2,426 research outputs found
Carrier-carrier entanglement and transport resonances in semiconductor quantum dots
We study theoretically the entanglement created in a scattering between an
electron, incoming from a source lead, and another electron bound in the ground
state of a quantum dot, connected to two leads. We analyze the role played by
the different kinds of resonances in the transmission spectra and by the number
of scattering channels, into the amount of quantum correlations between the two
identical carriers. It is shown that the entanglement between their energy
states is not sensitive to the presence of Breit-Wigner resonances, while it
presents a peculiar behavior in correspondence of Fano peaks: two close maxima
separated by a minimum, for a two-channel scattering, a single maximum for a
multi-channel scattering. Such a behavior is ascribed to the different
mechanisms characterizing the two types of resonances. Our results suggest that
the production and detection of entanglement in quantum dot structures may be
controlled by the manipulation of Fano resonances through external fields.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, RevTex4 two-column format, submitte
An approximation algorithm for the maximum cut problem and its experimental analysis
AbstractAn approximation algorithm for the maximum cut problem is designed and analyzed; its performance is experimentally compared with that of a neural algorithm and that of Goemans and Williamson's algorithm. Although the guaranteed quality of our algorithm in the worst-case analysis is poor, we give experimental evidence that its average behavior is better than that of Goemans and Williamson's algorithm
Colloidal CuFeS2 Nanocrystals: Intermediate Fe d-Band Leads to High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency
We describe the colloidal hot-injection synthesis of phase-pure nanocrystals
(NCs) of a highly abundant mineral, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). Absorption bands
centered at around 480 and 950 nm, spanning almost the entire visible and near
infrared regions, encompass their optical extinction characteristics. These
peaks are ascribable to electronic transitions from the valence band (VB) to
the empty intermediate band (IB), located in the fundamental gap and mainly
composed of Fe 3d orbitals. Laser-irradiation (at 808 nm) of an aqueous
suspension of CuFeS2 NCs exhibited significant heating, with a photothermal
conversion efficiency of 49%. Such efficient heating is ascribable to the
carrier relaxation within the broad IB band (owing to the indirect VB-IB gap),
as corroborated by transient absorption measurements. The intense absorption
and high photothermal transduction efficiency (PTE) of these NCs in the
so-called biological window (650-900 nm) makes them suitable for photothermal
therapy as demonstrated by tumor cell annihilation upon laser irradiation. The
otherwise harmless nature of these NCs in dark conditions was confirmed by in
vitro toxicity tests on two different cell lines. The presence of the deep Fe
levels constituting the IB is the origin of such enhanced PTE, which can be
used to design other high performing NC photothermal agents.Comment: 12 pages, Chemistry of Materials, 31-May-201
Tuning and Locking the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances of CuS (Covellite) Nanocrystals by an Amorphous CuPdxS Shell
[Image: see text] We demonstrate the stabilization of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in a semiconductor-based core–shell heterostructure made of a plasmonic CuS core embedded in an amorphous-like alloyed CuPd(x)S shell. This heterostructure is prepared by reacting the as-synthesized CuS nanocrystals (NCs) with Pd(2+) cations at room temperature in the presence of an electron donor (ascorbic acid). The reaction starts from the surface of the CuS NCs and proceeds toward the center, causing reorganization of the initial lattice and amorphization of the covellite structure. According to density functional calculations, Pd atoms are preferentially accommodated between the bilayer formed by the S–S covalent bonds, which are therefore broken, and this can be understood as the first step leading to amorphization of the particles upon insertion of the Pd(2+) ions. The position and intensity in near-infrared LSPRs can be tuned by altering the thickness of the shell and are in agreement with the theoretical optical simulation based on the Mie–Gans theory and Drude model. Compared to the starting CuS NCs, the amorphous CuPd(x)S shell in the core–shell nanoparticles makes their plasmonic response less sensitive to a harsh oxidation environment (generated, for example, by the presence of I(2))
Anti-inflammatory treatments in calving dairy cows: effects on haematological and metabolic profiles
High yielding dairy cows are particularly vulnerable during the transition period to any event able to stimulate immune system. In contrast, response to these events is easily controlled in other stages of lactation
Change of digesta passage rate in dairy cows after different acute stress situations
Six dairy cows received 3 treatments after morning meal, in a double Latin square design. Treatments were ACTH challenge (SYN), hoof trimming (TRIM) and saline (CTR). Measurements included: plasma cortisol and metabolic profile during the 24 h after treatments; the rate of digesta passage, faecal dry matter and pH. Both acute stress situations vs CTR caused a rapid and similar rise in plasma cortisol (P<0.001), while plasma glucose increased only in response to TRIM. Plasma concentrations of urea and BHB were increased for several hours after both stress situations. Most importantly, the transit time of digesta was reduced with SYN and TRIM (P<0.05). Our data demonstrate a reduced forestomach motility during acute stress and confirm a possible negative linkage between stress and gut functions, perhaps independent of diet composition. The mechanism seems linked to increased ACTH or cortisol rather than corticotrophin-releasing factor
Enhancement and anisotropy of electron Lande factor due to spin-orbit interaction in semiconductor nanowires
We investigate the effective Lande factor in semiconductor nanowires with
strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Using the theory
and the envelope function approach we derive a conduction band Hamiltonian
where the tensor is explicitly related to the spin-orbit coupling
constant . Our model includes orbital effects from the Rashba
spin-orbit term, leading to a significant enhancement of the effective Lande
factor which is naturally anisotropic. For nanowires based on the low-gap, high
spin-orbit coupled material InSb, we investigate the anisotropy of the
effective Lande factor with respect to the magnetic field direction, exposing a
twofold symmetry for the bottom gate architecture. The anisotropy results from
the competition between the localization of the envelope function and the spin
polarization of the electronic state, both determined by the magnetic field
direction.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure
Hysteresis and spin phase transitions in quantum wires in the integer quantum Hall regime
We demonstrate that a split-gate quantum wire in the integer quantum Hall
regime can exhibit electronic transport hysteresis for up- and down-sweeps of a
magnetic field. This behavior is shown to be due to phase spin transitions
between two different ground states with and without spatial spin polarization
in the vicinity of the wire boundary. The observed effect has a many-body
origin arising from an interplay between a confining potential, Coulomb
interactions and the exchange interaction. We also demonstrate and explain why
the hysteretic behavior is absent for steep and smooth confining potentials and
is present only for a limited range of intermediate confinement slopes.Comment: submitted to PR
Theory of semiconductor quantum-wire based single- and two-qubit gates
A GaAs/AlGaAs based two-qubit quantum device that allows the controlled
generation and straightforward detection of entanglement by measuring a
stationary current-voltage characteristic is proposed. We have developed a
two-particle Green's function method of open systems and calculate the
properties of three-dimensional interacting entangled systems
non-perturbatively. We present concrete device designs and detailed, charge
self-consistent predictions. One of the qubits is an all-electric Mach-Zehnder
interferometer that consists of two electrostatically defined quantum wires
with coupling windows, whereas the second qubit is an electrostatically defined
double quantum dot located in a second two-dimensional electron gas beneath the
quantum wires. We find that the entanglement of the device can be controlled
externally by tuning the tunneling coupling between the two quantum dots.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, RevTex4 two-column format, to appear in Phys.
Rev.
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