4 research outputs found
High-bias stability of monatomic chains
For the metals Au, Pt and Ir it is possible to form freely suspended
monatomic chains between bulk electrodes. The atomic chains sustain very large
current densities, but finally fail at high bias. We investigate the breaking
mechanism, that involves current-induced heating of the atomic wires and
electromigration forces. We find good agreement of the observations for Au
based on models due to Todorov and coworkers. The high-bias breaking of atomic
chains for Pt can also be described by the models, although here the parameters
have not been obtained independently. In the limit of long chains the breaking
voltage decreases inversely proportional to the length.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Franck-Condon Physics in A Single Trapped Ion
We propose how to explore the Franck-Condon (FC) physics via a single ion
confined in a spin-dependent potential, formed by the combination of a Paul
trap and a magnetic field gradient. The correlation between electronic and
vibrational degrees of freedom, called as electron-vibron coupling, is induced
by a nonzero gradient. For a sufficiently strong electron-vibron coupling, the
FC blockade of low-lying vibronic transitions takes place. We analyze the
feasibility of observing the FC physics in a single trapped ion, and
demonstrate various potential applications of the ionic FC physics in quantum
state engineering and quantum information processing.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Phonon-assisted Kondo Effect in a Single-Molecule Transistor out of Equilibrium
The joint effect of the electron-phonon interaction and Kondo effect on the
nonequilibrium transport through the single molecule transistor is investigated
by using the improved canonical transformation scheme and extended equation of
motion approach. Two types of Kondo phonon-satellites with different asymmetric
shapes are fully confirmed in the spectral function, and are related to the
electron spin singlet or hole spin singlet, respectively. Moreover, when a
moderate Zeeman splitting is caused by a local magnetic field, the Kondo
satellites in the spin resolved spectral function are found disappeared on one
side of the main peak, which is opposite for different spin component. All
these peculiar signatures that manifest themselves in the nonlinear
differential conductance, are explained with a clear physics picture.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Ezetimibe added to statin therapy after acute coronary syndromes
BACKGROUND: Statin therapy reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular events, but whether the addition of ezetimibe, a nonstatin drug that reduces intestinal cholesterol absorption, can reduce the rate of cardiovascular events further is not known. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial involving 18,144 patients who had been hospitalized for an acute coronary syndrome within the preceding 10 days and had LDL cholesterol levels of 50 to 100 mg per deciliter (1.3 to 2.6 mmol per liter) if they were receiving lipid-lowering therapy or 50 to 125 mg per deciliter (1.3 to 3.2 mmol per liter) if they were not receiving lipid-lowering therapy. The combination of simvastatin (40 mg) and ezetimibe (10 mg) (simvastatin-ezetimibe) was compared with simvastatin (40 mg) and placebo (simvastatin monotherapy). The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina requiring rehospitalization, coronary revascularization ( 6530 days after randomization), or nonfatal stroke. The median follow-up was 6 years. RESULTS: The median time-weighted average LDL cholesterol level during the study was 53.7 mg per deciliter (1.4 mmol per liter) in the simvastatin-ezetimibe group, as compared with 69.5 mg per deciliter (1.8 mmol per liter) in the simvastatin-monotherapy group (P<0.001). The Kaplan-Meier event rate for the primary end point at 7 years was 32.7% in the simvastatin-ezetimibe group, as compared with 34.7% in the simvastatin-monotherapy group (absolute risk difference, 2.0 percentage points; hazard ratio, 0.936; 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 0.99; P = 0.016). Rates of pre-specified muscle, gallbladder, and hepatic adverse effects and cancer were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: When added to statin therapy, ezetimibe resulted in incremental lowering of LDL cholesterol levels and improved cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, lowering LDL cholesterol to levels below previous targets provided additional benefit