84,843 research outputs found
Cyclic Density Functional Theory : A route to the first principles simulation of bending in nanostructures
We formulate and implement Cyclic Density Functional Theory (Cyclic DFT) -- a
self-consistent first principles simulation method for nanostructures with
cyclic symmetries. Using arguments based on Group Representation Theory, we
rigorously demonstrate that the Kohn-Sham eigenvalue problem for such systems
can be reduced to a fundamental domain (or cyclic unit cell) augmented with
cyclic-Bloch boundary conditions. Analogously, the equations of electrostatics
appearing in Kohn-Sham theory can be reduced to the fundamental domain
augmented with cyclic boundary conditions. By making use of this symmetry cell
reduction, we show that the electronic ground-state energy and the
Hellmann-Feynman forces on the atoms can be calculated using quantities defined
over the fundamental domain. We develop a symmetry-adapted finite-difference
discretization scheme to obtain a fully functional numerical realization of the
proposed approach. We verify that our formulation and implementation of Cyclic
DFT is both accurate and efficient through selected examples.
The connection of cyclic symmetries with uniform bending deformations
provides an elegant route to the ab-initio study of bending in nanostructures
using Cyclic DFT. As a demonstration of this capability, we simulate the
uniform bending of a silicene nanoribbon and obtain its energy-curvature
relationship from first principles. A self-consistent ab-initio simulation of
this nature is unprecedented and well outside the scope of any other systematic
first principles method in existence. Our simulations reveal that the bending
stiffness of the silicene nanoribbon is intermediate between that of graphene
and molybdenum disulphide. We describe several future avenues and applications
of Cyclic DFT, including its extension to the study of non-uniform bending
deformations and its possible use in the study of the nanoscale flexoelectric
effect.Comment: Version 3 of the manuscript, Accepted for publication in Journal of
the Mechanics and Physics of Solids,
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002250961630368
Exploring the Vacuum Geometry of N=1 Gauge Theories
Using techniques of algorithmic algebraic geometry, we present a new and
efficient method for explicitly computing the vacuum space of N=1 gauge
theories. We emphasize the importance of finding special geometric properties
of these spaces in connecting phenomenology to guiding principles descending
from high-energy physics. We exemplify the method by addressing various
subsectors of the MSSM. In particular the geometry of the vacuum space of
electroweak theory is described in detail, with and without right-handed
neutrinos. We discuss the impact of our method on the search for evidence of
underlying physics at a higher energy. Finally we describe how our results can
be used to rule out certain top-down constructions of electroweak physics.Comment: 35 pages, 2 figures, LaTe
Testing the Copernican and Cosmological Principles in the local universe with galaxy surveys
Cosmological density fields are assumed to be translational and rotational
invariant, avoiding any special point or direction, thus satisfying the
Copernican Principle. A spatially inhomogeneous matter distribution can be
compatible with the Copernican Principle but not with the stronger version of
it, the Cosmological Principle which requires the additional hypothesis of
spatial homogeneity. We establish criteria for testing that a given density
field, in a finite sample at low redshifts, is statistically and/or spatially
homogeneous. The basic question to be considered is whether a distribution is,
at different spatial scales, self-averaging. This can be achieved by studying
the probability density function of conditional fluctuations. We find that
galaxy structures in the SDSS samples, the largest currently available, are
spatially inhomogeneous but statistically homogeneous and isotropic up to ~ 100
Mpc/h. Evidences for the breaking of self-averaging are found up to the largest
scales probed by the SDSS data. The comparison between the results obtained in
volumes of different size allows us to unambiguously conclude that the lack of
elf-averaging is induced by finite-size effects due to long-range correlated
fluctuations. We finally discuss the relevance of these results from the point
of view of cosmological modeling.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in JCA
The universe as quantum computer
This article reviews the history of digital computation, and investigates
just how far the concept of computation can be taken. In particular, I address
the question of whether the universe itself is in fact a giant computer, and if
so, just what kind of computer it is. I will show that the universe can be
regarded as a giant quantum computer. The quantum computational model of the
universe explains a variety of observed phenomena not encompassed by the
ordinary laws of physics. In particular, the model shows that the the quantum
computational universe automatically gives rise to a mix of randomness and
order, and to both simple and complex systems.Comment: 16 pages, LaTe
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