223 research outputs found
A Vectorized Algorithm for Molecular Dynamics of Short Range Interacting Particles
We report on a lattice based algorithm, completely vectorized for molecular
dynamics simulations. Its algorithmic complexity is of the order O(N), where
is the number of particles. The algorithm works very effectively when the
particles have short range interaction, but it is applicable to each kind of
interaction. The code was tested on a Cray ymp el in a simulation of flowing
granular material.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Late
Avalanche statistics of sand heaps
Large scale computer simulations are presented to investigate the avalanche
statistics of sand piles using molecular dynamics. We could show that different
methods of measurement lead to contradicting conclusions, presumably due to
avalanches not reaching the end of the experimental table.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Shadow on the wall cast by an Abrikosov vortex
At the surface of a d-wave superconductor, a zero-energy peak in the
quasiparticle spectrum can be observed. This peak appears due to Andreev bound
states and is maximal if the nodal direction of the d-wave pairing potential is
perpendicular to the boundary. We examine the effect of a single Abrikosov
vortex in front of a reflecting boundary on the zero-energy density of states.
We can clearly see a splitting of the low-energy peak and therefore a
suppression of the zero-energy density of states in a shadow-like region
extending from the vortex to the boundary. This effect is stable for different
models of the single Abrikosov vortex, for different mean free paths and also
for different distances between the vortex center and the boundary. This
observation promises to have also a substantial influence on the differential
conductance and the tunneling characteristics for low excitation energies.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Odd-frequency pairing in normal metal/superconductor junctions
We study the induced odd-frequency pairing states in ballistic normal
metal/superconductor (N/S) junctions where a superconductor has even-frequency
symmetry in the bulk and a normal metal layer has an arbitrary length. Using
the quasiclassical Green's function formalism, we demonstrate that, quite
generally, the pair amplitude in the junction has an admixture of an
odd-frequency component due to the breakdown of translational invariance near
the N/S interface where the pair potential acquires spatial dependence. If a
superconductor has even-parity pair potential (spin-singlet s-wave state), the
odd-frequency pairing component with odd-parity is induced near the N/S
interface, while in the case of odd-parity pair potential (spin-triplet
-wave or spin-singlet -wave) the odd-frequency component with
even-parity is generated. We show that in conventional s-wave junctions, the
amplitude of the odd-frequency pairing state is enhanced at energies
corresponding to the peaks in the local density of states (LDOS). In - and
-wave junctions, the amplitude of the odd-frequency component on the S
side of the N/S interface is enhanced at zero energy where the midgap Andreev
resonant state (MARS) appears due to the sign change of the pair potential. The
odd-frequency component extends into the N region and exceeds the
even-frequency component at energies corresponding to the LDOS peak positions,
including the MARS.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figure
Thermodynamic properties of thin films of superfluid 3He-A
The pairing correlations in superfluid He-3 are strongly modified by
quasiparticle scattering off a surface or an interface. We present theoretical
results and predictions for the order parameter, the quasiparticle excitation
spectrum and the free energy for thin films of superfluid He-3. Both specular
and diffuse scattering by a substrate are considered, while the free surface is
assumed to be a perfectly reflecting specular boundary. The results are based
on self-consistent calculations of the order parameter and quasiparticle
excitation spectrum at zero pressure. We obtain new results for the phase
diagram, free energy, entropy and specific heat of thin films of superfluid
He-3.Comment: Replaced with an updated versio
Exact microscopic analysis of a thermal Brownian motor
We study a genuine Brownian motor by hard disk molecular dynamics and
calculate analytically its properties, including its drift speed and thermal
conductivity, from microscopic theory.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Low-energy quasiparticle states near extended scatterers in d-wave superconductors and their connection with SUSY quantum mechanics
Low-energy quasiparticle states, arising from scattering by single-particle
potentials in d-wave superconductors, are addressed. Via a natural extension of
the Andreev approximation, the idea that sign-variations in the superconducting
pair-potential lead to such states is extended beyond its original setting of
boundary scattering to the broader context of scattering by general
single-particle potentials, such as those due to impurities. The
index-theoretic origin of these states is exhibited via a simple connection
with Witten's supersymmetric quantum-mechanical model.Comment: 5 page
Tunneling into Current-Carrying Surface States of High T Superconductors
Theoretical results for the ab-plane tunneling conductance in the d-wave
model for high Tc superconductors are presented. The d-wave model predicts
surface bound states below the maximum gap. A sub-dominant order parameter,
stabilized by the surface, leads to a splitting of the zero-bias conductance
peak (ZBCP) in zero external field and to spontaneous surface currents. In a
magnetic field screening currents shift the quasiparticle bound state spectrum
and lead to a voltage splitting of the ZBCP that is linear in H at low fields,
and saturates at a pairbreaking critical field of order 3 Tesla. Comparisons
with recent experimental results on Cu/YBCO junctions are presented.Comment: 4 pages in a RevTex (3.0) file plus 3 Figures in PostScript. To
appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Pinhole calculations of the Josephson effect in 3He-B
We study theoretically the dc Josephson effect between two volumes of
superfluid 3He-B. We first discuss how the calculation of the current-phase
relationships is divided into a mesoscopic and a macroscopic problem. We then
analyze mass and spin currents and the symmetry of weak links. In quantitative
calculations the weak link is assumed to be a pinhole, whose size is small in
comparison to the coherence length. We derive a quasiclassical expression for
the coupling energy of a pinhole, allowing also for scattering in the hole.
Using a selfconsistent order parameter near a wall, we calculate the
current-phase relationships in several cases. In the isotextural case, the
current-phase relations are plotted assuming a constant spin-orbit texture. In
the opposite anisotextural case the texture changes as a function of the phase
difference. For that we have to consider the stiffness of the macroscopic
texture, and we also calculate some surface interaction parameters. We analyze
the experiments by Marchenkov et al. We find that the observed pi states and
bistability hardly can be explained with the isotextural pinhole model, but a
good quantitative agreement is achieved with the anisotextural model.Comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, revtex
Quasiparticle Bound States and Low-Temperature Peaks of the Conductance of NIS Junctions in d-Wave Superconductors
Quasiparticle states bound to the boundary of anisotropically paired
superconductors, their contributions to the density of states and to the
conductance of NIS junctions are studied both analytically and numerically. For
smooth surfaces and real order parameter we find some general results for the
bound state energies. In particular, we show that under fairly general
conditions quasiparticle states with nonzero energies exist for momentum
directions within a narrow region around the surface normal. The energy
dispersion of the bound states always has an extremum for the direction along
the normal. Along with the zero-bias anomaly due to midgap states, we find, for
quasi two-dimensional materials, additional low-temperature peaks in the
conductance of NIS junctions for voltages determined by the extrema of the
bound state energies. The influence of interface roughness on the conductance
is investigated within the framework of Ovchinnikov's model. We show that
nonzero-bias peaks at low temperatures may give information on the order
parameter in the bulk, even though it is suppressed at the surface.Comment: 14 pages, PostScrip
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