1,210 research outputs found
Transition Spectra for a BCS Superconductor with Multiple Gaps: Model Calculations for MgB_2
We analyze the qualitative features in the transition spectra of a model
superconductor with multiple energy gaps, using a simple extension of the
Mattis-Bardeen expression for probes with case I and case II coherence factors.
At temperature T = 0, the far infrared absorption edge is, as expected,
determined by the smallest gap. However, the large thermal background may mask
this edge at finite temperatures and instead the secondary absorption edges
found at Delta_i+Delta_j may become most prominent. At finite T, if certain
interband matrix elements are large, there may also be absorption peaks at the
gap difference frequencies | Delta_i-Delta_j | . We discuss the effect of
sample quality on the measured spectra and the possible relation of these
predictions to the recent infrared absorption measurement on MgB_2
Synchronization in a System of Globally Coupled Oscillators with Time Delay
We study the synchronization phenomena in a system of globally coupled
oscillators with time delay in the coupling. The self-consistency equations for
the order parameter are derived, which depend explicitly on the amount of
delay. Analysis of these equations reveals that the system in general exhibits
discontinuous transitions in addition to the usual continuous transition,
between the incoherent state and a multitude of coherent states with different
synchronization frequencies. In particular, the phase diagram is obtained on
the plane of the coupling strength and the delay time, and ubiquity of
multistability as well as suppression of the synchronization frequency is
manifested. Numerical simulations are also performed to give consistent
results
Phase synchronization and noise-induced resonance in systems of coupled oscillators
We study synchronization and noise-induced resonance phenomena in systems of
globally coupled oscillators, each possessing finite inertia. The behavior of
the order parameter, which measures collective synchronization of the system,
is investigated as the noise level and the coupling strength are varied, and
hysteretic behavior is manifested. The power spectrum of the phase velocity is
also examined and the quality factor as well as the response function is
obtained to reveal noise-induced resonance behavior.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev.
Meissner effect in a bosonic ladder
We investigate the effect of a magnetic field on a bosonic ladder. We show
that such a system leads to the one dimensional equivalent of a vortex lattice
in a superconductor. We investigate the physical properties of the vortex
phase, such as vortex density and vortex correlation functions and show that
magnetization has plateaus for some commensurate values of the mag netic field.
The lowest plateau corresponds to a true Meissner to vortex transition at a
critical field that exists although the system has no long range
superconducting order. Implications for experimental realizations such as
Josephson junction arrays are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 Encapsulated Postscript figures, RevTe
Synchronization and resonance in a driven system of coupled oscillators
We study the noise effects in a driven system of globally coupled
oscillators, with particular attention to the interplay between driving and
noise. The self-consistency equation for the order parameter, which measures
the collective synchronization of the system, is derived; it is found that the
total order parameter decreases monotonically with noise, indicating overall
suppression of synchronization. Still, for large coupling strengths, there
exists an optimal noise level at which the periodic (ac) component of the order
parameter reaches its maximum. The response of the phase velocity is also
examined and found to display resonance behavior.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure
Opaque Branes in Warped Backgrounds
We examine localized kinetic terms for gauge fields which can propagate into
compact, warped extra dimensions. We show that these terms can have a relevant
impact on the values of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) gauge field masses, wave
functions, and couplings to brane and bulk matter. The resulting
phenomenological implications are discussed. In particular, we show that the
presence of opaque branes, with non-vanishing brane-localized gauge kinetic
terms, allow much lower values of the lightest KK mode than in the case of
transparent branes. Moreover, we show that if the large discrepancies among the
different determinations of the weak mixing angle would be solved in favor of
the value obtained from the lepton asymmetries, bulk electroweak gauge fields
in warped-extra dimensions may lead to an improvement of the agreement of the
fit to the electroweak precision data for a Higgs mass of the order of the weak
scale and a mass of the first gauge boson KK excitation most likely within
reach of the LHC.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figures, improved analysis of the precision electroweak
constraint
Far-infrared transmission studies of c-axis oriented superconducting MgB2 thin film
We reported far-infrared transmission measurements on a c-axis oriented
superconducting MgB thin film in the frequency range of 30 250
