Modification of the Bloch law in ferromagnetic nanostructures

The temperature dependence of magnetization in ferromagnetic nanostructures (e.g., nanoparticles or nanoclusters) is usually analyzed by means of an empirical extension of the Bloch law sufficiently flexible for a good fitting to the observed data and indicates a strong softening of magnetic coupling compared to the bulk material. We analytically derive a microscopic generalization of the Bloch law for the Heisenberg spin model which takes into account the effects of size, shape and various surface boundary conditions. The result establishes explicit connection to the microscopic parameters and differs significantly from the existing description. In particular, we show with a specific example that the latter may be misleading and grossly overestimates magnetic softening in nanoparticles. It becomes clear why the usual $T^{3/2}$ dependence appears to be valid in some nanostructures, while large deviations are a general rule. We demonstrate that combination of geometrical characteristics and coupling to environment can be used to efficiently control magnetization and, in particular, to reach a magnetization higher than in the bulk material.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Impurity effects on Fabry-Perot physics of ballistic carbon nanotubes

We present a theoretical model accounting for the anomalous Fabry-Perot pattern observed in the ballistic conductance of a single-wall carbon nanotubes. Using the scattering field theory, it is shown that the presence of a limited number of impurities along the nanotube can be identified by a measurement of the conductance and their position determined. Impurities can be made active or silent depending on the interaction with the substrate via the back-gate. The conceptual steps for designing a bio-molecules detector are briefly discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Quantum pumping in deformable quantum dots

The charge current pumped adiabatically through a deformable quantum dot is studied within the Green's function approach. Differently from the non-deformable case, the current shows an undefined parity with respect to the pumping phase \phi. The unconventional current-phase relation, analyzed in the weak pumping regime, is due to a dynamical phase shift \phi_D caused by the elastic deformations of the central region (classical phonons). The role of the quality factor Q of the oscillator, the effects induced by a mechanical resonance and the implications for current experiments on molecular systems are also discussed

Quantum Bose Josephson Junction with binary mixtures of BECs

We study the quantum behaviour of a binary mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in a double-well potential starting from a two-mode Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. We focus on the small tunneling amplitude regime and apply perturbation theory up to second order. Analytical expressions for the energy eigenvalues and eigenstates are obtained. Then the quantum evolution of the number difference of bosons between the two potential wells is fully investigated for two different initial conditions: completely localized states and coherent spin states. In the first case both the short and the long time dynamics is studied and a rich behaviour is found, ranging from small amplitude oscillations and collapses and revivals to coherent tunneling. In the second case the short-time scale evolution of number difference is determined and a more irregular dynamics is evidenced. Finally, the formation of Schroedinger cat states is considered and shown to affect the momentum distribution.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Bosonization and entanglement spectrum for one-dimensional polar bosons on disordered lattices

The extended Bose-Hubbard model subjected to a disordered potential is predicted to display a rich phase diagram. In the case of uniform random disorder one finds two insulating quantum phases -- the Mott-insulator and the Haldane insulator -- in addition to a superfluid and a Bose glass phase. In the case of a quasiperiodic potential further phases are found, eg the incommensurate density wave, adiabatically connected to the Haldane insulator. For the case of weak random disorder we determine the phase boundaries using a perturbative bosonization approach. We then calculate the entanglement spectrum for both types of disorder, showing that it provides a good indication of the various phases.Comment: Submitted to NJ

Noise-assisted Thouless pump in elastically deformable molecular junctions

We study a Thouless pump realized with an elastically \textit{deformable quantum dot} whose center of mass follows a non-linear stochastic dynamics. The interplay of noise, non-linear effects, dissipation and interaction with an external time-dependent driving on the pumped charge is fully analyzed. The results show that the quantum pumping mechanism not only is not destroyed by the force fluctuations, but it becomes stronger when the forcing signal frequency is tuned close to the resonance of the vibrational mode. The robustness of the quantum pump with temperature is also investigated and an exponential decay of the pumped charge is found when the coupling to the vibrational mode is present. Implications of our results for nano-electromechanical systems are also discussed.Comment: 2 Appendices and figures adde

Phase rigidity breaking in open Aharonov-Bohm ring coupled to a cantilever

The conductance and the transmittance phase shifts of a two-terminal Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring are analyzed in the presence of mechanical displacements due to coupling to an external can- tilever. We show that phase rigidity is broken, even in the linear response regime, by means of inelastic scattering due to phonons. Our device provides a way of observing continuous variation of the transmission phase through a two-terminal nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS). We also propose measurements of phase shifts as a way to determine the strength of the electron-phonon coupling in NEMS.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure