103 research outputs found
Liquid-induced damping of mechanical feedback effects in single electron tunneling through a suspended carbon nanotube
In single electron tunneling through clean, suspended carbon nanotube devices
at low temperature, distinct switching phenomena have regularly been observed.
These can be explained via strong interaction of single electron tunneling and
vibrational motion of the nanotube. We present measurements on a highly stable
nanotube device, subsequently recorded in the vacuum chamber of a dilution
refrigerator and immersed in the 3He/4He mixture of a second dilution
refrigerator. The switching phenomena are absent when the sample is kept in the
viscous liquid, additionally supporting the interpretation of dc-driven
vibration. Transport measurements in liquid helium can thus be used for finite
bias spectroscopy where otherwise the mechanical effects would dominate the
current.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Thermally induced subgap features in the cotunneling spectroscopy of a carbon nanotube
We report on nonlinear cotunneling spectroscopy of a carbon nanotube quantum
dot coupled to Nb superconducting contacts. Our measurements show rich subgap
features in the stability diagram which become more pronounced as the
temperature is increased. Applying a transport theory based on the
Liouville-von Neumann equation for the density matrix, we show that the
transport properties can be attributed to processes involving sequential as
well as elastic and inelastic cotunneling of quasiparticles thermally excited
across the gap. In particular, we predict thermal replicas of the elastic and
inelastic cotunneling peaks, in agreement with our experimental results.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, submitted to New Journal of Physic
Universality of the Kondo effect in quantum dots with ferromagnetic leads
We investigate quantum dots in clean single-wall carbon nanotubes with
ferromagnetic PdNi-leads in the Kondo regime. In most odd Coulomb valleys the
Kondo resonance exhibits a pronounced splitting, which depends on the tunnel
coupling to the leads and an external magnetic field , and only weakly on
gate voltage. Using numerical renormalization group calculations, we
demonstrate that all salient features of the data can be understood using a
simple model for the magnetic properties of the leads. The magnetoconductance
at zero bias and low temperature depends in a universal way on , where is the Kondo temperature and the external field
compensating the splitting.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Magnetic damping of a carbon nanotube NEMS resonator
A suspended, doubly clamped single wall carbon nanotube is characterized at
cryogenic temperatures. We observe specific switching effects in dc-current
spectroscopy of the embedded quantum dot. These have been identified previously
as nano-electromechanical self-excitation of the system, where positive
feedback from single electron tunneling drives mechanical motion. A magnetic
field suppresses this effect, by providing an additional damping mechanism.
This is modeled by eddy current damping, and confirmed by measuring the
resonance quality factor of the rf-driven nano-electromechanical resonator in
an increasing magnetic field.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure
Carbon Nanotube Quantum Dots with Nb Contacts
We report on the preparation of carbon nanotube quantum dots using
superconducting electrodes made of niobium. Gate-controllable supercurrents
with values of up to 30 nA are induced by the proximity effect. The IV-curves
are hysteretic at low temperature and the corresponding switching histograms
have a width of ~0.5-2. An on-chip resistive environment integrated in the
sample layout is used in order to increase the switching current.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Co-sputtered MoRe thin films for carbon nanotube growth-compatible superconducting coplanar resonators
Molybdenum rhenium alloy thin films can exhibit superconductivity up to
critical temperatures of . At the same time, the films are
highly stable in the high-temperature methane / hydrogen atmosphere typically
required to grow single wall carbon nanotubes. We characterize molybdenum
rhenium alloy films deposited via simultaneous sputtering from two sources,
with respect to their composition as function of sputter parameters and their
electronic dc as well as GHz properties at low temperature. Specific emphasis
is placed on the effect of the carbon nanotube growth conditions on the film.
Superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators are defined lithographically; we
demonstrate that the resonators remain functional when undergoing nanotube
growth conditions, and characterize their properties as function of
temperature. This paves the way for ultra-clean nanotube devices grown in situ
onto superconducting coplanar waveguide circuit elements.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Quantum Interference in Superconducting Wire Networks and Josephson Junction Arrays: Analytical Approach based on Multiple-Loop Aharonov-Bohm Feynman Path-Integrals
We investigate analytically and numerically the mean-field
superconducting-normal phase boundaries of two-dimensional superconducting wire
networks and Josephson junction arrays immersed in a transverse magnetic field.
The geometries we consider include square, honeycomb, triangular, and kagome'
lattices. Our approach is based on an analytical study of multiple-loop
Aharonov-Bohm effects: the quantum interference between different electron
closed paths where each one of them encloses a net magnetic flux. Specifically,
we compute exactly the sums of magnetic phase factors, i.e., the lattice path
integrals, on all closed lattice paths of different lengths. A very large
number, e.g., up to for the square lattice, exact lattice path
integrals are obtained. Analytic results of these lattice path integrals then
enable us to obtain the resistive transition temperature as a continuous
function of the field. In particular, we can analyze measurable effects on the
superconducting transition temperature, , as a function of the magnetic
filed , originating from electron trajectories over loops of various
lengths. In addition to systematically deriving previously observed features,
and understanding the physical origin of the dips in as a result of
multiple-loop quantum interference effects, we also find novel results. In
particular, we explicitly derive the self-similarity in the phase diagram of
square networks. Our approach allows us to analyze the complex structure
present in the phase boundaries from the viewpoint of quantum interference
effects due to the electron motion on the underlying lattices.Comment: 18 PRB-type pages, plus 8 large figure
Phagocytic ability of neutrophils and monocytes in neonates
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infections by a variety of pathogens are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality during perinatal period. The susceptibility of neonates to bacterial infections has been attributed to immaturity of innate immunity. It is considered that one of the impaired mechanisms is the phagocytic function of neutrophils and monocytes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the phagocytic ability of neonates at birth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The phagocytic ability of neutrophils and monocytes of 42 neonates was determined using the Phagotest flow cytometry method, that assesses the intake of <it>E. Coli </it>by phagocytes, in cord blood and in peripheral blood 3 days after birth. Fifteen healthy adults were included in the study as controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The phagocytic ability of neutrophils in the cord blood of neonates was significantly reduced compared to adults. The 3<sup>rd </sup>postnatal day the reduction of phagocytic ability of neutrophils was no longer significant compared to adults. The phagocytic ability of monocytes did not show any difference from that of adults either at birth or the 3<sup>rd </sup>postnatal day.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings indicate that the intake of <it>E. Coli </it>by phagocytes is impaired at birth in both preterm and full term neonates compared to adults. This defect is transient, with the phagocytic ability in neonates reaching that of the adults 3 days after birth.</p
Current clinical applications of spectral tissue Doppler echocardiography (E/E' ratio) as a noninvasive surrogate for left ventricular diastolic pressures in the diagnosis of heart failure with preserved left ventricular systolic function
Congestive heart failure with preserved left ventricular systolic function has emerged as a growing epidemic medical syndrome in developed countries, which is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of this condition is essential for optimizing the therapeutic management. The diagnosis of congestive heart failure is challenging in patients presenting without obvious left ventricular systolic dysfunction and additional diagnostic information is most commonly required in this setting. Comprehensive Doppler echocardiography is the single most useful diagnostic test recommended by the ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines for assessing left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac abnormalities in patients with suspected congestive heart failure, and non-invasively determined basal or exercise-induced pulmonary capillary hypertension is likely to become a hallmark of congestive heart failure in symptomatic patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function. The present review will focus on the current clinical applications of spectral tissue Doppler echocardiography used as a reliable noninvasive surrogate for left ventricular diastolic pressures at rest as well as during exercise in the diagnosis of heart failure with preserved left ventricular systolic function. Chronic congestive heart failure, a disease of exercise, and acute heart failure syndromes are characterized by specific pathophysiologic and diagnostic issues, and these two clinical presentations will be discussed separately
Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger
On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta
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