Gamma–ray spectroscopy with single–carrier collection in high–resistivity semiconductors

With the standard plane–parallel configuration of semiconductor detectors, good γ–ray spectra can only be obtained when both electrons and holes are completely collected. We show by calculations (and experiments) that with contacts of hemispherical configuration one can obtain γ–ray spectra of adequate resolution and with signal heights of nearly full amplitude even when only one type of carrier is collected. Experiments with CdTe detectors for which the µτ product for electrons is about 10^(3) times that of the holes confirm these calculations. The adoption of hemispherical contacts thus widens the range of high–resistivity semiconductors potentially acceptable for γ–ray detection at room temperature

Enhancing multifunctional benefits of living mulch in organic vegetable cropping systems

Over the last several decades, agriculture in industrialized countries experienced a significant intensification as a result of the diffusion of mechanization, the widespread use of genetically improved genotypes, and the large-scale use of off-farm inputs, mainly in the form of fossil fuel energy and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Under the pressure of the growing agro-industrial sector, which has been oriented to promote models based on large volumes and long-distance supply chains, intensification was accompanied by progressive specialization of farms and cropping systems (Ratnadass et al., 2012). Indeed, the reduction of diversity at the field, farm, and territory level, a result of a low number of crops, the shortening of crop rotations, and a decrease in the number of cultivated genotypes, is becoming evident in many agro-environments in developed countries

New Class of Random Matrix Ensembles with Multifractal Eigenvectors

Three recently suggested random matrix ensembles (RME) are linked together by an exact mapping and plausible conjections. Since it is known that in one of these ensembles the eigenvector statistics is multifractal, we argue that all three ensembles belong to a new class of critical RME with multifractal eigenfunction statistics and a universal critical spectral statitics. The generic form of the two-level correlation function for weak and extremely strong multifractality is suggested. Applications to the spectral statistics at the Anderson transition and for certain systems on the border of chaos and integrability is discussed.Comment: 4 pages RevTeX, resubmitte

Antimony doping of Si layers grown by solid-phase epitaxy

We report here that layers of Si formed by solid-phase epitaxial growth (SPEG) can be doped intentionally. The sample consists initially of an upper layer of amorphous Si (~1 µm thick), a very thin intermediate layer of Sb (nominally 5 Å), and a thin lower layer of Pd (~500 Å), all electron-gun deposited on top of a single-crystal substrate (1–10 Ω cm, p type, orientation). After a heating cycle which induces epitaxial growth, electrically active Sb atoms are incorporated into the SPEG layer, as shown by the following facts: (a) the SPEG layer forms a p-n junction against the p-type substrate, (b) the Hall effect indicates strong n-type conduction of the layer, and (c) Auger electron spectra reveal the presence of Sb in the layer

Distribution of level curvatures for the Anderson model at the localization-delocalization transition

We compute the distribution function of single-level curvatures, $P(k)$, for a tight binding model with site disorder, on a cubic lattice. In metals $P(k)$ is very close to the predictions of the random-matrix theory (RMT). In insulators $P(k)$ has a logarithmically-normal form. At the Anderson localization-delocalization transition $P(k)$ fits very well the proposed novel distribution $P(k)\propto (1+k^{\mu})^{3/\mu}$ with $\mu \approx 1.58$, which approaches the RMT result for large $k$ and is non-analytical at small $k$. We ascribe such a non-analiticity to the spatial multifractality of the critical wave functions.Comment: 4 ReVTeX pages and 4(.epsi)figures included in one uuencoded packag

Where is the spectral weight in magnetic neutron scattering in the cuprates?