cm. We found that these measurements were sensitive to values of
scattering rate and superconducting gap . By fitting the
experimental transmission spectra at 40 K and below, we obtained
(700 1000) cm and 42 cm. These two
quantities suggested that MgB belong to the dirty limit.Comment: submitted at May
Dust Devil Tracks
Dust devils that leave dark- or light-toned tracks are common on Mars and they can also be found on the Earth’s surface. Dust devil tracks (hereinafter DDTs) are ephemeral surface features with mostly sub-annual lifetimes. Regarding their size, DDT widths can range between ∼1 m and ∼1 km, depending on the diameter of dust devil that created the track, and DDT lengths range from a few tens of meters to several kilometers, limited by the duration and horizontal ground speed of dust devils. DDTs can be classified into three main types based on their morphology and albedo in contrast to their surroundings; all are found on both planets: (a) dark continuous DDTs, (b) dark cycloidal DDTs, and (c) bright DDTs. Dark continuous DDTs are the most common type on Mars. They are characterized by their relatively homogenous and continuous low albedo surface tracks. Based on terrestrial and martian in situ studies, these DDTs most likely form when surficial dust layers are removed to expose larger-grained substrate material (coarse sands of ≥500 μm in diameter). The exposure of larger-grained materials changes the photometric properties of the surface; hence leading to lower albedo tracks because grain size is photometrically inversely proportional to the surface reflectance. However, although not observed so far, compositional differences (i.e., color differences) might also lead to albedo contrasts when dust is removed to expose substrate materials with mineralogical differences. For dark continuous DDTs, albedo drop measurements are around 2.5 % in the wavelength range of 550–850 nm on Mars and around 0.5 % in the wavelength range from 300–1100 nm on Earth. The removal of an equivalent layer thickness around 1 μm is sufficient for the formation of visible dark continuous DDTs on Mars and Earth. The next type of DDTs, dark cycloidal DDTs, are characterized by their low albedo pattern of overlapping scallops. Terrestrial in situ studies imply that they are formed when sand-sized material that is eroded from the outer vortex area of a dust devil is redeposited in annular patterns in the central vortex region. This type of DDT can also be found in on Mars in orbital image data, and although in situ studies are lacking, terrestrial analog studies, laboratory work, and numerical modeling suggest they have the same formation mechanism as those on Earth. Finally, bright DDTs are characterized by their continuous track pattern and high albedo compared to their undisturbed surroundings. They are found on both planets, but to date they have only been analyzed in situ on Earth. Here, the destruction of aggregates of dust, silt and sand by dust devils leads to smooth surfaces in contrast to the undisturbed rough surfaces surrounding the track. The resulting change in photometric properties occurs because the smoother surfaces have a higher reflectance compared to the surrounding rough surface, leading to bright DDTs. On Mars, the destruction of surficial dust-aggregates may also lead to bright DDTs. However, higher reflective surfaces may be produced by other formation mechanisms, such as dust compaction by passing dust devils, as this may also cause changes in photometric properties. On Mars, DDTs in general are found at all elevations and on a global scale, except on the permanent polar caps. DDT maximum areal densities occur during spring and summer in both hemispheres produced by an increase in dust devil activity caused by maximum insolation. Regionally, dust devil densities vary spatially likely controlled by changes in dust cover thicknesses and substrate materials. This variability makes it difficult to infer dust devil activity from DDT frequencies. Furthermore, only a fraction of dust devils leave tracks. However, DDTs can be used as proxies for dust devil lifetimes and wind directions and speeds, and they can also be used to predict lander or rover solar panel clearing events. Overall, the high DDT frequency in many areas on Mars leads to drastic albedo changes that affect large-scale weather patterns
Magnetoresistance and spin-transfer torque in magnetic tunnel junctions
We comment on both recent progress and lingering puzzles related to research
on magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). MTJs are already being used in
applications such as magnetic-field sensors in the read heads of disk drives,
and they may also be the first device geometry in which spin-torque effects are
applied to manipulate magnetic dynamics, in order to make nonvolatile magnetic
random access memory. However, there remain many unanswered questions about
such basic properties as the magnetoresistance of MTJs, how their properties
change as a function of tunnel-barrier thickness and applied bias, and what are
the magnitude and direction of the spin-transfer-torque vector induced by a
tunnel current.Comment: 37 pages, 2 figures. Contribution to a collection of "Current
Perspectives" articles on spin transfer torque now available in the Journal
of Magnetism and Magnetic Material
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