Spontaneously magnetized Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid in frustrated quantum antiferromagnets

We develop a theory of spontaneously magnetized Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid (SMTLL) in geometrically frustrated quasi-one-dimensional quantum magnets by taking an $S=1/2$ ferrimagnet on a union-jack lattice as an example. We show that a strong frustration leads to a spontaneous magnetization because of the ferrimagnetic nature of lattice. Due to the ferrimagnetic order, the local magnetization has an incommensurate oscillation with the position. We show that the spontaneously magnetized TLL is smoothly connected to the existence of a Nambu-Goldstone boson in the canted ferrimagnetic phase of a two-dimensional frustrated antiferromagnet

Topological transition between competing orders in quantum spin chains

We study quantum phase transitions between competing orders in one-dimensional spin systems. We focus on systems that can be mapped to a dual-field double sine-Gordon model as a bosonized effective field theory. This model contains two pinning potential terms of dual fields that stabilize competing orders and allows different types of quantum phase transition to happen between two ordered phases. At the transition point, elementary excitations change from the topological soliton of one of the dual fields to that of the other, thus it can be characterized as a topological transition. We compute the dynamical susceptibilities and the entanglement entropy, which gives us access to the central charge, of the system using a numerical technique of infinite time-evolving block decimation and characterize the universality class of the transition as well as the nature of the order in each phase. The possible realizations of such transitions in experimental systems both for condensed matter and cold atomic gases are also discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Entropy estimates for a class of schemes for the euler equations

In this paper, we derive entropy estimates for a class of schemes for the Euler equations which present the following features: they are based on the internal energy equation (eventually with a positive corrective term at the righ-hand-side so as to ensure consistency) and the possible upwinding is performed with respect to the material velocity only. The implicit-in-time first-order upwind scheme satisfies a local entropy inequality. A generalization of the convection term is then introduced, which allows to limit the scheme diffusion while ensuring a weaker property: the entropy inequality is satisfied up to a remainder term which is shown to tend to zero with the space and time steps, if the discrete solution is controlled in L $\infty$ and BV norms. The explicit upwind variant also satisfies such a weaker property, at the price of an estimate for the velocity which could be derived from the introduction of a new stabilization term in the momentum balance. Still for the explicit scheme, with the above-mentioned generalization of the convection operator, the same result only holds if the ratio of the time to the space step tends to zero

New analytical progress in the theory of vesicles under linear flow

Vesicles are becoming a quite popular model for the study of red blood cells (RBCs). This is a free boundary problem which is rather difficult to handle theoretically. Quantitative computational approaches constitute also a challenge. In addition, with numerical studies, it is not easy to scan within a reasonable time the whole parameter space. Therefore, having quantitative analytical results is an essential advance that provides deeper understanding of observed features and can be used to accompany and possibly guide further numerical development. In this paper shape evolution equations for a vesicle in a shear flow are derived analytically with precision being cubic (which is quadratic in previous theories) with regard to the deformation of the vesicle relative to a spherical shape. The phase diagram distinguishing regions of parameters where different types of motion (tank-treading, tumbling and vacillating-breathing) are manifested is presented. This theory reveals unsuspected features: including higher order terms and harmonics (even if they are not directly excited by the shear flow) is necessary, whatever the shape is close to a sphere. Not only does this theory cure a quite large quantitative discrepancy between previous theories and recent experiments and numerical studies, but also it reveals a new phenomenon: the VB mode band in parameter space, which is believed to saturate after a moderate shear rate, exhibits a striking widening beyond a critical shear rate. The widening results from excitation of fourth order harmonic. The obtained phase diagram is in a remarkably good agreement with recent three dimensional numerical simulations based on the boundary integral formulation. Comparison of our results with experiments is systematically made.Comment: a tex file and 6 figure

Laboratory experiments on the generation of internal tidal beams over steep slopes

We designed a simple laboratory experiment to study internal tides generation. We consider a steep continental shelf, for which the internal tide is shown to be emitted from the critical point, which is clearly amphidromic. We also discuss the dependence of the width of the emitted beam on the local curvature of topography and on viscosity. Finally we derive the form of the resulting internal tidal beam by drawing an analogy with an oscillating cylinder in a static fluid

On transport in quantum Hall systems with constrictions

Motivated by recent experimental findings, we study transport in a simple phenomenological model of a quantum Hall edge system with a gate-voltage controlled constriction lowering the local filling factor. The current backscattered from the constriction is seen to arise from the matching of the properties of the edge-current excitations in the constriction ($\nu_{2}$) and bulk ($\nu_{1}$) regions. We develop a hydrodynamic theory for bosonic edge modes inspired by this model, finding that a competition between two tunneling process, related by a quasiparticle-quasihole symmetry, determines the fate of the low-bias transmission conductance. In this way, we find satisfactory explanations for many recent puzzling experimental results.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Transport through a molecular quantum dot in the polaron crossover regime

We consider resonant transport through a molecular quantum dot coupled to a local vibration mode. Applying the non-equilibrium Green function technique in the polaron representation, we develop a non-perturbative scheme to calculate the electron spectral function of the molecule in the regime of intermediate electron-phonon coupling. With increasing tunneling coupling to the leads, correlations between polaron clouds become more important at relatively high temperature leading to a strong sharpening of the peak structure in the spectral function. The detection of such features in the current-voltage characteristics is briefly discussed

Observation of thermally activated glassiness and memory dip in a-NbSi insulating thin films

We present electrical conductance measurements on amorphous NbSi insulating thin films. These films display out-of equilibrium electronic features that are markedly different from what has been reported so far in disordered insulators. Like in the most studied systems (indium oxide and granular Al films), a slow relaxation of the conductance is observed after a quench to liquid helium temperature which gives rise to the growth of a memory dip in MOSFET devices. But unlike in these systems, this memory dip and the related conductance relaxations are still visible up to room temperature, with clear signatures of a temperature dependent dynamics

The behavior of statically-indeterminate structural members and frames with cracks present

Arts et Métiers ParisTech, invitation en tant que professeur invité de Paul C. Paris au LAMEFIPCrack stability is discussed as affected by their presence in statically-indeterminate beams, frames, rings, etc. loaded into the plastic range. The stability of a crack in a section, which has become plastic, is analyzed with the remainder of the structure elastic and with subsequent additional plastic hinges occurring. The reduction of energy absorption characteristics for large deformations is also discussed. The methods of elastic–plastic tearing instability are incorporated to show that in many cases the fully plastic collapse mechanism must occur for complete failure.The authors acknowledge Arts et Metiers Paris Tech and Foundation Arts et Metiers for the financial support of the Prof. P.C. Paris’ stay at LAMEFIP in 2008 and 2009. The encouragement of Prof. Ivan Iordanoff, Director of LAMEFIP, is also acknowledged with thanks