170 research outputs found
Time-Resolved Studies of a Rolled-Up Semiconductor Microtube Laser
We report on lasing in rolled-up microtube resonators. Time-resolved studies
on these semiconductor lasers containing GaAs quantum wells as optical gain
material reveal particularly fast turn-on-times and short pulse emissions above
the threshold. We observe a strong red-shift of the laser mode during the pulse
emission which is compared to the time evolution of the charge-carrier density
calculated by rate equations
Optical Properties of GaAs Quantum Dots Fabricated by Filling of Self-Assembled Nanoholes
Experimental results of the local droplet etching technique for the self-assembled formation of nanoholes and quantum rings on semiconductor surfaces are discussed. Dependent on the sample design and the process parameters, filling of nanoholes in AlGaAs generates strain-free GaAs quantum dots with either broadband optical emission or sharp photoluminescence (PL) lines. Broadband emission is found for samples with completely filled flat holes, which have a very broad depth distribution. On the other hand, partly filling of deep holes yield highly uniform quantum dots with very sharp PL lines
Effects of Next-Nearest-Neighbor Hopping on the Hole Motion in an Antiferromagnetic Background
In this paper we study the effect of next-nearest-neighbor hopping on the
dynamics of a single hole in an antiferromagnetic (N\'{e}el) background. In the
framework of large dimensions the Green function of a hole can be obtained
exactly. The exact density of states of a hole is thus calculated in large
dimensions and on a Bethe lattice with large coordination number. We suggest a
physically motivated generalization to finite dimensions (e.g., 2 and 3). In
we present also the momentum dependent spectral function. With varying
degree, depending on the underlying lattice involved, the discrete spectrum for
holes is replaced by a continuum background and a few resonances at the low
energy end. The latter are the remanents of the bound states of the
model. Their behavior is still largely governed by the parameters and .
The continuum excitations are more sensitive to the energy scales and
.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B, Revtex, 23 pages, 10 figures available on
request from [email protected]
Dispersion of the neutron resonance in cuprate superconductors
We argue that recently measured downward dispersion of the neutron resonance
peak in cuprate superconductors is naturally explained if the resonance is
viewed as a spin-1 collective mode in a d-wave superconductor. The reduction of
the resonant frequency away from the antiferromagnetic wave vector is a direct
consequence of the momentum dependence of the d-wave superconducting gap. When
the magnetic correlation length becomes large, the dispersion should become
magnon-like, i.e., curve upwards from (pi,pi).Comment: 4 pages, 3 inline PostScript figures. Added reference
Ecosystem function and particle flux dynamics across the Mackenzie Shelf (Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean): an integrative analysis of spatial variability and biophysical forcings
A. Forest et al. -- 78 pages, 18 figures, 6 tablesA better understanding of how environmental changes affect organic matter fluxes in Arctic marine ecosystems is sorely needed. Here, we combine mooring times-series, ship-based measurements and remote-sensing to assess the variability and forcing factors of vertical fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) across the Mackenzie Shelf in 2009. We developed a geospatial model of these fluxes to proceed to an integrative analysis of their biophysical determinants in summer. Flux data were obtained with sediment traps and via a regional empirical algorithm applied to particle size-distributions (17 classes from 0.08â4.2 mm) measured by an Underwater Vision Profiler 5. Redundancy analyses and forward selection of abiotic/biotic parameters, linear trends, and spatial structures (i.e. principal coordinates of neighbor matrices, PCNM), were conducted to partition the variation of POC flux size-classes. Flux variability was explained at 69.5 % by the addition of a linear temporal trend, 7 significant PCNM and 9 biophysical variables. The interaction of all these factors explained 27.8 % of the variability. The first PCNM canonical axis (44.4 % of spatial variance) reflected a shelf-basin gradient controlled by bottom depth and ice concentration (p < 0.01), but a complex assemblage of fine-to-broad scale patterns was also identified. Among biophysical parameters, bacterial production and northeasterly wind (upwelling-favorable) were the two strongest explanatory variables (r2 cum. = 0.37), suggesting that bacteria were associated with sinking material, which was itself partly linked