6,317 research outputs found
Spin precession and inverted Hanle effect in a semiconductor near a finite-roughness ferromagnetic interface
Although the creation of spin polarization in various non-magnetic media via
electrical spin injection from a ferromagnetic tunnel contact has been
demonstrated, much of the basic behavior is heavily debated. It is reported
here for semiconductor/Al2O3/ferromagnet tunnel structures based on Si or GaAs
that local magnetostatic fields arising from interface roughness dramatically
alter and even dominate the accumulation and dynamics of spins in the
semiconductor. Spin precession in the inhomogeneous magnetic fields is shown to
reduce the spin accumulation up to tenfold, and causes it to be inhomogeneous
and non-collinear with the injector magnetization. The inverted Hanle effect
serves as experimental signature. This interaction needs to be taken into
account in the analysis of experimental data, particularly in extracting the
spin lifetime and its variation with different parameters (temperature, doping
concentration). It produces a broadening of the standard Hanle curve and
thereby an apparent reduction of the spin lifetime. For heavily doped n-type Si
at room temperature it is shown that the spin lifetime is larger than
previously determined, and a new lower bound of 0.29 ns is obtained. The
results are expected to be general and occur for spins near a magnetic
interface not only in semiconductors but also in metals, organic and
carbon-based materials including graphene, and in various spintronic device
structures.Comment: Final version, with text restructured and appendices added (25 pages,
9 figures). To appear in Phys. Rev.
Sorption of hexavalent chromium from synthetic waste water using dolochar
The adsorption characteristics of hexavalent chromium on dolochar, a low cost natural adsorbent, were studied in the laboratory. Dolochar was found to be an efficient adsorbent for chromium removal from synthetic waste water. Dolochar which is a solid waste generated by the sponge iron industry, is processed and put to test as an adsorbent for removal of Cr (VI) ions from aqueous solution. In this paper an attempt has been made to investigate the properties (i.e. physical and chemical) so as to reutilize it as absorbent to absorb the pollutants present in water. The adsorption behavior of dolochar using batch shaking has been studied to remove hexavalent chromium from synthetic waste water. The physical properties of dolochar such as specific gravity, void ratio, porosity, density and chemical properties such as chemical composition have been analyzed. Batch adsorption experiment have been conducted by varying adsorbent dose, adsorbate concentration, pH, particle size, time on removal of chromium of these metal ions. It was found that more than 94% of the removal was achieved under optimal condition
Dispelling the myths of online education: learning via the information superhighway
There continues to be a perception that online education is inferior to traditional education. In the U.S. online learning is more developed than in the U.K. This paper provides insights into a U.S. provision and takes a close look at what are perceived as weaknesses of on line learning and argues that these are not necessarily inherent weaknesses of this form of educational delivery. Then, results of two major studies, undertaken in the U.S. are provided comparing the effectiveness of online education to traditional education as perceived by current MBA students and past graduates. Results of these studies suggest that students of MBA modules and MBA graduates perceive the quality and effectiveness of online education to be similar to, if not higher than, the quality and effectiveness of traditional modules and programmes
Optimal Bidding Strategies for Simultaneous Vickrey Auctions with Perfect Substitutes
We derive optimal bidding strategies for a global bidder who participates in multiple, simultaneous second-price auctions with perfect substitutes. We prove that, if everyone else bids locally in a single auction, the global bidder should always place non-zero bids in all available auctions, provided there are no budget constraints. With a budget, however, the optimal strategy is to bid locally if this budget is equal or less than the valuation. Furthermore, for a wide range of valuation distributions, we prove that the problem of finding the optimal bids reduces to two dimensions if all auctions are identical. Moreoever, we address markets with both sequential and simultaneous auctions, non-identical auctions, and the allocative efficiency of the market. Finally, by combining analystical and simulation results, we analyse equilibrium strategies in case of several global bidders. However, a stable solution is then only found if there are local bidders as well
Discrete Multiscale Analysis: A Biatomic Lattice System
We discuss a discrete approach to the multiscale reductive perturbative
method and apply it to a biatomic chain with a nonlinear interaction between
the atoms. This system is important to describe the time evolution of localized
solitonic excitations. We require that also the reduced equation be discrete.
