Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a quantum dot and a plurality of layers, wherein said plurality of layers comprises: a first layer; a stressor layer; and a patterned layer wherein said stressor layer overlies said first layer and said patterned layer overlies said stressor layer; wherein said stressor layer has a substantially different lattice constant to said first layer and said patterned layer and has a pit provided in said layer; said quantum dot lying above said patterned layer aligned with said pit.

Abstract: A component comprising a qubit and a controller for said qubit, said component comprising a quantum dot and an excitation portion configured to produce a neutral exciton state in said quantum dot to form said qubit, the component further comprising a measuring unit to make an optical measurement relating to the orientation of said state, wherein said controller comprises voltage source coupled to electrical contacts configured to apply a modulated electric field across said quantum dot, wherein the modulation is faster than the decay time of said neutral exciton state.

Abstract: A quantum communication system, said system comprising: an emitter configured to send signal light pulses having a first intensity and decoy light pulses having a second intensity to a receiver, wherein information is encoded on said signal pulses; a controller configured to set the distribution of signal pulses and decoy pulses and the intensity of the signal pulse such that the maximum average secure bit rate is achieved over the range of potential drift in the decoy pulse intensity during use of the system, while maintaining a non-zero secure bit rate over the range of potential drift in the decoy pulse intensity during use of the system.

Abstract: An optical device which can operate as a single photon emitter 1, comprising a three dimensional optical cavity 7 which spatially confines a photon to the order of the photon wavelength in all three dimensions. The cavity 7 is configured to define preferred emission direction for photons entering the cavity. A photon can be supplied to the cavity using a quantum dot 5. Strong coupling can occur between the cavity 7 and the quantum dot 5 which causes the formation of two hybridised modes. Switching on an off the coupling by irradiating the device with radiation having an energy equal to that of one of the hybridised modes allows the device to act as an optical switch.

Abstract: A photon detection system comprising an avalanche photodiode and a voltage source for said avalanche photodiode, wherein said avalanche photodiode comprises Silicon or its heterostructures and wherein said voltage source is configured to bias said avalanche photodiode with a voltage component which is static with respect to time and a voltage component which varies with time.

Abstract: A photon source comprising: a quantum dot; electrical contacts configured to apply an electric field across said quantum dot: and an electrical source coupled to said contacts, said electrical source being configured to apply a potential such that carriers are supplied to said quantum dot to form a bi-exciton or higher order exciton, wherein said photon source further comprises a barrier configured to increase the time which a carrier takes to tunnel to and from said quantum dot to be greater than the radiative lifetime of an exciton in the quantum dot, the quantum dot being suitable for emission of entangled photons during decay of a bi-exciton or higher order exciton.

Abstract: A photon source comprising a semiconductor heterostructure, said semiconductor heterostructure comprising a quantum well, a barrier region adjacent said quantum well and a quantum dot provided in said quantum well, the photon source further comprising electrical contacts and a power supply coupled to first and second electrical contacts configured to apply a tuneable electric field across said quantum dot to control the emission energy of said quantum dot, said electric field being tuneable across an operating range an wherein the tunnelling time of carriers from said quantum dot to said first electrical contact and the tunnelling time of carriers from said quantum dot to said second electrical contact are greater than the radiative decay time of an exciton in said quantum dot over said operating range for controlling the emission energy, said photon source being configured such that emission from a single quantum dot exits said photon source.

Abstract: A communications network arrangement provides voice over IP or voice over ATM services. The network arrangement comprises a first media gateway controller controlling a first gateway and provided with a first operating protocol, a second media gateway controller controlling a second gateway and provided with a second operating protocol, and a gateway address translator incorporating proxies for the first and second gateways. The gateway address translator provides a relay function for messaging between each media gateway controller and its corresponding gateway, and a virtual bearer function for messaging between the media gateway controllers. This facilitates inter-working between products supplied by different vendors.

