Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems via Minimization on Orlicz-Sobolev Spaces

We develop arguments on convexity and minimization of energy functionals on Orlicz-Sobolev spaces to investigate existence of solution to the equation \displaystyle -\mbox{div} (\phi(|\nabla u|) \nabla u) = f(x,u) + h \mbox{in} \Omega under Dirichlet boundary conditions, where $\Omega \subset {\bf R}^{N}$ is a bounded smooth domain, $\phi : (0,\infty)\longrightarrow (0,\infty)$ is a suitable continuous function and $f: \Omega \times {\bf R} \to {\bf R}$ satisfies the Carath\'eodory conditions, while $h$ is a measure.Comment: 14 page

Berry phases and zero-modes in toroidal topological insulator

An effective Hamiltonian describing the surface states of a toroidal topological insulator is obtained, and it is shown to support both bound-states and charged zero-modes. Actually, the spin connection induced by the toroidal curvature can be viewed as an position-dependent effective vector potential, which ultimately yields the zero-modes whose wave-functions harmonically oscillate around the toroidal surface. In addition, two distinct Berry phases are predicted to take place by the virtue of the toroidal topology.Comment: New version, accepted for publication in EPJB, 6 pages, 1 figur