Paramagnetic reentrant effect in high purity mesoscopic AgNb proximity structures

We discuss the magnetic response of clean Ag coated Nb proximity cylinders in the temperature range 150 \mu K < T < 9 K. In the mesoscopic temperature regime, the normal metal-superconductor system shows the yet unexplained paramagnetic reentrant effect, discovered some years ago [P. Visani, A. C. Mota, and A. Pollini, Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 1514 (1990)], superimposing on full Meissner screening. The logarithmic slope of the reentrant paramagnetic susceptibility chi_para(T) \propto \exp(-L/\xi_N) is limited by the condition \xi_N=n L, with \xi_N=\hbar v_F/2 \pi k_B T, the thermal coherence length and n=1,2,4. In wires with perimeters L=72 \mu m and L=130 \mu m, we observe integer multiples n=1,2,4. At the lowest temperatures, \chi_para compensates the diamagnetic susceptibility of the \textit{whole} AgNb structure.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (color

Bose-Einstein condensation in inhomogeneous Josephson arrays

We show that spatial Bose-Einstein condensation of non-interacting bosons occurs in dimension d < 2 over discrete structures with inhomogeneous topology and with no need of external confining potentials. Josephson junction arrays provide a physical realization of this mechanism. The topological origin of the phenomenon may open the way to the engineering of quantum devices based on Bose-Einstein condensation. The comb array, which embodies all the relevant features of this effect, is studied in detail.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

One-dimensional Josephson arrays as superlattices for single Cooper pairs

We investigate uniform one-dimensional arrays of small Josephson junctions ($E_J \ll E_C$, $E_C = (2e)^2/2C$) with a realistic Coulomb interaction $U(x) = E_C \lambda \exp( - |x|/\lambda)$ (here $\lambda \gg 1$ is the screening length in units of the lattice constant of the array). At low energies this system can be described in terms of interacting Bose particles (extra single Cooper pairs) on the lattice. With increasing concentration $\nu$ of extra Cooper pairs, a crossover from the Bose gas phase to the Wigner crystal phase and then to the superlattice regime occurs. The phase diagram in the superlattice regime consists of commensurable insulating phases with $\nu = 1/l$ ($l$ is integer) separated by superconducting regions where the current is carried by excitations with {\em fractional} electric charge $q = \pm 2e/l$. The Josephson current through a ring-shaped array pierced by magnetic flux is calculated for all of the phases.Comment: 4 pages (LATEX), 2 figure

Entanglement dynamics of two qubits under the influence of external kicks and Gaussian pulses

We have investigated the dynamics of entanglement between two spin-1/2 qubits that are subject to independent kick and Gaussian pulse type external magnetic fields analytically as well as numerically. Dyson time ordering effect on the dynamics is found to be important for the sequence of kicks. We show that "almost-steady" high entanglement can be created between two initially unentangled qubits by using carefully designed kick or pulse sequences

Magnetization process of the spin-1/2 XXZ models on square and cubic lattices

The magnetization process of the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic XXZ model with Ising-like anisotropy in the ground state is investigated. We show numerically that the Ising-like XXZ models on square and cubic lattices show a first-order phase transition at some critical magnetic field. We estimate the value of the critical field and the magnetization jump on the basis of the Maxwell construction. The magnetization jump in the Ising-limit is investigated by means of perturbation theory. Based on our numerical results, we briefly discuss the phase diagram of the extended Bose-Hubbard model in the hard-core limit.Comment: 13 pages, RevTex, 7 PostScript figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.

On the Coexistence of Diagonal and off-Diagonal Long-Range Order, a Monte Carlo Study

The zero temperature properties of interacting 2 dimensional lattice bosons are investigated. We present Monte Carlo data for soft-core bosons that demonstrate the existence of a phase in which crystalline long-range order and off-diagonal long-range order (superfluidity) coexist. We comment on the difference between hard and soft-core bosons and compare our data to mean-field results that predict a larger coexistence region. Furthermore, we determine the critical exponents for the various phase transitions.Comment: 7 pages and 8 figures appended in postscript, KA-TFP-93-0

Nonlinear Transport and Current Fluctuation in an AB Ring with a Quantum Dot

Nonequilibrium steady states are explicitly constructed for a noninteracting electron model of an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring with a quantum dot (QD) with the aid of asymptotic fields. The Fano line shapes and AB oscillations are shown to strongly depend on the bias voltage. Current fluctuations are studied as well.Comment: 4pages, 6figure

Topology, Hidden Spectra and Bose Einstein Condensation on low dimensional complex networks

Topological inhomogeneity gives rise to spectral anomalies that can induce Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC) in low dimensional systems. These anomalies consist in energy regions composed of an infinite number of states with vanishing weight in the thermodynamic limit (hidden states). Here we present a rigorous result giving the most general conditions for BEC on complex networks. We prove that the presence of hidden states in the lowest region of the spectrum is the necessary and sufficient condition for condensation in low dimension (spectral dimension $\bar{d}\leq 2$), while it is shown that BEC always occurs for $\bar{d}>2$.Comment: 4 pages, 10 figure

J1−J2J_1-J_2 Quantum Heisenberg Antiferromagnet: Improved Spin-Wave Theories Versus Exact-Diagonalization Data

We reconsider the results cocerning the extreme-quantum $S=1/2$ square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet with frustrating diagonal couplings ($J_1-J_2$ model) drawn from a comparison with exact-diagonalization data. A combined approach using also some intrinsic features of the self-consistent spin-wave theory leads to the conclusion that the theory strongly overestimates the stabilizing role of quantum flutcuations in respect to the N\'{e}el phase in the extreme-quantum case $S=1/2$. On the other hand, the analysis implies that the N\'{e}el phase remains stable at least up to the limit $J_{2}/J_{1} = 0.49$ which is pretty larger than some previous estimates. In addition, it is argued that the spin-wave ansatz predicts the existence of a finite range ($J_{2}/J_{1}<0.323$ in the linear spin-wave theory) where the Marshall-Peierls sigh rule survives the frustrations.Comment: 13 pages, LaTex, 7 figures on reques

Superconductor-insulator transition driven by local dephasing

We consider a system where localized bound electron pairs form an array of "Andreev"-like scattering centers and are coupled to a fermionic subsystem of uncorrelated electrons. By means of a path-integral approach, which describes the bound electron pairs within a coherent pseudospin representation, we derive and analyze the effective action for the collective phase modes which arise from the coupling between the two subsystems once the fermionic degrees of freedom are integrated out. This effective action has features of a quantum phase model in the presence of a Berry phase term and exhibits a coupling to a field which describes at the same time the fluctuations of density of the bound pairs and those of the amplitude of the fermion pairs. Due to the competition between the local and the hopping induced non-local phase dynamics it is possible, by tuning the exchange coupling or the density of the bound pairs, to trigger a transition from a phase ordered superconducting to a phase disordered insulating state. We discuss the different mechanisms which control this occurrence and the eventual destruction of phase coherence both in the weak and strong coupling limit.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PRB (05-Feb04