Possible singlet to triplet pairing transition in NaxCoO2 H2O

We present precise measurements of the upper critical field (Hc2) in the recently discovered cobalt oxide superconductor. We have found that the critical field has an unusual temperature dependence; namely, there is an abrupt change of the slope of Hc2(T) in a weak field regime. In order to explain this result we have derived and solved Gor'kov equations on a triangular lattice. Our experimental results may be interpreted in terms of the field-induced transition from singlet to triplet superconductivity.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, revte

Pressure-induced Jahn-Teller switch in the homoleptic hybrid perovskite [(CH3)(2)NH2]Cu(HCOO)(3): orbital reordering by unconventional degrees of freedom

Through in situ, high-pressure X-ray diffraction experiments we have shown that the homoleptic perovskite-like coordination polymer [(CH3)2NH2]Cu(HCOO)3 undergoes a pressure-induced orbital reordering phase transition above 5.20 GPa. This transition is distinct from previously reported Jahn–Teller switching in coordination polymers, which required at least two different ligands that crystallize in a reverse spectrochemical series. We show that the orbital reordering phase transition in [(CH3)2NH2]Cu(HCOO)3 is instead primarily driven by unconventional octahedral tilts and shifts in the framework, and/or a reconfiguration of A-site cation ordering. These structural instabilities are unique to the coordination polymer perovskites, and may form the basis for undiscovered orbital reorientation phenomena in this broad family of materials

Shower approach in the simulation of ion scattering from solids

An efficient approach for the simulation of ion scattering from solids is proposed. For every encountered atom, we take multiple samples of its thermal displacements among those which result in scattering with high probability to finally reach the detector. As a result, the detector is illuminated by intensive "showers", where each event of detection must be weighted according to the actual probability of the atom displacement. The computational cost of such simulation is orders of magnitude lower than in the direct approach and a comprehensive analysis of multiple and plural scattering effects becomes possible. We use the new method for two purposes. First, the accuracy of the approximate approaches, developed mainly for ion-beam structural analysis, is verified. Second, the possibility to reproduce a wide class of experimental conditions is used to analyze some basic features of ion-solid collisions: the role of double violent collisions in low-energy ion scattering; the origin of the "surface peak" in scattering from amorphous samples; the low-energy tail in the energy spectra of scattered medium-energy ions due to plural scattering; the degradation of blocking patterns in 2D angular distributions with increasing depth of scattering. As an example of simulation for ions of MeV energies, we verify the time-reversibility for channeling/blocking of 1 MeV protons in a W crystal. The possibilities of analysis that our approach offers may be very useful for various applications in particular for structural analysis with atomic resolution.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures. Finally published version; large parts reformulated, Fig. 9 and references adde

2-{(E)-[1-(2-Hydroxy­ethyl)-3,3-dimethyl-3H-indol-1-ium-2-yl]vin­yl}-6-hydroxy­meth­yl-4-nitro­phenolate dihydrate

The title merocyanine-type mol­ecule, C21H22N2O5·2H2O, crystallizes in a zwitterionic form and has an E configuration at the styryl C=C bond. The styryl part of the mol­ecule and the indolium ring are slightly twisted and form a dihedral angle of 13.4 (1)°. The 1.274 (3) Å C—O bond length in the phenolate fragment is the longest among similar mol­ecules. Hydrogen bonds between solvent water mol­ecules, two hydroxyl groups and the phenolate O atom dictate the packing arrangement of mol­ecules in the crystal and join the mol­ecules into a two-dimensional polymeric network which propagates parallel to (001). Four water mol­ecules and four hydr­oxy groups form a centrosymmetric homodromic cyclic motif of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Another cyclic centrosymmetric motif is generated by four water mol­ecules and two phenolate O atoms

Adequacy of Maternal Iron Status Protects against Behavioral, Neuroanatomical, and Growth Deficits in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the leading non-genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disability in children. Although alcohol is clearly teratogenic, environmental factors such as gravidity and socioeconomic status significantly modify individual FASD risk despite equivalent alcohol intake. An explanation for this variability could inform FASD prevention. Here we show that the most common nutritional deficiency of pregnancy, iron deficiency without anemia (ID), is a potent and synergistic modifier of FASD risk. Using an established rat model of third trimester-equivalent binge drinking, we show that ID significantly interacts with alcohol to impair postnatal somatic growth, associative learning, and white matter formation, as compared with either insult separately. For the associative learning and myelination deficits, the ID-alcohol interaction was synergistic and the deficits persisted even after the offsprings’ iron status had normalized. Importantly, the observed deficits in the ID-alcohol animals comprise key diagnostic criteria of FASD. Other neurobehaviors were normal, showing the ID-alcohol interaction was selective and did not reflect a generalized malnutrition. Importantly ID worsened FASD outcome even though the mothers lacked overt anemia; thus diagnostics that emphasize hematological markers will not identify pregnancies at-risk. This is the first direct demonstration that, as suggested by clinical studies, maternal iron status has a unique influence upon FASD outcome. While alcohol is unquestionably teratogenic, this ID-alcohol interaction likely represents a significant portion of FASD diagnoses because ID is more common in alcohol-abusing pregnancies than generally appreciated. Iron status may also underlie the associations between FASD and parity or socioeconomic status. We propose that increased attention to normalizing maternal iron status will substantially improve FASD outcome, even if maternal alcohol abuse continues. These findings offer novel insights into how alcohol damages the developing brain

Quantum noise and mixedness of a pumped dissipative non-linear oscillator

Evolutions of quantum noise, characterized by quadrature squeezing parameter and Fano factor, and of mixedness, quantified by quantum von Neumann and linear entropies, of a pumped dissipative non-linear oscillator are studied. The model can describe a signal mode interacting with a thermal reservoir in a parametrically pumped cavity with a Kerr non-linearity. It is discussed that the initial pure states, including coherent states, Fock states, and finite superpositions of coherent states evolve into the same steady mixed state as verified by the quantum relative entropy and the Bures metric. It is shown analytically and verified numerically that the steady state can be well approximated by a nonclassical Gaussian state exhibiting quadrature squeezing and sub-Poissonian statistics for the cold thermal reservoir. A rapid increase is found in the mixedness, especially for the initial Fock states and superpositions of coherent states, during a very short time interval, and then for longer evolution times a decrease in the mixedness to the same, for all the initial states, and relatively low value of the nonclassical Gaussian state.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure