28,123 research outputs found
Bilayer graphene: gap tunability and edge properties
Bilayer graphene -- two coupled single graphene layers stacked as in graphite
-- provides the only known semiconductor with a gap that can be tuned
externally through electric field effect. Here we use a tight binding approach
to study how the gap changes with the applied electric field. Within a parallel
plate capacitor model and taking into account screening of the external field,
we describe real back gated and/or chemically doped bilayer devices. We show
that a gap between zero and midinfrared energies can be induced and externally
tuned in these devices, making bilayer graphene very appealing from the point
of view of applications. However, applications to nanotechnology require
careful treatment of the effect of sample boundaries. This being particularly
true in graphene, where the presence of edge states at zero energy -- the Fermi
level of the undoped system -- has been extensively reported. Here we show that
also bilayer graphene supports surface states localized at zigzag edges. The
presence of two layers, however, allows for a new type of edge state which
shows an enhanced penetration into the bulk and gives rise to band crossing
phenomenon inside the gap of the biased bilayer system.Comment: 8 pages, 3 fugures, Proceedings of the International Conference on
Theoretical Physics: Dubna-Nano200
Structure-dependent radiative corrections to phi -> K^+K^-/K_LK_S decays
Current predictions for the ratio of phi -> K^+K^-/K_LK_S decay rates exceed
the corresponding experimental value in about five standard deviations. By far,
the dominant sources of isospin breaking to this ratio are the phase-space
(52%) and the electromagnetic radiative (4.3%, computed within scalar QED)
corrections. Here we estimate the effects of the electromagnetic structure of
kaons and other model-dependent contributions into the radiative corrections.Comment: 8 pages, Latex, 2 .eps figure
Coulomb blockade in graphene nanoribbons
We propose that recent transport experiments revealing the existence of an
energy gap in graphene nanoribbons may be understood in terms of Coulomb
blockade. Electron interactions play a decisive role at the quantum dots which
form due to the presence of necks arising from the roughness of the graphene
edge. With the average transmission as the only fitting parameter, our theory
shows good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Telescope performance and image simulations of the balloon-borne coded-mask protoMIRAX experiment
In this work we present the results of imaging simulations performed with the
help of the GEANT4 package for the protoMIRAX hard X-ray balloon experiment.
The instrumental background was simulated taking into account the various
radiation components and their angular dependence, as well as a detailed mass
model of the experiment. We modeled the meridian transits of the Crab Nebula
and the Galatic Centre region during balloon flights in Brazil ( of latitude and an altitude of km) and
introduced the correspondent spectra as inputs to the imaging simulations. We
present images of the Crab and of three sources in the Galactic Centre region:
1E 1740.7-2942, GRS 1758-258 and GX 1+4. The results show that the protoMIRAX
experiment is capable of making spectral and timing observations of bright hard
X-ray sources as well as important imaging demonstrations that will contribute
to the design of the MIRAX satellite mission.Comment: 9 figure
Localized states at zigzag edges of bilayer graphene
We report the existence of zero energy surface states localized at zigzag
edges of bilayer graphene. Working within the tight-binding approximation we
derive the analytic solution for the wavefunctions of these peculiar surface
states. It is shown that zero energy edge states in bilayer graphene can be
divided into two families: (i) states living only on a single plane, equivalent
to surface states in monolayer graphene; (ii) states with finite amplitude over
the two layers, with an enhanced penetration into the bulk. The bulk and
surface (edge) electronic structure of bilayer graphene nanoribbons is also
studied, both in the absence and in the presence of a bias voltage between
planes.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Long-distance radiative corrections to the di-pion tau lepton decay
We evaluate the model-dependent piece of O(alpha) long-distance radiative
corrections to tau^- \to \pi^- \pi^0\nu_{\tau} decays by using a meson
dominance model. We find that these corrections to the di-pion invariant mass
spectrum are smaller than in previous calculations based on chiral perturbation
theory. The corresponding correction to the photon inclusive rate is tiny
(-0.15%) but it can be of relevance when new measurements reach better
precision.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. An estimate of the shift produced in the
evaluation of the h.v.p. contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment
is added. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.
AE Aurigae: first detection of non-thermal X-ray emission from a bow shock produced by a runaway star
Runaway stars produce shocks when passing through interstellar medium at
supersonic velocities. Bow shocks have been detected in the mid-infrared for
several high-mass runaway stars and in radio waves for one star. Theoretical
models predict the production of high-energy photons by non-thermal radiative
processes in a number sufficiently large to be detected in X-rays. To date, no
stellar bow shock has been detected at such energies. We present the first
detection of X-ray emission from a bow shock produced by a runaway star. The
star is AE Aur, which was likely expelled from its birthplace by the encounter
of two massive binary systems and now is passing through the dense nebula IC
405. The X-ray emission from the bow shock is detected at 30" to the northeast
of the star, coinciding with an enhancement in the density of the nebula. From
the analysis of the observed X-ray spectrum of the source and our theoretical
emission model, we confirm that the X-ray emission is produced mainly by
inverse Compton upscattering of infrared photons from dust in the shock front.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal with number
ApJ, 757, L6. Four figure
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