849 research outputs found
Paramagnetic reentrant effect in high purity mesoscopic AgNb proximity structures
We discuss the magnetic response of clean Ag coated Nb proximity cylinders in
the temperature range 150 \mu K < T < 9 K. In the mesoscopic temperature
regime, the normal metal-superconductor system shows the yet unexplained
paramagnetic reentrant effect, discovered some years ago [P. Visani, A. C.
Mota, and A. Pollini, Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 1514 (1990)], superimposing on full
Meissner screening. The logarithmic slope of the reentrant paramagnetic
susceptibility chi_para(T) \propto \exp(-L/\xi_N) is limited by the condition
\xi_N=n L, with \xi_N=\hbar v_F/2 \pi k_B T, the thermal coherence length and
n=1,2,4. In wires with perimeters L=72 \mu m and L=130 \mu m, we observe
integer multiples n=1,2,4. At the lowest temperatures, \chi_para compensates
the diamagnetic susceptibility of the \textit{whole} AgNb structure.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (color
Two-dimensional semiconducting nanostructures based on single graphene sheets with lines of adsorbed hydrogen atoms
It is shown that lines of adsorbed hydrogen pair atoms divide the graphene
sheet into strips and form hydrogen-based superlattice structures (2HG-SL). We
show that the forming of 2HG-SL drastically changes the electronic properties
of graphene from semimetal to semiconductor. The electronic spectra of "zigzag"
(n,0) 2HG-SL is similar to that of (n,0) carbon nanotubes and have a similar
oscillation of band gap with number n, but with non-zero minimal values. The
composite dual-periodic (n,0)+(m,0) 2HG-SLs of "zigzag" strips are analyzed,
with the conclusion that they may be treated as quasi-two-dimensional
heterostructures. We also suggest an experimental way of fabricating hydrogen
superlattices.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Calculated molecular structures and electronic spectra of the geometric isomers of a model carotenoid molecule, 6,11-dimethylhexadecaheptaene
The molecular structures and the electronic spectra of the geometric isomers of a model carotenoid polyene, 6,11-dimethylhexadecaheptaene, were calculated. It was concluded that solvent effects and conformational isomerization must be taken into account in order to satisfactorily explain the observed spectra. Molecular structures were calculated using molecular mechanics (MM2), and electronic spectra using the VESCF-MO-CI method including all singly-excited configurations. A method based on the calculated and observed spectra of simple linear polyenes was devised to estimate the solvent effects.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24585/1/0000868.pd
The interlayer cohesive energy of graphite from thermal desorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons
We have studied the interaction of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the
basal plane of graphite using thermal desorption spectroscopy. Desorption
kinetics of benzene, naphthalene, coronene and ovalene at sub-monolayer
coverages yield activation energies of 0.50 eV, 0.85 eV, 1.40 eV and 2.1 eV,
respectively. Benzene and naphthalene follow simple first order desorption
kinetics while coronene and ovalene exhibit fractional order kinetics owing to
the stability of 2-D adsorbate islands up to the desorption temperature.
Pre-exponential frequency factors are found to be in the range
- as obtained from both Falconer--Madix (isothermal
desorption) analysis and Antoine's fit to vapour pressure data. The resulting
binding energy per carbon atom of the PAH is 5 meV and can be identified
with the interlayer cohesive energy of graphite. The resulting cleavage energy
of graphite is ~meV/atom which is considerably larger than previously
reported experimental values.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 2 table
Nanopercolation
We investigate through direct molecular mechanics calculations the
geometrical properties of hydrocarbon mantles subjected to percolation
disorder. We show that the structures of mantles generated at the critical
percolation point have a fractal dimension . In addition,
the solvent access surface and volume of these molecules follow
power-law behavior, and ,
where is the system size, and with both critical exponents and
being significantly dependent on the radius of the accessing probing
molecule, . Our results from extensive simulations with two distinct
microscopic topologies (i.e., square and honeycomb) indicate the consistency of
the statistical analysis and confirm the self-similar characteristic of the
percolating hydrocarbons. Due to their highly branched topology, some of the
potential applications for this new class of disordered molecules include drug
delivery, catalysis, and supramolecular structures.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Rough Surface Effect on Meissner Diamagnetism in Normal-layer of N-S Proximity-Contact System
Rough surface effect on the Meissner diamagnetic current in the normal layer
of proximity contact N-S bi-layer is investigated in the clean limit. The
diamagnetic current and the screening length are calculated by use of
quasi-classical Green's function. We show that the surface roughness has a
sizable effect, even when a normal layer width is large compared with the
coherence length . The effect is as large as that
of the impurity scattering and also as that of the finite reflection at the N-S
interface.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.71-
Diamagnetic response of cylindrical normal metal - superconductor proximity structures with low concentration of scattering centers
We have investigated the diamagnetic response of composite NS proximity
wires, consisting of a clean silver or copper coating, in good electrical
contact to a superconducting niobium or tantalum core. The samples show strong
induced diamagnetism in the normal layer, resulting in a nearly complete
Meissner screening at low temperatures. The temperature dependence of the
linear diamagnetic susceptibility data is successfully described by the
quasiclassical Eilenberger theory including elastic scattering characterised by
a mean free path l. Using the mean free path as the only fit parameter we found
values of l in the range 0.1-1 of the normal metal layer thickness d_N, which
are in rough agreement with the ones obtained from residual resistivity
measurements. The fits are satisfactory over the whole temperature range
between 5 mK and 7 K for values of d_N varying between 1.6 my m and 30 my m.
Although a finite mean free path is necessary to correctly describe the
temperature dependence of the linear response diamagnetic susceptibility, the
measured breakdown fields in the nonlinear regime follow the temperature and
thickness dependence given by the clean limit theory. However, there is a
discrepancy in the absolute values. We argue that in order to reach
quantitative agreement one needs to take into account the mean free path from
the fits of the linear response. [PACS numbers: 74.50.+r, 74.80.-g]Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure
Conductance of Distorted Carbon Nanotubes
We have calculated the effects of structural distortions of armchair carbon
nanotubes on their electrical transport properties. We found that the bending
of the nanotubes decreases their transmission function in certain energy ranges
and leads to an increased electrical resistance. Electronic structure
calculations show that these energy ranges contain localized states with
significant - hybridization resulting from the increased curvature
produced by bending. Our calculations of the contact resistance show that the
large contact resistances observed for SWNTs are likely due to the weak
coupling of the NT to the metal in side bonded NT-metal configurations.Comment: 5 pages RevTeX including 4 figures, submitted to PR
Normal transport properties for a classical particle coupled to a non-Ohmic bath
We study the Hamiltonian motion of an ensemble of unconfined classical
particles driven by an external field F through a translationally-invariant,
thermal array of monochromatic Einstein oscillators. The system does not
sustain a stationary state, because the oscillators cannot effectively absorb
the energy of high speed particles. We nonetheless show that the system has at
all positive temperatures a well-defined low-field mobility over macroscopic
time scales of order exp(-c/F). The mobility is independent of F at low fields,
and related to the zero-field diffusion constant D through the Einstein
relation. The system therefore exhibits normal transport even though the bath
obviously has a discrete frequency spectrum (it is simply monochromatic) and is
therefore highly non-Ohmic. Such features are usually associated with anomalous
transport properties
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