679 research outputs found
Hybrid Superconductor-Quantum Point Contact Devices using InSb Nanowires
Proposals for studying topological superconductivity and Majorana bound
states in nanowires proximity coupled to superconductors require that transport
in the nanowire is ballistic. Previous work on hybrid nanowire-superconductor
systems has shown evidence for Majorana bound states, but these experiments
were also marked by disorder, which disrupts ballistic transport. In this
letter, we demonstrate ballistic transport in InSb nanowires interfaced
directly with superconducting Al by observing quantized conductance at
zero-magnetic field. Additionally, we demonstrate that the nanowire is
proximity coupled to the superconducting contacts by observing Andreev
reflection. These results are important steps for robustly establishing
topological superconductivity in InSb nanowires
Automatic generation of scheduling and communication code in real-time parallel programs
Inter-process communication and scheduling are notorious problem areas in the design of real-time systems. Using CASE tools, the system design phase will in general result in a system description in the form of parallel processes. Manual allocation of these processes to processors may result in error prone and/or slow communication code. Scheduling of the processes, necessary to meet timing constraints, is also a tedious task that takes many iterations. The described design tools result in code that is comparable in quality and performance with expert manual realization. Many network layers have been implemented to relieve the user from the low-level programming of communication software. However, the increase in user-friendliness is usually paid with performance degradation. The proposed approach combines user-friendliness with high performance by generating communication software that is tailor-made for the application. A similar approach is followed with the scheduling software. Schedulers in the form of a built-in a kernel are available all the time and cause overhead all the time. The proposed preprocessor tool generates scheduling software after analyzing the timing requirements of the particular application. This results in simple code for simple timing requirements and more complicated code for complex timing requirements. The tools have been implemented in Occam for use on a transputer. However, the results are valid for any distributed memory machine
Measurement of g-factor tensor in a quantum dot and disentanglement of exciton spins
We perform polarization-resolved magneto-optical measurements on single InAsP
quantum dots embedded in an InP nanowire. In order to determine all elements of
the electron and hole -factor tensors, we measure in magnetic field with
different orientations. The results of these measurements are in good agreement
with a model based on exchange terms and Zeeman interaction. In our experiment,
polarization analysis delivers a powerful tool that not only significantly
increases the precision of the measurements, but also enables us to probe the
exciton spin state evolution in magnetic fields. We propose a disentangling
scheme of heavy-hole exciton spins enabling a measurement of the electron spin
time
Single-electron tunneling in InP nanowires
We report on the fabrication and electrical characterization of field-effect
devices based on wire-shaped InP crystals grown from Au catalyst particles by a
vapor-liquid-solid process. Our InP wires are n-type doped with diameters in
the 40-55 nm range and lengths of several microns. After being deposited on an
oxidized Si substrate, wires are contacted individually via e-beam fabricated
Ti/Al electrodes. We obtain contact resistances as low as ~10 kOhm, with minor
temperature dependence. The distance between the electrodes varies between 0.2
and 2 micron. The electron density in the wires is changed with a back gate.
Low-temperature transport measurements show Coulomb-blockade behavior with
single-electron charging energies of ~1 meV. We also demonstrate energy
quantization resulting from the confinement in the wire.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Strong modification of the reflection from birefringent layers of semiconductor nanowires by nanoshells
The propagation of light in layers of vertically aligned nanowires is determined by their unique and extreme optical properties. Depending on the nanowire filling fraction and their diameter, layers of nanowires form strongly birefringent media. This large birefringence gives rise to sharp angle dependent peaks in polarized reflection. We demonstrate experimentally the tunability of the reflection by adding shells of SiO2 with thicknesses ranging from 10Âżnm to 30Âżnm around the nanowires. The strong modification of the reflection peaks renders nanowire layers as a promising candidate for sensing applications
Disentangling the effects of spin-orbit and hyperfine interactions on spin blockade
We have achieved the few-electron regime in InAs nanowire double quantum
dots. Spin blockade is observed for the first two half-filled orbitals, where
the transport cycle is interrupted by forbidden transitions between triplet and
singlet states. Partial lifting of spin blockade is explained by spin-orbit and
hyperfine mechanisms that enable triplet to singlet transitions. The
measurements over a wide range of interdot coupling and tunneling rates to the
leads are well reproduced by a simple transport model. This allows us to
separate and quantify the contributions of the spin-orbit and hyperfine
interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
αE-catenin-dependent mechanotransduction is essential for proper convergent extension in zebrafish
Cadherin complexes mediate cell-cell adhesion and are crucial for embryonic development. Besides their structural function, cadherin complexes also transduce tension across the junction-actomyosin axis into proportional biochemical responses. Central to this mechanotransduction is the stretching of the cadherin-F-actin-linker α-catenin, which opens its central domain for binding to effectors such as vinculin. Mechanical unfolding of α -catenin leads to force-dependent reinforcement of cadherin-based junctions as studied in cell culture. The importance of cadherin mechanotransduction for embryonic development has not been studied yet. Here we used TALEN-mediated gene disruption to perturb endogenous αE-catenin in zebrafish development. Zygotic α-catenin mutants fail to maintain their epithelial barrier, resulting in tissue rupturing. We then specifically disrupted mechanotransduction, while maintaining cadherin adhesion, by expressing an αE-catenin construct in which the mechanosensitive domain was perturbed. Expression of either wild-type or mechano-defective α-catenin fully rescues barrier function in α-catenin mutants. Expression of mechano-defective α-catenin, however, also induces convergence and extension defects. Specifically, the polarization of cadherin-dependent, lamellipodia-driven cell migration of the lateral mesoderm was lost. These results indicate that cadherin mechanotransduction is crucial for proper zebrafish morphogenesis and uncover one of the essential processes affected by its perturbation
Suppression of Zeeman gradients by nuclear polarization in double quantum dots
We use electric dipole spin resonance to measure dynamic nuclear polarization
in InAs nanowire quantum dots. The resonance shifts in frequency when the
system transitions between metastable high and low current states, indicating
the presence of nuclear polarization. We propose that the low and the high
current states correspond to different total Zeeman energy gradients between
the two quantum dots. In the low current state, dynamic nuclear polarization
efficiently compensates the Zeeman gradient due to the -factor mismatch,
resulting in a suppressed total Zeeman gradient. We present a theoretical model
of electron-nuclear feedback that demonstrates a fixed point in nuclear
polarization for nearly equal Zeeman splittings in the two dots and predicts a
narrowed hyperfine gradient distribution
Realization of microwave quantum circuits using hybrid superconducting-semiconducting nanowire Josephson elements
We report the realization of quantum microwave circuits using hybrid
superconductor-semiconductor Josephson elements comprised of InAs nanowires
contacted by NbTiN. Capacitively-shunted single elements behave as transmon
qubits with electrically tunable transition frequencies. Two-element circuits
also exhibit transmon-like behavior near zero applied flux, but behave as flux
qubits at half the flux quantum, where non-sinusoidal current-phase relations
in the elements produce a double-well Josephson potential. These hybrid
Josephson elements are promising for applications requiring microwave
superconducting circuits operating in magnetic field.Comment: Main text: 4 pages, 4 figures; Supplement: 10 pages, 8 figures, 1
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