To do so coherently we need to discretize the time variable to be able to get
asymptotic discrete waves and carry out a discrete multiscale expansion around
them. Our resulting nonlinear equation will be a kind of discrete Nonlinear
Schr\"odinger equation. If we make its continuum limit, we obtain the standard
Nonlinear Schr\"odinger differential equation
Principles of tractor atom interferometry
We present possible design concepts for a tractor atom interferometer (TAI)
based on three-dimensional confinement and transport of ultracold atoms. The
confinement reduces device size and wave-packet dispersion, enables arbitrary
holding times, and facilitates control to create complex trajectories that
allow for optimization to cancel unwanted sensitivity, fast splitting and
recombination, and suppression of detrimental nonadiabatic excitation. Thus,
the design allows for further advancement of compact, high-sensitivity, quantum
sensing technology. In particular, we focus on the implementation of
quantum-enhanced accelerometers and gyroscopes. We discuss TAI protocols for
both spin-dependent and scalar trapping potentials. Using optimal control
theory, we demonstrate the splitting of the wave function on a time scale two
orders of magnitude shorter than the previous proposal using adiabatic
dynamics, thus maximizing the time spent at full separation, where the
interferometric phase is accumulated. Lastly, we explore the possibility of
including non-classical correlations between the atoms to improve sensitivity.
The performance estimates for TAI give a promising perspective for
atom-interferometry-based sensing, significantly exceeding the sensitivities of
current state-of-the-art devices.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Shear instabilities of freely standing thermotropic smectic-A films
In this Letter we discuss theoretically the instabilities of thermotropic
freely standing smectic-A films under shear flow\cite{re:wu}. We show that, in
Couette geometry, the centrifugal force pushes the liquid crystal toward the
outer boundary and induces smectic layer dilation close to the outer boundary.
Under strong shear, this effect induces a layer buckling instability. The
critical shear rate is proportional to , where is the thickness
of the film.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
Many-body current formula and current conservation for non-equilibrium fully interacting nanojunctions
We consider the electron transport properties through fully interacting
nanoscale junctions beyond the linear-response regime. We calculate the current
flowing through an interacting region connected to two interacting leads, with
interaction crossing at the left and right contacts, by using a non-equilibrium
Green's functions (NEGF) technique. The total current at one interface (the
left one for example) is made of several terms which can be regrouped into two
sets. The first set corresponds to a very generalised Landauer-like current
formula with physical quantities defined only in the interacting central region
and with renormalised lead self-energies. The second set characterises
inelastic scattering events occurring in the left lead. We show how this term
can be negligible or even vanish due to the pseudo-equilibrium statistical
properties of the lead in the thermodynamic limit. The expressions for the
different Green's functions needed for practical calculations of the current
are also provided. We determine the constraints imposed by the physical
condition of current conservation. The corresponding equation imposed on the
different self-energy quantities arising from the current conservation is
derived. We discuss in detail its physical interpretation and its relation with
previously derived expressions. Finally several important key features are
discussed in relation to the implementation of our formalism for calculations
of quantum transport in realistic systems
Inequalities and identity processes in crises: recommendations for facilitating safe response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Structural inequalities and identity processes are pivotal to understanding public response to COVID‐19. We discuss how identity processes can be used to promote community‐level support, safe normative behaviour, and increase compliance with guidance. However, we caution how government failure to account for structural inequalities can alienate vulnerable groups, inhibit groups from being able to follow guidance, and lead to the creation of new groups in response to illegitimate treatment. Moreover, we look ahead to the longitudinal impacts of inequalities during pandemics and advise government bodies should address identity‐based inequalities to mitigate negative relations with the public and subsequent collective protest
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