Abstract: An optical device which can operate as a single photon emitter 1, comprising a three dimensional optical cavity 7 which spatially confines a photon to the order of the photon wavelength in all three dimensions. The cavity 7 is configured to define preferred emission direction for photons entering the cavity. A photon can be supplied to the cavity using a quantum dot 5. Strong coupling can occur between the cavity 7 and the quantum dot 5 which causes the formation of two hybridised modes. Switching on an off the coupling by irradiating the device with radiation having an energy equal to that of one of the hybridised modes allows the device to act as an optical switch.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a quantum information system includes a source of time dependent entangled photons and an indicating unit. The indicating unit indicates the entangled state of the entangled photons based on the emission time of one or more of the entangled photons.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be an acid alkylation system. The system can include a cooler-reactor and a settler. The settler can have a height and a width. Usually, the height exceeds the width. Generally, the cooler-reactor receives a feed of at least one of a stream including an olefin and a stream including an isobutane. Typically, at least a portion of one of the streams is bypassed around the cooler-reactor to the settler to control the temperature within the settler.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a method of modifying an alkylation unit to increase capacity. The method may include combining a first alkylation zone with a second alkylation zone. Generally, the first alkylation zone includes a first settler having a height and a width. Typically, the width is greater than the height. In addition, the second alkylation zone may have a second settler having a height and a width. Usually, the height is greater than the width.

Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a method for altering an operation of an alkylation unit during a process upset. The method may include blocking an outlet of a settler to a separation zone, and recycling at least a portion of a hydrocarbon stream to the separation zone to prevent an uncontrolled pressure rise in one or more distillation columns during shutdown of an alkylation reactor.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a photon detection system determines the number of detected photons. The detection system includes an avalanche photodiode and a measuring unit. The measuring unit measures an avalanche signal induced by illumination before the avalanche current through the device has saturated.

Abstract: An optical device comprising: a first active stack of layers comprising an optical cavity, at least one quantum dot located in said cavity; an upper contact provided above said optical cavity; a lower contact provided below said cavity, wherein an abrupt material interface defines the whole lateral boundary of said cavity and said cavity is patterned such that it provides two dimensional lateral confinement of photon modes, said upper an lower contacts being arranged such that current can flow vertically across the cavity between the two contacts.

Abstract: An optical data retrieval system configured to retrieve data from a data storage medium, including: a source of n path-entangled photons, where n is an integer of at least 2; a detector system configured to determine if n photons have been received; and a mechanism to direct photons from the source to the data storage medium and to the detector system.

Abstract: An optical system including: a photon source; first directing elements configured to direct photons to follow a first path through the optical system; second directing elements configured to direct photons to follow a second path through the optical system, wherein the second path is the reverse of the first path, photons travelling through the first path having a different polarization to those travelling through the second path; and a mechanism varying the relative phase shift between photons following the first path and photons following the second path.

Abstract: A transmission apparatus and a method for operating the apparatus comprises means for controlling flow of frame based data transmitted from a local frame based data channel interface over a synchronous digital network. The method of operation comprises the transmitter receiving frame based data at a first rate whereafter a buffer is configured to receive the frame based data. A data amount threshold level for the buffer is pre-determined whereafter, with respect to the threshold level, an amount of transmitted frame based data that has been received is monitored. In response to monitoring the amount of data received, a signal, in the form of a pause frame, is generated wherein the signal is configurable to adapt the rate of transmission from the frame based data channel interface. Working in conjunction with the transmission means there is also provided a receiver for controlling flow of frame based data, received from a synchronous digital network, to a frame based data channel interface.

Abstract: A photon detection system including a photon detector configured to detect single photons, a signal divider to divide the output signal of the photon detector into a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is substantially identical to the second part, a delay mechanism to delay the second part with respect to the first part, and a combiner to combine the first and delayed second parts of the signal such that the delayed second part is used to cancel periodic variations in the first part of the output signal.

Abstract: A method of transmitting OSI layer 2 datacoms data by direct incorporation into a plurality of synchronous digital hierarchy virtual containers is disclosed, in which a higher bit rate OSI layer 2 data frame is multiplexed into a plurality of lower bit rate SDH (or SONET) virtual containers, which are transmitted simultaneously and in parallel over a synchronous communications network. The plurality of virtual containers are virtually concatenated by association of the payloads of the plurality of virtual containers. Re-assembly of the OSI layer 2 data frames from a plurality of virtually concatenated VCs is achieved by storing each received VC payload corresponding to an OSI layer 2 data frame in a corresponding respective memory location, and alternately reading interleaved bytes from the plurality of payloads under control of a plurality of read pointers.