Magnetic orders and topological phases from f-d exchange in pyrochlore iridates

We study theoretically the effects of f-d magnetic exchange interaction in the R$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$ pyrochlore iridates. The R$^{3+}$ f-electrons form localized magnetic doublets due to the crystal field environment, while the Ir$^{4+}$ d- electrons are more itinerant and feel a strong spin-orbit coupling. We construct and analyze a minimal model capturing this physics, treating the Ir subsystem using a Hubbard-type model. First neglecting the Hubbard interaction, we find Weyl semi-metal and Axion insulator phases induced by the f-d exchange. Next, we find that f-d exchange can cooperate with the Hubbard interaction to stabilize the Weyl semi-metal over a larger region of parameter space than when it is induced by d-electron correlations alone. Applications to experiments are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Paper has been slightly restructured, and new refs have been adde

Median statistics and the Hubble constant

Following Gott et al. (2001), we use Huchra's final compilation of 553 measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_0$) to determine median statistical constraints on $H_0$. We find $H_0=68 \pm 5.5$ (or $\pm 1$) \kmsmpc, where the errors are the 95% statistical and systematic (or statistical) errors. With about two-third more measurements, these results are close to what Gott et al. found a decade ago, with smaller statistical errors and similar systematic errors.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur

Correct-by-Construction Approach for Self-Evolvable Robots

The paper presents a new formal way of modeling and designing reconfigurable robots, in which case the robots are allowed to reconfigure not only structurally but also functionally. We call such kind of robots "self-evolvable", which have the potential to be more flexible to be used in a wider range of tasks, in a wider range of environments, and with a wider range of users. To accommodate such a concept, i.e., allowing a self-evovable robot to be configured and reconfigured, we present a series of formal constructs, e.g., structural reconfigurable grammar and functional reconfigurable grammar. Furthermore, we present a correct-by-construction strategy, which, given the description of a workspace, the formula specifying a task, and a set of available modules, is capable of constructing during the design phase a robot that is guaranteed to perform the task satisfactorily. We use a planar multi-link manipulator as an example throughout the paper to demonstrate the proposed modeling and designing procedures.Comment: The paper has 17 pages and 4 figure