1,025 research outputs found
The Quantized Hall Insulator: A New Insulator in Two-Dimensions
Quite generally, an insulator is theoretically defined by a vanishing
conductivity tensor at the absolute zero of temperature. In classical
insulators, such as band insulators, vanishing conductivities lead to diverging
resistivities. In other insulators, in particular when a high magnetic field
(B) is added, it is possible that while the magneto-resistance diverges, the
Hall resistance remains finite, which is known as a Hall insulator. In this
letter we demonstrate experimentally the existence of another, more exotic,
insulator. This insulator, which terminates the quantum Hall effect series in a
two-dimensional electron system, is characterized by a Hall resistance which is
approximately quantized in the quantum unit of resistance h/e^2. This insulator
is termed a quantized Hall insulator. In addition we show that for the same
sample, the insulating state preceding the QHE series, at low-B, is of the HI
kind.Comment: 4 page
Similarities between structural distortions under pressure and chemical doping in superconducting BaFe2As2
The discovery of a new family of high Tc materials, the iron arsenides
(FeAs), has led to a resurgence of interest in superconductivity. Several
important traits of these materials are now apparent, for example, layers of
iron tetrahedrally coordinated by arsenic are crucial structural ingredients.
It is also now well established that the parent non-superconducting phases are
itinerant magnets, and that superconductivity can be induced by either chemical
substitution or application of pressure, in sharp contrast to the cuprate
family of materials. The structure and properties of chemically substituted
samples are known to be intimately linked, however, remarkably little is known
about this relationship when high pressure is used to induce superconductivity
in undoped compounds. Here we show that the key structural features in
BaFe2As2, namely suppression of the tetragonal to orthorhombic phase transition
and reduction in the As-Fe-As bond angle and Fe-Fe distance, show the same
behavior under pressure as found in chemically substituted samples. Using
experimentally derived structural data, we show that the electronic structure
evolves similarly in both cases. These results suggest that modification of the
Fermi surface by structural distortions is more important than charge doping
for inducing superconductivity in BaFe2As2
Tritium Beta Decay, Neutrino Mass Matrices and Interactions Beyond the Standard Model
The interference of charge-changing interactions, weaker than the V-A
Standard Model (SM) interaction and having a different Lorentz structure, with
that SM interaction, can, in principle, produce effects near the end point of
the Tritium beta decay spectrum which are of a different character from those
produced by the purely kinematic effect of neutrino mass expected in the
simplest extension of the SM. We show that the existence of more than one mass
eigenstate can lead to interference effects at the end point that are stronger
than those occurring over the entire spectrum. We discuss these effects both
for the special case of Dirac neutrinos and the more general case of Majorana
neutrinos and show that, for the present precision of the experiments, one
formula should suffice to express the interference effects in all cases.
Implications for "sterile" neutrinos are noted.Comment: 32 pages, LaTeX, 6 figures, PostScript; full discussion and changes
in notation from Phys. Lett. B440 (1998) 89, nucl-th/9807057; submitted to
Phys. Rev.