to upwelling-induced productivity. The second most important spatial structure corresponded actually to the two areas where shelf break upwelling is known to occur under easterlies. Copepod biomass was negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with vertical POC fluxes, implying that metazoans played a significant role in the regulation of export fluxes. The low fractal dimension of settling particles (1.26) and the high contribution (~94 %) of fast-sinking small aggregates (<1 mm; 20â30 m dâ1) to the mass fluxes suggested that settling material across the region was overall fluffy, porous, and likely resulting from the aggregation of marine detritus, gel-like substances and ballast minerals. Our study demonstrates that vertical POC fluxes in Arctic shelf systems are spatially complex, sensitive to environmental forcings, and determined by both physicochemical mechanisms and food web functioning. In conclusion, we hypothesize that the incorporation of terrestrial matter into the Beaufort Sea food web could be catalyzed by bacteria via the incorporation of dissolved terrestrial carbon liberated through the photo-cleavage and/or hydrolysis of land-derived POC interweaved with marine aggregatesThis work would not have been possible without the professional and enthusiastic assistance of the officers and crew members of the CCGS Amundsen. We express gratitude to L. Prieur and C. Marec for their help in the deployment of the CTD-rosette and for the onboard processing of UVP5 data. We thank J. Martin, J. Gagnon, A. Mignot and M. Gosselin for sharing the chlorophyll data in order to post-calibrate the fluorometer. 5 We thank P. Guillot for the validation of physical data. We thank M. Fortier, K. LÂŽevesque and J. Ehn for the organization of the fieldwork, workshops and for support at sea. This study was conducted as part of the Malina Scientific Program funded by ANR (Agence nationale de la recherche), INSU-CNRS (Institut national des sciences de lâunivers â Centre national de la recherche scientifique), CNES (Centre national dâeÂŽtudes spatiales) and ESA (European Space Agency). Additional support from ArcticNet (a Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada) and from the ArcticNet-Imperial Oil Research Collaboration was welcomed and appreciated. The IAEA is grateful to the Government of the Principality of Monaco for the support provided to its Environment Laboratories. This work is a joint contribution to the Malina Project and to the research 15 programs of QueÂŽbec-OceÂŽan, ArcticNet, the Takuvik Joint U. Laval/CNRS Laboratory, the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) Initiative, to the Canada Research Chair on the Response of Marine Arctic Ecosystems to ClimateWarming, and to the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Remote Sensing of Canadaâs New Arctic FrontierPeer reviewe
The wineglass effect shapes particle export to the deep ocean in mesoscale eddies
Mesoscale eddies in the ocean strongly impact the distribution of planktonic particles,
mediating carbon fluxes over ~1/3 of the world ocean. However, mechanisms controlling particle transport
through eddies are complex and challenging to measure in situ. Here we show the subsurface distribution of
eddy particles funneled into a wineglass shape down to 1000 m, leading to a sevenfold increase of vertical
carbon flux in the eddy center versus the eddy flanks, the âwineglass effectâ. We show that the slope of the
wineglass (R) is the ratio of particle sinking velocity to the radially inward velocity, such that R represents a
tool to predict radial particle movement (here 0.05msïżœ1). A simple model of eddy spindown predicts such an
ageostrophic flow concentrating particles in the eddy center. We explore how size-specific particle flux
toward the eddy center impacts eddies' biogeochemistry and export fluxes
Acoustic and optical variations during rapid downward motion episodes in the deep north-western Mediterranean Sea
An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was moored at the deep-sea site
of the ANTARES neutrino telescope near Toulon, France, thus providing a unique
opportunity to compare high-resolution acoustic and optical observations
between 70 and 170 m above the sea bed at 2475 m. The ADCP measured downward
vertical currents of magnitudes up to 0.03 m s-1 in late winter and early
spring 2006. In the same period, observations were made of enhanced levels of
acoustic reflection, interpreted as suspended particles including zooplankton,
by a factor of about 10 and of horizontal currents reaching 0.35 m s-1. These
observations coincided with high light levels detected by the telescope,
interpreted as increased bioluminescence. During winter 2006 deep dense-water
formation occurred in the Ligurian subbasin, thus providing a possible
