1,282 research outputs found

    Selective d-state Conduction Blocking in Nickel Nanocontacts

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    The lowest conductance step for a Ni nanocontact is anomalously small in comparison with the large expected number of conducting channels. We present electronic structure calculations for an extremely idealized Ni nanobridge consisting of just a monatomic nanowire. Our calculations show that no less than eight single spin bands cross the Fermi level in a nonmagnetic Ni monatomic wire, dropping marginally to seven in the more stable, fully ferromagnetic state. However, when we build in the wire a magnetization reversal, or domain wall, by forcing the net magnetization to be zero, we suddenly find that d electrons selectively cease to propagate across the wall. s electron propagation remains, and can account for the small observed conductance steps.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, Surface Science, to appea

    Structural Properties and Relative Stability of (Meta)Stable Ordered, Partially-ordered and Disordered Al-Li Alloy Phases

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    We resolve issues that have plagued reliable prediction of relative phase stability for solid-solutions and compounds. Due to its commercially important phase diagram, we showcase Al-Li system because historically density-functional theory (DFT) results show large scatter and limited success in predicting the structural properties and stability of solid-solutions relative to ordered compounds. Using recent advances in an optimal basis-set representation of the topology of electronic charge density (and, hence, atomic size), we present DFT results that agree reasonably well with all known experimental data for the structural properties and formation energies of ordered, off-stoichiometric partially-ordered and disordered alloys, opening the way for reliable study in complex alloys.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 2 Table

    Narrow structure in the coherent population trapping resonances in rubidium and Rayleigh scattering

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    The measurement of the coherent-population-trapping (CPT) resonances in uncoated Rb vacuum cells has shown that the shape of the resonances is different in different cells. In some cells the resonance has a complex shape - a narrow Lorentzian structure, which is not power broadened, superimposed on the power broadened CPT resonance. The results of the performed investigations on the fluorescence angular distribution are in agreement with the assumption that the narrow structure is a result of atom interaction with Rayleigh scattering light. The results are interesting for indication of the vacuum cleanness of the cells and building of magnetooptical sensors

    Detailed studies of non-linear magneto-optical resonances at D1 excitation of Rb-85 and Rb-87 for partially resolved hyperfine F-levels

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    Experimental signals of non-linear magneto-optical resonances at D1 excitation of natural rubidium in a vapor cell have been obtained and described with experimental accuracy by a detailed theoretical model based on the optical Bloch equations. The D1 transition of rubidium is a challenging system to analyze theoretically because it contains transitions that are only partially resolved under Doppler broadening. The theoretical model took into account all nearby transitions, the coherence properties of the exciting laser radiation, and the mixing of magnetic sublevels in an external magnetic field and also included averaging over the Doppler profile. Great care was taken to obtain accurate experimental signals and avoid systematic errors. The experimental signals were reproduced very well at each hyperfine transition and over a wide range of laser power densities, beam diameters, and laser detunings from the exact transition frequency. The bright resonance expected at the F_g=1 --> F_e=2 transition of Rb-87 has been observed. A bright resonance was observed at the F_g=2 --> F_e=3 transition of Rb-85, but displaced from the exact position of the transition due to the influence of the nearby F_g=2 --> F_e=2 transition, which is a dark resonance whose contrast is almost two orders of magnitude larger than the contrast of the bright resonance at the F_g=2 --> F_e=3 transition. Even in this very delicate situation, the theoretical model described in detail the experimental signals at different laser detunings.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

    Spin Screening and Antiscreening in a Ferromagnet/Superconductor Heterojunction

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    We present a theoretical study of spin screening effects in a ferromagnet/superconductor (F/S) heterojunction. It is shown that the magnetic moment of the ferromagnet is screened or antiscreened, depending on the polarization of the electrons at the Fermi level. If the polarization is determined by the electrons of the majority (minority) spin band then the magnetic moment of the ferromagnet is screened (antiscreened) by the electrons in the superconductor. We propose experiments that may confirm our theory: for ferromagnetic alloys with certain concentration of Fe or Ni ions there will be screening or antiscreening respectively. Different configurations for the density of states are also discussed.Comment: 5 pages; 4 figures. to be published in Phys. Rev,

    Efficient nonlinear room-temperature spin injection from ferromagnets into semiconductors through a modified Schottky barrier

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    We suggest a consistent microscopic theory of spin injection from a ferromagnet (FM) into a semiconductor (S). It describes tunneling and emission of electrons through modified FM-S Schottky barrier with an ultrathin heavily doped interfacial S layer . We calculate nonlinear spin-selective properties of such a reverse-biased FM-S junction, its nonlinear I-V characteristic, current saturation, and spin accumulation in S. We show that the spin polarization of current, spin density, and penetration length increase with the total current until saturation. We find conditions for most efficient spin injection, which are opposite to the results of previous works, since the present theory suggests using a lightly doped resistive semiconductor. It is shown that the maximal spin polarizations of current and electrons (spin accumulation) can approach 100% at room temperatures and low current density in a nondegenerate high-resistance semiconductor.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures; provides detailed comparison with earlier works on spin injectio

    About the strength of correlation effects in the electronic structure of iron

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    The strength of electronic correlation effects in the spin-dependent electronic structure of ferromagnetic bcc Fe(110) has been investigated by means of spin and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental results are compared to theoretical calculations within the three-body scattering approximation and within the dynamical mean-field theory, together with one-step model calculations of the photoemission process. This comparison indicates that the present state of the art many-body calculations, although improving the description of correlation effects in Fe, give too small mass renormalizations and scattering rates thus demanding more refined many-body theories including non-local fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

    Atomic correlations in itinerant ferromagnets: quasi-particle bands of nickel

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    We measure the band structure of nickel along various high-symmetry lines of the bulk Brillouin zone with angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The Gutzwiller theory for a nine-band Hubbard model whose tight-binding parameters are obtained from non-magnetic density-functional theory resolves most of the long-standing discrepancies between experiment and theory on nickel. Thereby we support the view of itinerant ferromagnetism as induced by atomic correlations.Comment: 4 page REVTeX 4.0, one figure, one tabl

    Four-terminal resistance of an interacting quantum wire with weakly invasive contacts

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    We analyze the behavior of the four-terminal resistance, relative to the two-terminal resistance of an interacting quantum wire with an impurity, taking into account the invasiveness of the voltage probes. We consider a one-dimensional Luttinger model of spinless fermions for the wire. We treat the coupling to the voltage probes perturbatively, within the framework of non-equilibrium Green function techniques. Our investigation unveils the combined effect of impurities, electron-electron interactions and invasiveness of the probes on the possible occurrence of negative resistance.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure
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