302 research outputs found
Desynchronization in diluted neural networks
The dynamical behaviour of a weakly diluted fully-inhibitory network of
pulse-coupled spiking neurons is investigated. Upon increasing the coupling
strength, a transition from regular to stochastic-like regime is observed. In
the weak-coupling phase, a periodic dynamics is rapidly approached, with all
neurons firing with the same rate and mutually phase-locked. The
strong-coupling phase is characterized by an irregular pattern, even though the
maximum Lyapunov exponent is negative. The paradox is solved by drawing an
analogy with the phenomenon of ``stable chaos'', i.e. by observing that the
stochastic-like behaviour is "limited" to a an exponentially long (with the
system size) transient. Remarkably, the transient dynamics turns out to be
stationary.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Non-Fermi-liquid behavior in nearly ferromagnetic metallic SrIrO3 single crystals
We report transport and thermodynamic properties of single-crystal SrIrO3 as
a function of temperature T and applied magnetic field H. We find that SrIrO3
is a non-Fermi-liquid metal near a ferromagnetic instability, as characterized
by the following properties: (1) small ordered moment but no evidence for
long-range order down to 1.7 K; (2) strongly enhanced magnetic susceptibility
that diverges as T or T1/2 at low temperatures, depending on the applied field;
(3) heat capacity C(T,H) ~ -Tlog T that is readily amplified by low applied
fields; (4) a strikingly large Wilson ratio at T< 4K; and (5) a T3/2-dependence
of electrical resistivity over the range 1.7 < T < 120 K. A phase diagram based
on the data implies SrIrO3 is a rare example of a stoichiometric oxide compound
that exhibits non-Fermi-liquid behavior near a quantum critical point (T = 0
and H = 0.23 T)
Interaction of Phonons and Dirac Fermions on the Surface of Bi2Se3: A Strong Kohn Anomaly
We report the first measurements of phonon dispersion curves on the (001)
surface of the strong three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Se3. The
surface phonon measurements were carried out with the aid of coherent helium
beam surface scattering techniques. The results reveal a prominent signature of
the exotic metallic Dirac fermion quasi-particles, including a strong Kohn
anomaly. The signature is manifest in a low energy isotropic convex dispersive
surface phonon branch with a frequency maximum of 1.8 THz, and having a
V-shaped minimum at approximately 2kF that defines the Kohn anomaly.
Theoretical analysis attributes this dispersive profile to the renormalization
of the surface phonon excitations by the surface Dirac fermions. The
contribution of the Dirac fermions to this renormalization is derived in terms
of a Coulomb-type perturbation model
Pressure-Induced Insulating State in Ba1-xRExIrO3 (RE = Gd, Eu) Single Crystals
BaIrO3 is a novel insulator with coexistent weak ferromagnetism, charge and
spin density wave. Dilute RE doping for Ba induces a metallic state, whereas
application of modest pressure readily restores an insulating state
characterized by a three-order-of-magnitude increase of resistivity. Since
pressure generally increases orbital overlap and broadens energy bands, a
pressure-induced insulating state is not commonplace. The profoundly dissimilar
responses of the ground state to light doping and low hydrostatic pressures
signal an unusual, delicate interplay between structural and electronic degrees
of freedom in BaIrO3
Orbitally-driven Behavior: Mott Transition, Quantum Oscillations and Colossal Magnetoresistance in Bilayered Ca3Ru2O7
We report recent transport and thermodynamic experiments over a wide range of
temperatures for the Mott-like system Ca3Ru2O7 at high magnetic fields, B, up
to 30 T. This work reveals a rich and highly anisotropic phase diagram, where
applying B along the a-, b-, and c-axis leads to vastly different behavior. A
fully spin-polarized state via a first order metamagnetic transition is
obtained for B||a, and colossal magnetoresistance is seen for B||b, and quantum
oscillations in the resistivity are observed for B||c, respectively. The
interplay of the lattice, orbital and spin degrees of freedom are believed to
give rise to this strongly anisotropic behavior.Comment: 26 pages and 8 figure
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