We present estimates in the Hubbard and Heisenberg models for the spectral weight in magnetic neutron scattering experiments on the cuprates. With the aid of spin-wave theory and the time dependent Gutzwiller approximation we discuss how the spectral weight is distributed among the different channels and between high and low energies. In addition to the well known total moment sum rule we discuss sum rules for each component of the dynamical structure factor tensor which are peculiar for spin 1/2 systems. The various factors that reduce the spectral weight at the relevant energies are singled out and analyzed like: shielding factors, weight at electronic energies, multimagnon process etc. Although about 10% ~ 15% of the naively expected weight is detected in experiments after consideration of these factors the missing weight is within the experimental uncertainties. A large fraction of the spectral weight is hard to detect with present experimental conditions.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, submitted to PR

Non-collinear first-principles studies of the spin-electric coupling in frustrated triangular molecular magnets

Frustrated triangular molecular magnets (MMs) with anti-ferromagnetic ground states (GS) are an important class of magnetic systems with potential applications in quantum information processing. The two-fold degenerate GS of these molecules, characterized by spin chirality, can be utilized to encode qubits for quantum computing. Furthermore, because of the lack of inversion symmetry in these molecules, an electric field couples directly states of opposite chirality, allowing a very efficient and fast control of the qubits. In this work we present a theoretical method to calculate the spin-electric coupling for triangular MMs with effective {\it local} spins $s$ larger than 1/2, which is amenable to a first-principles implementation based on density functional theory (DFT). In contrast to MMs where the net magnetization at the magnetic atoms is $\mu_{\rm B}/2$ ($\mu_{\rm B}$ is the Bohr magneton), the DFT treatment of frustrated triangular MMs with larger local magnetizations requires a fully non-collinear approach, which we have implemented in the NRLMOL DFT code. As an example, we have used these methods to evaluate the spin-electric coupling for a spin $s = 5/2$ $\{\mathrm{Fe_3}\}$ triangular MM, where this effect has been observed experimentally for the first time quite recently. Our theoretical and computational methods will help elucidate and further guide ongoing experimental work in the field of quantum molecular spintronics.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Instability of antiferromagnetic magnons in strong fields

We predict that spin-waves in an ordered quantum antiferromagnet (AFM) in a strong magnetic field become unstable with respect to spontaneous two-magnon decays. At zero temperature, the instability occurs between the threshold field $H^*$ and the saturation field $H_c$. As an example, we investigate the high-field dynamics of a Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice and show that the single-magnon branch of the spectrum disappears in the most part of the Brillouin zone.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted to PR

Magnetic Anisotropy Variations and Non-Equilibrium Tunneling in a Cobalt Nanoparticle

We present detailed measurements of the discrete electron-tunneling level spectrum within nanometer-scale cobalt particles as a function of magnetic field and gate voltage, in this way probing individual quantum many-body eigenstates inside ferromagnetic samples. Variations among the observed levels indicate that different quantum states within one particle are subject to different magnetic anisotropy energies. Gate-voltage studies demonstrate that the low-energy tunneling spectrum is affected dramatically by the presence of non-equilibrium spin excitations

Random Matrix Theory of the Energy-Level Statistics of Disordered Systems at the Anderson Transition

We consider a family of random matrix ensembles (RME) invariant under similarity transformations and described by the probability density $P({\bf H})= \exp[-{\rm Tr}V({\bf H})]$. Dyson's mean field theory (MFT) of the corresponding plasma model of eigenvalues is generalized to the case of weak confining potential, $V(\epsilon)\sim {A\over 2}\ln ^2(\epsilon)$. The eigenvalue statistics derived from MFT are shown to deviate substantially from the classical Wigner-Dyson statistics when $A<1$. By performing systematic Monte Carlo simulations on the plasma model, we compute all the relevant statistical properties of the RME with weak confinement. For $A_c\approx 0.4$ the distribution function of the energy-level spacings (LSDF) of this RME coincides in a large energy window with the LSDF of the three dimensional Anderson model at the metal-insulator transition. For the same $A_c$, the variance of the number of levels, $\langle n^2\rangle -\langle n\rangle^2$, in an interval containing $\langle n\rangle$ levels on average, grows linearly with $\langle n\rangle$, and its slope is equal to $0.32 \pm 0.02$, which is consistent with the value found for the Anderson model at the critical point.Comment: 32 pages, REVTEX 3.0, 10 postscript (uuencoded) figures include