's inception.

UNL faculty nominate alumni each winter for the next year's program. Masters are selected by a committee appointed by the chancellor. Master's Week is sponsored by the Chancellor's office, the Student Alumni Association, Innocents Society and the Black Masque Chapter of Mortar Board.

Mortar Board, Innocents and the Student Alumni Association will sponsor a public "Meet the Masters" forum from 5-6 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Wick Alumni Center. Each of the five masters will be introduced, and some of their work will be featured. Each will answer questions on topics ranging from the secrets of his/her success to favorite college memories. In addition, current students will be featured in the forum to give the alumni a "then and now" look at academics and campus life.

The forum is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Shelley Zaborowski at 472-4222 or <shelleyzab@huskeralum.com> .