We propose techniques for implementing two different rapid-state purification schemes, within the constraints present in a superconducting charge qubit system. Both schemes use a continuous measurement of charge ͑z͒ measurements and seek to minimize the time required to purify the conditional state. Our methods are designed to make the purification process relatively insensitive to rotations about the x-axis, due to the Josephson tunneling Hamiltonian. The first proposed method, based on the scheme of Jacobs ͓Phys. Rev. A 67, 030301͑R͒ ͑2003͔͒ uses the measurement results to control bias ͑z͒ pulses so as to rotate the Bloch vector onto the x-axis of the Bloch sphere. The second proposed method, based on the scheme of Wiseman and Ralph ͓New J. Phys. 8, 90 ͑2006͔͒ uses a simple feedback protocol which tightly rotates the Bloch vector about an axis almost parallel with the measurement axis. We compare the performance of these and other techniques by a number of different measures.

In this paper we propose a control strategy based on a classical guidance law and consider its use for an example system: a Josephson charge qubit. We demonstrate how the guidance law can be used to attain a desired qubit state using the standard qubit control fields.

In a laboratory, a two-dimensional complex (dusty) plasma consists of a low-density ionized gas containing a confined suspension of Yukawa-coupled plastic microspheres. For an initial crystal-like form, we report ideal gas behavior in this strongly coupled system during shock-wave experiments. This evidence supports the use of the ideal gas law as the equation of state for soft crystals such as those formed by dusty plasmas.

The phenomenology of synaesthesia provides numerous cognitive benefits, which could be used towards augmenting interactive experiences with more refined multisensorial capabilities leading to more engaging and enriched experiences, better designs, and more transparent human-machine interfaces. In this study, we report a novel framework for the transformation of odours into the visual domain by applying the ideology from synaesthesia, to a low cost, portable, augmented reality / virtual reality system. The benefits of generating an artificial form of synesthesia are outlined and implemented using a custom made electronic nose to gather information about odour sources which is then sent to a mobile computing engine for characterisation, classification, and visualisation. The odours are visualised in the form of coloured 2D abstract shapes in real-time. Our results show that our affordable system has the potential to increase human odour discrimination comparable to that of natural syneasthesia highlighting the prospects for augmenting human-machine interfaces with an artificial form of this phenomenon.

The development, benchmarking and validation of aerial Persistent Surveillance (PS) algorithms requires access to specialist Wide Area Aerial Surveillance (WAAS) datasets. Such datasets are difficult to obtain and are often extremely large both in spatial resolution and temporal duration. This paper outlines an approach to the simulation of complex urban environments and demonstrates the viability of using this approach for the generation of simulated sensor data, corresponding to the use of wide area imaging systems for surveillance and reconnaissance applications. This provides a costeffective method to generate datasets for vehicle tracking algorithms and anomaly detection methods. The system fuses the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) traffic simulator with a MATLAB controller and an image generator to create scenes containing uninterrupted door-to-door journeys across large areas of the urban environment. This 'pattern-of-life' approach provides three-dimensional visual information with natural movement and traffic flows. This can then be used to provide simulated sensor measurements (e.g. visual band and infrared video imagery) and automatic access to ground-truth data for the evaluation of multi-target tracking systems.