Finite element analysis of gradient coil deformation and vibration in NMR microscopy

Resolution degradation due to gradient coil deformation and vibration in NMR microscopy is investigated using finite element analysis. From the analysis, deformations due to the Lorentz force can be as large as 1-10 μm depending on the gradient strength and coil frame material. Thus, these deformations can be one of the major resolution limiting factors in NMR microscopy. Coil vibration, which depends on the input current waveform and resolution degradation due to time-variant deformation and time-invariant deformation are investigated by numerical simulations

Phonons in Nanocrystalline 57Fe

We measured the phonon density of states (DOS) of nanocrystalline Fe by resonant inelastic nuclear γ-ray scattering. The nanophase material shows large distortions in its phonon DOS. We attribute the high energy distortion to lifetime broadening. A damped harmonic oscillator model for the phonons provides a low quality factor, Qu, averaging about 5, but the longitudinal modes may have been broadened most. The nanocrystalline Fe also shows an enhancement in its phonon DOS at energies below 15 meV. The difference in vibrational entropy of the bulk and nanocrystalline Fe was small, owing to competing changes in the nanocrystalline phonon DOS at low and high energies

On quantum error-correction by classical feedback in discrete time

We consider the problem of correcting the errors incurred from sending quantum information through a noisy quantum environment by using classical information obtained from a measurement on the environment. For discrete time Markovian evolutions, in the case of fixed measurement on the environment, we give criteria for quantum information to be perfectly corrigible and characterize the related feedback. Then we analyze the case when perfect correction is not possible and, in the qubit case, we find optimal feedback maximizing the channel fidelity.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, revtex

Yang-Baxter equation for the asymmetric eight-vertex model

In this note we study `a la Baxter [1] the possible integrable manifolds of the asymmetric eight-vertex model. As expected they occur when the Boltzmann weights are either symmetric or satisfy the free-fermion condition but our analysis clarify the reason both manifolds need to share a universal invariant. We also show that the free-fermion condition implies three distinct classes of integrable models.Comment: Latex, 12 pages, 1 figur

Spin-Coupled Local Distortions in Multiferroic Hexagonal HoMnO3

Local structural measurements have been performed on hexagonal HoMnO3 in order to ascertain the specific changes in bond distances which accompany magnetic ordering transitions. The transition from paramagnetic to the antiferromagetic (noncollinear) phase near ~70 K is dominated by changes in the a-b plane Mn-Mn bond distances. The spin rotation transition near ~40 K involves both Mn-Mn and nearest neighbor Ho-Mn interactions while the low temperature transition below 10 K involves all interactions, Mn-Mn, Ho-Mn (nearest and next nearest) and Ho-Ho correlations. These changes in bond distances reveal strong spin-lattice coupling. The similarity in magnitude of the change in J(Mn-Mn) and J(Ho-Mn) enhances the system frustration. The structural changes are interpreted in terms of a model of competing spin order and local structural distortions. Density functional calculations are used to estimate the energies associated with ionic displacements. The calculations also reveal asymmetric polarization of the charge density of Ho, O3 and O4 sites along the z-axis in the ferroelectric phase. This polarization facilitates coupling between Ho atoms on neighboring planes normal to the z-axis.Comment: 8 figure

Time-convolutionless reduced-density-operator theory of a noisy quantum channel: a two-bit quantum gate for quantum information processing

An exact reduced-density-operator for the output quantum states in time-convolutionless form was derived by solving the quantum Liouville equation which governs the dynamics of a noisy quantum channel by using a projection operator method and both advanced and retarded propagators in time. The formalism developed in this work is general enough to model a noisy quantum channel provided specific forms of the Hamiltonians for the system, reservoir, and the mutual interaction between the system and the reservoir are given. Then, we apply the formulation to model a two-bit quantum gate composed of coupled spin systems in which the Heisenberg coupling is controlled by the tunneling barrier between neighboring quantum dots. Gate Characteristics including the entropy, fidelity, and purity are calculated numerically for both mixed and entangled initial states

Electronic properties of Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterojunctions

We have used admittance spectroscopy and deep-level transient spectroscopy to characterize electronic properties of Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterostructures. Band offsets measured by admittance spectroscopy for compressively strained Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterojunctions indicate that incorporation of C into Si1–x–yGexCy lowers both the valence- and conduction-band edges compared to those in Si1–xGex by an average of 107 ± 6 meV/% C and 75 ± 6 meV/% C, respectively. Combining these measurements indicates that the band alignment is type I for the compositions we have studied, and that these results are consistent with previously reported results on the energy band gap of Si1–x–yGexCy and with measurements of conduction band offsets in Si/Si1–yCy heterojunctions. Several electron traps were observed using deep-level transient spectroscopy on two n-type heterostructures. Despite the presence of a significant amount of nonsubstitutional C (0.29–1.6 at. %), none of the peaks appear attributable to previously reported interstitial C levels. Possible sources for these levels are discussed

Deep-level transient spectroscopy of Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterostructures

Deep-level transient spectroscopy was used to measure the activation energies of deep levels in n-type Si/Si1–x–yGexCy heterostructures grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy. Four deep levels have been observed at various activation energies ranging from 231 to 405 meV below the conduction band. The largest deep-level concentration observed was in the deepest level and was found to be approximately 2 × 10^15 cm^–3. Although a large amount of nonsubstitutional C was present in the alloy layers (1–2 at. %), no deep levels were observed at any energy levels that, to the best of our knowledge, have been previously attributed to interstitial C