Anderson-type model for a molecule adsorbed on a metal surface

We investigate a modified Anderson model to study the local density of states (LDOS) of a molecular wire adsorbed on a metal. Using a self-consistent mean-field type approach we find an exponential decay of the LDOS along the molecule. A repulsive on-site interaction on the molecule suppresses the tunneling and decreases the characteristic decay length.Comment: 7 pages (using europhys.sty), 5 EPS figures, To appear in Europhys. Let

Spin-Dependent Josephson Current through Double Quantum Dots and Measurement of Entangled Electron States

We study a double quantum dot each dot of which is tunnel-coupled to superconducting leads. In the Coulomb blockade regime, a spin-dependent Josephson coupling between two superconductors is induced, as well as an antiferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange coupling between the spins on the double dot which can be tuned by the superconducting phase difference. We show that the correlated spin states-singlet or triplets-on the double dot can be probed via the Josephson current in a dc-SQUID setup.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; To appear in PRB; A few small changes including reference

Quantum Key Distribution Using Quantum Faraday Rotators

We propose a new quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol based on the fully quantum mechanical states of the Faraday rotators. The protocol is unconditionally secure against collective attacks for multi-photon source up to two photons on a noisy environment. It is also robust against impersonation attacks. The protocol may be implemented experimentally with the current spintronics technology on semiconductors.Comment: 7 pages, 7 EPS figure

Variability of the NGC 1333 IRAS 4A Outflow: Molecular Hydrogen and Silicon Monoxide Images

The NGC 1333 region was observed in the H2 1-0 S(1) line. The H2 images cover a 5' x 7' region around IRAS 4. Numerous H2 emission features were detected. The northeast-southwest bipolar outflow driven by IRAS 4A was studied by combining the H2 images with SiO maps published previously. The SiO-H2 outflows are continuous on the southwestern side but show a gap on the northeastern side. The southwestern outflow lobe curves smoothly, and the position angle increases with the distance from the driving source. The base and the outer tip of the northeastern outflow lobe are located at positions opposite to the corresponding parts of the southwestern lobe. This point-symmetry suggests that the outflow axis may be drifting or precessing clockwise in the plane of the sky and that the cause of the axis drift may be intrinsic to the outflow engine. The axis drift model is supported by the asymmetric lateral intensity profile of the SiO outflow. The axis drift rate is about 0.011 deg yr-1. The middle part of the northeastern outflow does not exactly follow the point symmetry because of the superposition of two different kinds of directional variability: the axis drift of the driving source and the deflection by a dense core. The axis drift model provides a good explanation for the large deflection angle of the northeastern outflow. Other H2 emission features around the IRAS 4 region are discussed briefly. Some of them are newly found outflows, and some are associated with outflows already known before

Anomalous Transmission Phase of a Kondo-Correlated Quantum Dot

We study phase evolution of transmission through a quantum dot with Kondo correlations. By considering a model that includes nonresonant transmission as well as the Anderson impurity, we explain unusually large phase evolution of about $\pi$ in the Kondo valley observed in recent experiments. We argue that this anomalous phase evolution is a universal property that can be found in the high-temperature Kondo phase in the presence of the time-reversal symmetry.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Andreev Bound States in the Kondo Quantum Dots Coupled to Superconducting Leads

We have studied the Kondo quantum dot coupled to two superconducting leads and investigated the subgap Andreev states using the NRG method. Contrary to the recent NCA results [Clerk and Ambegaokar, Phys. Rev. B 61, 9109 (2000); Sellier et al., Phys. Rev. B 72, 174502 (2005)], we observe Andreev states both below and above the Fermi level.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Targeting kidney mesangium by nanoparticles of defined size

Nanoparticles are being investigated for numerous medical applications and are showing potential as an emerging class of carriers for drug delivery. Investigations on how the physicochemical properties (e.g., size, surface charge, shape, and density of targeting ligands) of nanoparticles enable their ability to overcome biological barriers and reach designated cellular destinations in sufficient amounts to elicit biological efficacy are of interest. Despite proven success in nanoparticle accumulation at cellular locations and occurrence of downstream therapeutic effects (e.g., target gene inhibition) in a selected few organs such as tumor and liver, reports on effective delivery of engineered nanoparticles to other organs still remain scarce. Here, we show that nanoparticles of ~75 ± 25-nm diameters target the mesangium of the kidney. These data show the effects of particle diameter on targeting the mesangium of the kidney. Because many diseases originate from this area of the kidney, our findings establish design criteria for constructing nanoparticle-based therapeutics for targeting diseases that involve the mesangium of the kidney

Cotunneling Transport and Quantum Phase Transitions in Coupled Josephson-Junction Chains with Charge Frustration

We investigate the quantum phase transitions in two capacitively coupled chains of ultra-small Josephson-junctions, with emphasis on the external charge effects. The particle-hole symmetry of the system is broken by the gate voltage applied to each superconducting island, and the resulting induced charge introduces frustration to the system. Near the maximal-frustration line, where the system is transformed into a spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain, cotunneling of the particles along the two chains is shown to play a major role in the transport and to drive a quantum phase transition out of the charge-density wave insulator, as the Josephson-coupling energy is increased. We also argue briefly that slightly off the symmetry line, the universality class of the transition remains the same as that right on the line, still being driven by the particle-hole pairs.Comment: Final version accepted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (Longer version is available from http://ctp.snu.ac.kr/~choims/