Spontaneous emergence of Josephson junctions in homogeneous rings of single-crystal Sr<inf>2</inf>RuO<inf>4</inf>

Funder: JSPS-EPSRC Core-to-Core program (A. Advanced Research Network)Funder: JSPS research fellow (KAKENHI Grant No. JP16J10404)Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003246Funder: Grant-in-Aid JSPS KAKENHI JP26287078 and JP17H04848AbstractThe chiral p-wave order parameter in Sr2RuO4 would make it a special case amongst the unconventional superconductors. A consequence of this symmetry is the possible existence of superconducting domains of opposite chirality. At the boundary of such domains, the locally suppressed condensate can produce an intrinsic Josephson junction. Here, we provide evidence of such junctions using mesoscopic rings, structured from Sr2RuO4 single crystals. Our order parameter simulations predict such rings to host stable domain walls across their arms. This is verified with transport experiments on loops, with a sharp transition at 1.5 K, which show distinct critical current oscillations with periodicity corresponding to the flux quantum. In contrast, loops with broadened transitions at around 3 K are void of such junctions and show standard Little–Parks oscillations. Our analysis demonstrates the junctions are of intrinsic origin and makes a compelling case for the existence of superconducting domains.</jats:p

Spontaneous emergence of Josephson junctions in homogeneous rings of single-crystal Sr<inf>2</inf>RuO<inf>4</inf>

Funder: JSPS-EPSRC Core-to-Core program (A. Advanced Research Network)Funder: JSPS research fellow (KAKENHI Grant No. JP16J10404)Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003246Funder: Grant-in-Aid JSPS KAKENHI JP26287078 and JP17H04848AbstractThe chiral p-wave order parameter in Sr2RuO4 would make it a special case amongst the unconventional superconductors. A consequence of this symmetry is the possible existence of superconducting domains of opposite chirality. At the boundary of such domains, the locally suppressed condensate can produce an intrinsic Josephson junction. Here, we provide evidence of such junctions using mesoscopic rings, structured from Sr2RuO4 single crystals. Our order parameter simulations predict such rings to host stable domain walls across their arms. This is verified with transport experiments on loops, with a sharp transition at 1.5 K, which show distinct critical current oscillations with periodicity corresponding to the flux quantum. In contrast, loops with broadened transitions at around 3 K are void of such junctions and show standard Little–Parks oscillations. Our analysis demonstrates the junctions are of intrinsic origin and makes a compelling case for the existence of superconducting domains.</jats:p

Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder Comprehend Lexicalized and Novel Primary Conceptual Metaphors

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty comprehending metaphors. However, no study to date has examined whether or not they understand conceptual metaphors (i.e. mappings between conceptual structures), which could be the building blocks of metaphoric thinking and understanding. We investigated whether 13 participants with ASD (age 7;03–22;03) and 13 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls could comprehend lexicalized conceptual metaphors (e.g., Susan is a warm person) and novel ones (e.g., Susan is a toasty person). Individuals with ASD performed at greater than chance levels on both metaphor types, although their performance was lower than TD participants. We discuss the theoretical relevance of these findings and educational implications

How to Live with Dinosaurs: Ecosystems Across the Mesozoic

We continue our trip back in time through the Mesozoic, visiting several different ecosystems across the planet. Each of these was strongly influenced by the continental breakup from a single landmass into several tectonic plates and associated landmasses during this period. We will visit localities on several continents, observe how their vertebrate faunas changed over time, and what external factors might have contributed to these differences. During the Cretaceous, we visit the Iberian Peninsula, where hadrosauroids replaced titanosaurs as the most abundant dinosaur taxon. On the other side of the planet, a succession of geologic formations in Australia shows a gradual change from aquatic to terrestrial faunas resulting from sea-level changes of a now non-existent inland ocean. A visit to two polar ecosystems indicates possible mutual exclusion between amphibians (temnospondyls) and reptiles (crocodylomorphs), because they occupied similar ecological niches. Observing the record of Cretaceous landscapes in what is now Mongolia shows how changes in environment and climate correlate with changes in faunal composition. Heading back, we check if there are distinct differences in vertebrate diversity in space and time in the Late Jurassic of North America. Then we move south, to Argentina, and back to the Middle and Early Jurassic. Here, we will try to understand where these Late Jurassic faunas originated and what influence the fragmentation of the supercontinent Pangea had on their evolution and diversity. Finally, we will stop our trip in the Late Triassic of Central Europe, examining a typical vertebrate fauna from the time when dinosaurs began their domination of the planet