258 research outputs found
Giant lasing effect in magnetic nanoconductors
We propose a new principle for a compact solid-state laser in the 1-100 THz
regime. This is a frequency range where attempts to fabricate small size lasers
up till now have met severe technical problems. The proposed laser is based on
a new mechanism for creating spin-flip processes in ferromagnetic conductors.
The mechanism is due to the interaction of light with conduction electrons; the
interaction strength, being proportional to the large exchange energy, exceeds
the Zeeman interaction by orders of magnitude. On the basis of this
interaction, a giant lasing effect is predicted in a system where a population
inversion has been created by tunneling injection of spin-polarized electrons
from one ferromagnetic conductor to another -- the magnetization of the two
ferromagnets having different orientations. Using experimental data for
ferromagnetic manganese perovskites with nearly 100% spin polarization we show
the laser frequency to be in the range 1-100 THz. The optical gain is estimated
to be of order 10^7 cm^{-1}, which exceeds the gain of conventional
semiconductor lasers by 3 or 4 orders of magnitude. A relevant experimental
study is proposed and discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Density of States and Energy Gap in Andreev Billiards
We present numerical results for the local density of states in semiclassical
Andreev billiards. We show that the energy gap near the Fermi energy develops
in a chaotic billiard. Using the same method no gap is found in similar square
and circular billiards.Comment: 9 pages, 6 Postscript figure
Superconductivity in an Einstein Solid AxV2Al20 (A = Al and Ga)
A cage compound AxV2Al20 (Al10V), that was called an Einstein solid by Caplin
and coworkers 40 years ago, is revisited to investigate the low-energy, local
vibrations of the A atoms and their influence on the electronic and
superconducting properties of the compound. Polycrystalline samples with A =
Al, Ga, Y, and La are studied through resistivity and heat capacity
measurements. Weak-coupling BCS superconductivity is observed below Tc = 1.49,
1.66, and 0.69 K for Ax = Al0.3, Ga0.2, and Y, respectively, but not above 0.4
K for Ax = La. Low-energy modes are detected only for A = Al and Ga, which are
approximately described by the Einstein model with Einstein temperatures of 24
and 8 K, respectively. A weak but significant coupling between the low-energy
modes, which are almost identical to those called rattling in recent study, and
conduction electrons manifests itself as anomalous enhancement in resistivity
at around low temperatures corresponding to the Einstein temperatures.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
Observation of anisotropic effect of antiferromagnetic ordering on the superconducting gap in ErNi2B2C
The point-contact (PC) spectra of the Andreev reflection dV/dI curves of the
superconducting rare-earth nickel borocarbide ErNi2B2C (Tc=11 K) have been
analyzed in the "one-gap" and "two-gap" approximations using the generalized
Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (GBTK) model and the Beloborod'ko (BB) model allowing
for the pair-breaking effect of magnetic impurities. Experimental and
calculated curves have been compared not only in shape, but in magnitude as
well, which provide more reliable data for determining the temperature
dependence of the energy gap (or superconducting order parameter) \Delta(T).
The anisotropic effect of antiferromagnetic ordering at T_N =6 K on the
superconducting gap/order parameter has been determined: as the temperature is
lowered, \Delta(T) decreases by 25% in the c-direction and only by 4% in the
ab-plane. It is found that the pair-breaking parameter increases in the
vicinity of the magnetic transitions, the increase being more pronounced in the
c-direction. The efficiency of the models was tested for providing \Delta(T)
data for ErNi2B2C from Andreev reflection spectra.Comment: 16 two column pages, 20 figs., will be published in Fiz. Nizk. Temp.
N10, 2010; V2: added - "Acknowledgement" & "Note added in proof
A variable temperature scanning SQUID microscope
Abstract -We present a design of a scanning SQUID microscope (SSM) operating in a temperature range between about 5 K (2 K with pumping) and 100 K
Intrinsic tunneling spectra of Bi_2(Sr_{2-x}La_x)CuO_6
We have measured intrinsic-tunneling spectra of a single CuO-layer La-doped
Bi_2Sr_{2-x}La_xCuO_{6+\delta} (Bi2201-La_x). Despite a difference of a factor
of three in the optimal superconducting critical temperatures for
Bi2201-La_{0.4} and Bi2212 (32 and 95 K, respectively) and different spectral
energy scales, we find that the pseudogap vanishes at a similar characteristic
temperature T*\approx 230-300K for both compounds. We find also that in
Bi2201-La_x, PG humps are seen as sharp peaks and, in fact, even dominate the
intrinsic spectra.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
The Phylogeny of rays and Skates (Chondrichthyes; Elasmobranchii) based on morphological characters revisited
Elasmobranchii are relatively well-studied. However, numerous phylogenetic uncertainties about their relationships remain. Here, we revisit the phylogenetic evidence based on a detailed morphological re-evaluation of all the major extant batomorph clades (skates and rays), including several holomorphic fossil taxa from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and an extensive outgroup sampling, which includes sharks, chimaeras and several other fossil chondrichthyans. The parsimony and maximum-likelihood analyses found more resolved but contrasting topologies, with the Bayesian inference tree neither supporting nor disfavouring any of them. Overall, the analyses result in similar clade compositions and topologies, with the Jurassic batomorphs forming the sister clade to all the other batomorphs, whilst all the Cretaceous batomorphs are nested within the remaining main clades. The disparate arrangements recovered under the different criteria suggest that a detailed study of Jurassic taxa is of utmost importance to present a more consistent topology in the deeper nodes, as issues continue to be present when analysing those clades previously recognized only by molecular analyses (e.g., Rhinopristiformes and Torpediniformes). The consistent placement of fossil taxa within specific groups by the different phylogenetic criteria is promising and indicates that the inclusion of more fossil taxa in the present matrix will likely not cause loss of resolution, therefore suggesting that a strong phylogenetic signal can be recovered from fossil taxa
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