Jahn-Teller versus quantum effects in the spin-orbital material LuVO3
We report on combined neutron and resonant x-ray scattering results,
identifying the nature of the spin-orbital ground state and magnetic
excitations in LuVO3 as driven by the orbital parameter. In particular, we
distinguish between models based on orbital Peierls dimerization, taken as a
signature of quantum effects in orbitals, and Jahn-Teller distortions, in favor
of the latter. In order to solve this long-standing puzzle, polarized neutron
beams were employed as a prerequisite in order to solve details of the magnetic
structure, which allowed quantitative intensity-analysis of extended magnetic
excitation data sets. The results of this detailed study enabled us to draw
definite conclusions about classical vs quantum behavior of orbitals in this
system and to discard the previous claims about quantum effects dominating the
orbital physics of LuVO3 and similar systems.Comment: Phys. Rev. B 91, 161104(R) (2015
Entanglement in nuclear quadrupole resonance
Entangled quantum states are an important element of quantum information
techniques. We determine the requirements for states of quadrupolar nuclei with
spins >1/2 to be entangled. It was shown that entanglement is achieved at low
temperature by applying a magnetic field to a quadrupolar nuclei possess
quadrupole moments, which interacts with the electricfield gradient produced by
the charge distribution in their surroundings.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Probing superconducting phase fluctuations from the current noise spectrum of pseudogaped metal-superconductor tunnel junctions
We study the current noise spectra of a tunnel junction of a metal with
strong pairing phase fluctuation and a superconductor. It is shown that there
is a characteristic peak in the noise spectrum at the intrinsic Josephson
frequency when is smaller than the pairing gap but
larger than the pairing scattering rate. In the presence of an AC voltage, the
tunnelling current noise shows a series of characteristic peaks with increasing
DC voltage. Experimental observation of these peaks will give direct evidence
of the pair fluctuation in the normal state of high- superconductors and
from the half width of the peaks the pair decay rate can be estimated.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Structural and electrical transport properties of superconducting Au{0.7}In{0.3} films: A random array of superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions
The structural and superconducting properties of Au{0.7}In{0.3} films, grown
by interdiffusion of alternating Au and In layers, have been studied. The films
were found to consist of a uniform solid solution of Au{0.9}In{0.1}, with
excess In precipitated in the form of In-rich grains of various Au-In phases
(with distinct atomic compositions), including intermetallic compounds. As the
temperature was lowered, these individual grains became superconducting at a
particular transition temperature (Tc), determined primarily by the atomic
composition of the grain, before a fully superconducting state of zero
resistance was established. From the observed onset Tc, it was inferred that up
to three different superconducting phases could have formed in these
Au{0.7}In{0.3} films, all of which were embedded in a uniform Au{0.9}In{0.1}
matrix. Among these phases, the Tc of a particular one, 0.8 K, is higher than
any previously reported for the Au-In system. The electrical transport
properties were studied down to low temperatures. The transport results were
found to be well correlated with those of the structural studies. The present
work suggests that Au{0.7}In{0.3} can be modeled as a random array of
superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions. The
effect of disorder and the nature of the superconducting transition in these
Au{0.7}In{0.3} films are discussed.Comment: 8 text pages, 10 figures in one separate PDF file, submitted to PR
Hydrodynamic behavior in expanding thermal clouds of Rb-87
We study hydrodynamic behavior in expanding thermal clouds of Rb-87 released
from an elongated trap. At our highest densities the mean free path is smaller
than the radial size of the cloud. After release the clouds expand
anisotropically. The cloud temperature drops by as much as 30%. This is
attributed to isentropic cooling during the early stages of the expansion. We
present an analytical model to describe the expansion and to estimate the
cooling. Important consequences for time-of-flight thermometry are discussed.Comment: 7 pages with 2 figure
Utility of Repeated Praziquantel Dosing in the Treatment of Schistosomiasis in High-Risk Communities in Africa: A Systematic Review
Infection by Schistosoma worms causes serious disease among people who live in areas of Africa, South America, and Asia where these parasites are regularly transmitted. Although yearly treatment with the drug praziquantel is fairly effective in reducing or eliminating active infection, it does not cure everyone, and reinfection remains a continuing problem in high-risk communities. Studies have suggested that a repeat dose of praziquantel, given 2 to 8 weeks after the first dose, can improve cure rates and reduce remaining intensity of infections in population-based programs. Our systematic review of published research found that, on average, in Africa, such repeated dosing appears to offer particular advantages in the treatment of S. mansoni, the cause of intestinal schistosomiasis, but there was less consistent improvement after double-dosing for S. haematobium, the cause of urogenital schistosomiasis. Based on this evidence, we used a calibrated life-path model to predict the costs and benefits of a single-dose vs. a double-dose strategy in a typical high-risk community. Our projections suggest cost-effective incremental benefits from double dosing in terms of i) limiting a person's total years spent infected and ii) limiting the number of years they spend with heavy infection, with consequent improvements in quality of life
Ambipolar gate effect and low temperature magnetoresistance of ultrathin La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 Films
Ultrathin La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 films have been measured in a field-effect geometry.
The electric field due to the gate produces a large ambipolar decrease in
resistance at low temperatures. This is attributed to the development of a
pseudogap in the density of states and the couple of localized charge to
strain. The gate effect and mangetoresistance are interpreted in a consistent
framework. The implications for the low temperature behavior of a manganite
film in the two dimensional limit are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
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