Phase lapses in scattering through multi-electron quantum dots: Mean-field and few-particle regimes

We show that the observed evolution of the transmission phase through multi-electron quantum dots with more than approximately ten electrons, which shows a universal (i.e., independent of N) as yet unexplained behavior, is consistent with an electrostatic model, where electron-electron interaction is described by a mean-field approach. Moreover, we perform exact calculations for an open 1D quantum dot and show that carrier correlations may give rise to a non-universal (i.e., N-dependent) behavior of the transmission phase, ensuing from Fano resonances, which is consistent with experiments with a few (N < 10) carriers. Our results suggest that in the universal regime the coherent transmission takes place through a single level while in the few-particle regime the correlated scattering state is determined by the number of bound particles.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, RevTex4 preprint format, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Regional Inflation Persistence: Evidence from Italy

Regional patterns of inflation persistence have received attention only at a very coarse level of territorial disaggregation, that of EMU member states. However economic disparities within EMU member states are an equally important policy issue. This paper considers a country with a large regional divide, i.e., Italy, at a fine level of territorial disaggregation (NUTS3). Our results show that economically backward regions display greater inflation persistence. Moreover, we show that higher persistence is linked to a lower degree of competitiveness in the retail sector.inflation persistence, retail sector, regions.

Topologically biased random walk with application for community finding in networks

We present a new approach of topology biased random walks for undirected networks. We focus on a one parameter family of biases and by using a formal analogy with perturbation theory in quantum mechanics we investigate the features of biased random walks. This analogy is extended through the use of parametric equations of motion (PEM) to study the features of random walks {\em vs.} parameter values. Furthermore, we show an analysis of the spectral gap maximum associated to the value of the second eigenvalue of the transition matrix related to the relaxation rate to the stationary state. Applications of these studies allow {\em ad hoc} algorithms for the exploration of complex networks and their communities.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Exact two-body quantum dynamics of an electron-hole pair in semiconductor coupled quantum wells: a time-dependent approach

We simulate the time-dependent coherent dynamics of a spatially indirect exciton (an electron-hole pair with the two particles confined in different layers) in a GaAs coupled quantum well system. We use a unitary wave-packet propagation method taking into account in full the four degrees of freedom of the two particles in a two-dimensional system, including both the long-range Coulomb attraction and arbitrary two-dimensional electrostatic potentials affecting the electron and/or the hole separately. The method has been implemented for massively parallel architectures to cope with the huge numerical problem, showing good scaling properties and allowing evolution for tens of picoseconds. We have investigated both transient time phenomena and asymptotic time transmission and reflection coefficients for potential profiles consisting of i) extended barriers and wells and ii) a single-slit geometry. We found clear signatures of the internal two-body dynamics, with transient phenomena in the picosecond time-scale which might be revealed by optical spectroscopy. Exact results have been compared with mean-field approaches which, neglecting dynamical correlations by construction, turn out to be inadequate to describe the electron-hole pair evolution in realistic experimental conditions.Comment: 12 two-column pages + 3 supplemental material pages, 9 figures, to appear on Phys.Rev.

Damaging and Cracks in Thin Mud Layers

We present a detailed study of a two-dimensional minimal lattice model for the description of mud cracking in the limit of extremely thin layers. In this model each bond of the lattice is assigned to a (quenched) breaking threshold. Fractures proceed through the selection of the part of the material with the smallest breaking threshold. A local damaging rule is also implemented, by using two different types of weakening of the neighboring sites, corresponding to different physical situations. Some analytical results are derived through a probabilistic approach known as Run Time Statistics. In particular, we find that the total time to break down the sample grows with the dimension $L$ of the lattice as $L^2$ even though the percolating cluster has a non trivial fractal dimension. Furthermore, a formula for the mean weakening in time of the whole sample is obtained.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures (9 postscript files), RevTe

Landau levels, edge states and magneto-conductance in GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell nanowires

Magnetic states of the electron gas confined in modulation-doped core-shell nanowires are calculated for a transverse field of arbitrary strength and orientation. Magneto-conductance is predicted within the Landauer approach. The modeling takes fully into account the radial material modulation, the prismatic symmetry and the doping profile of realistic GaAs/AlGaAs devices within an envelope-function approach, and electron-electron interaction is included in a mean-field self-consistent approach. Calculations show that in the low free-carrier density regime, magnetic states can be described in terms of Landau levels and edge states, similar to planar two-dimensional electron gases in a Hall bar. However, at higher carrier density the dominating electron-electron interaction leads to a strongly inhomogeneous localization at the prismatic heterointerface. This gives rise to a complex band dispersion, with local minima at finite values of the longitudinal wave vector, and a region of negative magneto-resistance. The predicted marked anisotropy of the magneto-conductance with field direction is a direct probe of the inhomogeneous electron gas localization of the conductive channel induced by the prismatic geometry

Integrable hierarchies and the mirror model of local CP1

We study structural aspects of the Ablowitz-Ladik (AL) hierarchy in the light of its realization as a two-component reduction of the two-dimensional Toda hierarchy, and establish new results on its connection to the Gromov-Witten theory of local CP1. We first of all elaborate on the relation to the Toeplitz lattice and obtain a neat description of the Lax formulation of the AL system. We then study the dispersionless limit and rephrase it in terms of a conformal semisimple Frobenius manifold with non-constant unit, whose properties we thoroughly analyze. We build on this connection along two main strands. First of all, we exhibit a manifestly local bi-Hamiltonian structure of the Ablowitz-Ladik system in the zero-dispersion limit. Secondarily, we make precise the relation between this canonical Frobenius structure and the one that underlies the Gromov-Witten theory of the resolved conifold in the equivariantly Calabi-Yau case; a key role is played by Dubrovin's notion of "almost duality" of Frobenius manifolds. As a consequence, we obtain a derivation of genus zero mirror symmetry for local CP1 in terms of a dual logarithmic Landau-Ginzburg model.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figur

Reductions of the dispersionless 2D Toda hierarchy and their Hamiltonian structures

We study finite-dimensional reductions of the dispersionless 2D Toda hierarchy showing that the consistency conditions for such reductions are given by a system of radial Loewner equations. We then construct their Hamiltonian structures, following an approach proposed by Ferapontov.Comment: 15 page