Geometrical control of the magnetization direction in high aspect-ratio PdNi ferromagnetic nano-electrodes

We present a study of electron-beam evaporated Pd0.4Ni0.6 alloy thin films by means of ferromagnetic resonance measurements on extended films of varying thickness and anisotropic magnetoresistance measurements of lithographically patterned high aspect-ratio ferromagnetic electrodes, respectively. The results reveal that the direction of the magnetization strongly depends on the electrode lateral dimensions, transitioning from in-plane magnetization for extended films to out-of-the-plane magnetization for electrode widths below 2-3 microns, reaching 58 degrees off-plane for 100 nm-wide nanoelectrodes.Comment: Preprint submitted to PRB (14 pages, 4 figures

Colloquium: Spintronics in graphene and other two-dimensional materials

After the first unequivocal demonstration of spin transport in graphene (Tombros et al., 2007), surprisingly at room temperature, it was quickly realized that this novel material was relevant for both fundamental spintronics and future applications. Over the decade since, exciting results have made the field of graphene spintronics blossom, and a second generation of studies has extended to new two-dimensional (2D) compounds. This Colloquium reviews recent theoretical and experimental advances on electronic spin transport in graphene and related 2D materials, focusing on emergent phenomena in van der Waals heterostructures and the new perspectives provided by them. These phenomena include proximity-enabled spin-orbit effects, the coupling of electronic spin to light, electrical tunability, and 2D magnetism.Comment: 30 pages, 12 figure

Screening and interlayer coupling in multilayer graphene field-effect transistors

With the motivation of improving the performance and reliability of aggressively scaled nano-patterned graphene field-effect transistors, we present the first systematic experimental study on charge and current distribution in multilayer graphene field-effect transistors. We find a very particular thickness dependence for Ion, Ioff, and the Ion/Ioff ratio, and propose a resistor network model including screening and interlayer coupling to explain the experimental findings. In particular, our model does not invoke modification of the linear energy-band structure of graphene for the multilayer case. Noise reduction in nano-scale few-layer graphene transistors is experimentally demonstrated and can be understood within this model as well.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 20 reference

Observation of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in Graphene

When electrons are confined in two dimensions and subjected to strong magnetic fields, the Coulomb interactions between them become dominant and can lead to novel states of matter such as fractional quantum Hall liquids. In these liquids electrons linked to magnetic flux quanta form complex composite quasipartices, which are manifested in the quantization of the Hall conductivity as rational fractions of the conductance quantum. The recent experimental discovery of an anomalous integer quantum Hall effect in graphene has opened up a new avenue in the study of correlated 2D electronic systems, in which the interacting electron wavefunctions are those of massless chiral fermions. However, due to the prevailing disorder, graphene has thus far exhibited only weak signatures of correlated electron phenomena, despite concerted experimental efforts and intense theoretical interest. Here, we report the observation of the fractional quantum Hall effect in ultraclean suspended graphene, supporting the existence of strongly correlated electron states in the presence of a magnetic field. In addition, at low carrier density graphene becomes an insulator with an energy gap tunable by magnetic field. These newly discovered quantum states offer the opportunity to study a new state of matter of strongly correlated Dirac fermions in the presence of large magnetic fields

Atypical STAT5B deficiency, severe short stature and mild immunodeficiency associated with a novel homozygous STAT5B Variant

STAT5B deficiency, a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe growth hormone insensitivity (GHI) and immunodeficiency, can manifest as fatal pulmonary complications. We describe atypical STAT5B deficiency associated with a novel homozygous frame-shift STAT5B variant [c.1453delG, p.(Asp485Thrfs*29)] identified in a young 17.6 yr old female subject who had severe postnatal growth impairment, biochemistries typical of GHI, an immune profile notable for hypergammaglobulinaemia and elevated B lymphocytes, and lack of pulmonary disease. Marked elevation of serum prolactin and pathologically diagnosed eczema were evident. In reconstitution studies, the STAT5B p.(Asp485Thrfs*29) was expressed although expression was reduced compared to wild-type STAT5B and a previously identified STAT5B p.(Gln368Profs*9) variant. Both truncated STAT5B peptides could not be activated by GH, nor mobilize to the nucleus. We conclude that an intact, func-tional, STAT5B is essential for normal GH-mediated growth, while expressed loss-of-function STAT5B variants may alleviate severe immune and pulmonary issues normally associated with STAT5B deficiency.Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen

Tunable stress and controlled thickness modification in graphene by annealing

Graphene has many unique properties which make it an attractive material for fundamental study as well as for potential applications. In this paper, we report the first experimental study of process-induced defects and stress in graphene using Raman spectroscopy and imaging. While defects lead to the observation of defect-related Raman bands, stress causes shift in phonon frequency. A compressive stress (as high as 2.1 GPa) was induced in graphene by depositing a 5 nm SiO2 followed by annealing, whereas a tensile stress (~ 0.7 GPa) was obtained by depositing a thin silicon capping layer. In the former case, both the magnitude of the compressive stress and number of graphene layers can be controlled or modified by the annealing temperature. As both the stress and thickness affect the physical properties of graphene, this study may open up the possibility of utilizing thickness and stress engineering to improve the performance of graphene-based devices. Local heating techniques may be used to either induce the stress or reduce the thickness selectively.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, accepted by ACS nan

Chemically-induced Mobility Gaps in Graphene Nanoribbons: A Route for Upscaling Device Performances

We report a first-principles based study of mesoscopic quantum transport in chemically doped graphene nanoribbons with a width up to 10 nm. The occurrence of quasibound states related to boron impurities results in mobility gaps as large as 1 eV, driven by strong electron-hole asymmetrical backscattering phenomena. This phenomenon opens new ways to overcome current limitations of graphene-based devices through the fabrication of chemically-doped graphene nanoribbons with sizes within the reach of conventional lithography.Comment: Nano Letters (in press

Vitamin C Depletion and All-Cause Mortality in Renal Transplant Recipients

Vitamin C may reduce inflammation and is inversely associated with mortality in the general population. We investigated the association of plasma vitamin C with all-cause mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTR); and whether this association would be mediated by inflammatory biomarkers. Vitamin C, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) were measured in a cohort of 598 RTR. Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the association between vitamin C depletion (≤28 µmol/L; 22% of RTR) and mortality. Mediation analyses were performed according to Preacher and Hayes’s procedure. At a median follow-up of 7.0 (6.2–7.5) years, 131 (21%) patients died. Vitamin C depletion was univariately associated with almost two-fold higher risk of mortality (Hazard ratio (HR) 1.95; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.35–2.81, p < 0.001). This association remained independent of potential confounders (HR 1.74; 95%CI 1.18–2.57, p = 0.005). Hs-CRP, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and a composite score of inflammatory biomarkers mediated 16%, 17%, 15%, and 32% of the association, respectively. Vitamin C depletion is frequent and independently associated with almost two-fold higher risk of mortality in RTR. It may be hypothesized that the beneficial effect of vitamin C at least partly occurs through decreasing inflammation