explanation for these observations. However, the 10-20 days quasi-periodic
episodes of high levels of acoustic reflection, light and large vertical
currents continuing into the summer are not direct evidence of this process. It
is hypothesized that the main process allowing for suspended material to be
moved vertically later in the year is local advection, linked with topographic
boundary current instabilities along the rim of the 'Northern Current'.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figure
Spin Susceptibility in Underdoped
We report a comprehensive polarized and unpolarized neutron scattering study
of the evolution of the dynamical spin susceptibility with temperature and
doping in three underdoped single crystals of the \YBCO{6+x} high temperature
superconductor: \YBCO{6.5} (Tc = 52 K), \YBCO{6.7} (Tc = 67 K), and \YBCO{6.85}
(T_c = 87 K). Theoretical implications of these data are discussed, and a
critique of recent attempts to relate the spin excitations to the
thermodynamics of high temperature superconductors is given.Comment: minor revisions, to appear in PR
Renormalized mean-field theory of the neutron scattering in cuprate superconductors
The magnetic excitation spectrum of the t-t'-J-model is studied in mean-field
theory and compared to inelastic neutron-scattering (INS) experiments on YBCO
and BSCCO superconductors. Within the slave-particle formulation the dynamical
spin response is calculated from a renormalized Fermi liquid with an effective
interaction ~J in the magnetic particle--hole channel. We obtain the so-called
41meV resonance at wave vector (pi,pi) as a collective spin-1 excitation in the
d-wave superconducting state. It appears sharp (undamped), if the underlying
Fermi surface is hole-like with a sufficient next-nearest-neighbor hopping
t'<0. The double-layer structure of YBCO or BSCCO is not important for the
resonance to form. The resonance energy \omega_{res} and spectral weight at
optimal doping come out comparable to experiment. The observed qualitative
behavior of \omega_{res} with hole filling is reproduced in the underdoped as
well as overdoped regime. A second, much broader peak becomes visible in the
magnetic excitation spectrum if the 2D wave-vector is integrated over. It is
caused by excitations across the maximum gap, and in contrast to the resonance
its energy is almost independent of doping. At energies above or below
\omega_{res} the commensurate resonance splits into incommensurate peaks,
located off (pi,pi). Below \omega_{res} the intensity pattern is of `parallel'
type and the dispersion relation of incommensurate peaks has a negative
curvature. This is in accordance with recent INS experiments on YBCO.Comment: 17pp including 14 figure
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) as a Metric of Microbial Biomass in Aquatic Systems: New Simplified Protocols, Laboratory Validation, and a Reflection on Data From the Literature
The use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a universal biomass indicator is built on the premise that ATP concentration tracks biomass rather than the physiological condition of cells. However, reportedly high variability in ATP in response to environmental conditions is the main reason the method has not found widespread application. To test possible sources of this variability, we used the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as a model and manipulated its growth rate through nutrient limitation and through exposure to three different temperatures (15°C, 20°C, and 25°C). We simplified the ATP protocol with hotâwater or chemical extraction methods, modified a commercially available luciferinâluciferase assay, and employed singleâphoton counting in a scintillation counter, all of which increased sensitivity and throughput. Perâcell ATP levels remained relatively constant despite changes in growth rates by approximately 10âfold in the batch culture (i.e., nutrient limitation) experiments, and approximately 2âfold in response to temperature. The reâexamination of related literature values revealed that average cellular ATP levels differed little among taxonomic groups of aquatic microbes, even at the domain level, and correlated well with bulk properties such as elemental carbon or nitrogen. Fulfilling multiple cellular functions in addition to being the universal energy currency requires ATP to be maintained in a millimolar concentration range. Consequently, ATP relates directly to live cytoplasm volume, while elemental carbon and nitrogen are constrained by an indeterminate pool of detrital material and intracellular storage compounds. The ATPâbiomass indicator is sensitive, economical, and can be readily standardized among laboratories and across environments
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