Characterization of Carbon-Contaminated B4C-Coated Optics after Chemically Selective Cleaning with Low-Pressure RF Plasma

Boron carbide (B4C) is one of the few materials that is expected to be mostly resilient with respect to the extremely high brilliance of the photon beam generated by free electron lasers (FELs) and is thus of considerable interest for optical applications in this field. However, as in the case of many other optics operated at modern light source facilities, B4C-coated optics are subject to ubiquitous carbon contaminations. These contaminations represent a serious issue for the operation of high performance FEL beamlines due to severe reduction of photon flux, beam coherence, creation of destructive interference, and scattering losses. A variety of B4C cleaning technologies were developed at different laboratories with varying success. We present a study regarding the low-pressure RF plasma cleaning of carbon contaminated B4C test samples via inductively coupled O2/Ar, H2/Ar, and pure O2 RF plasma produced following previous studies using the same IBSS GV10x downstream plasma source. Results regarding the chemistry, morphology as well as other aspects of the B4C optical coating before and after the plasma cleaning are reported. We conclude from these comparative plasma processes that pure O2 feedstock plasma only exhibits the required chemical selectivity for maintaining the integrity of the B4C optical coating.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figure

Enhanced electron correlations, local moments, and Curie temperature in strained MnAs nanocrystals embedded in GaAs

We have studied the electronic structure of hexagonal MnAs, as epitaxial continuous film on GaAs(001) and as nanocrystals embedded in GaAs, by Mn 2p core-level photoemission spectroscopy. Configuration-interaction analyses based on a cluster model show that the ground state of the embedded MnAs nanocrystals is dominated by a d5 configuration that maximizes the local Mn moment. Nanoscaling and strain significantly alter the properties of MnAs. Internal strain in the nanocrystals results in reduced p-d hybridization and enhanced ionic character of the Mn-As bonding interactions. The spatial confinement and reduced p-d hybridization in the nanocrystals lead to enhanced d-electron localization, triggering d-d electron correlations and enhancing local Mn moments. These changes in the electronic structure of MnAs have an advantageous effect on the Curie temperature of the nanocrystals, which is measured to be remarkably higher than that of bulk MnAs.Comment: 4 figures, 2 table

Instability of scale-free networks under node-breaking avalanches

The instability introduced in a large scale-free network by the triggering of node-breaking avalanches is analyzed using the fiber-bundle model as conceptual framework. We found, by measuring the size of the giant component, the avalanche size distribution and other quantities, the existence of an abrupt transition. This test of strength for complex networks like Internet is more stringent than others recently considered like the random removal of nodes, analyzed within the framework of percolation theory. Finally, we discuss the possible implications of our results and their relevance in forecasting cascading failures in scale-free networks.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, final version to be published in Europhys. Let

A monopole solution from noncommutative multi-instantons

We extend the relation between instanton and monopole solutions of the selfduality equations in SU(2) gauge theory to noncommutative space-times. Using this approach and starting from a noncommutative multi-instanton solution we construct a U(2) monopole configuration which lives in 3 dimensional ordinary space. This configuration resembles the Wu-Yang monopole and satisfies the selfduality (Bogomol'nyi) equations for a U(2) Yang-Mills-Higgs system.Comment: 19 pages; title and abstract changed, brane interpretation corrected. Version to appear in JHE

Particle-vortex dynamics in noncommutative space

We study the problem of a charged particle in the presence of a uniform magnetic field plus a vortex in noncommutative planar space considering the two possible non-commutative extensions of the corresponding Hamiltonian, namely the ``fundamental'' and the ``antifundamental'' representations. Using a Fock space formalism we construct eigenfunctions and eigenvalues finding in each case half of the states existing in the ordinary space case. In the limit of $\theta \to 0$ we recover the two classes of states found in ordinary space, relevant for the study of anyon physics.Comment: 13 pages, no figures, plain LaTeX. References adde

Complex organic molecules in comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy): detection of ethylene glycol and formamide

A spectral survey in the 1 mm wavelength range was undertaken in the long-period comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) using the 30 m telescope of the Institut de radioastronomie millim\'etrique (IRAM) in April and November-December 2013. We report the detection of ethylene glycol (CH$_2$OH)$_2$ (aGg' conformer) and formamide (NH$_2$CHO) in the two comets. The abundances relative to water of ethylene glycol and formamide are 0.2-0.3% and 0.02% in the two comets, similar to the values measured in comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp). We also report the detection of HCOOH and CH$_3$CHO in comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy), and a search for other complex species (methyl formate, glycolaldehyde).Comment: Accepted for publication as a Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Cascade Failure in a Phase Model of Power Grids

We propose a phase model to study cascade failure in power grids composed of generators and loads. If the power demand is below a critical value, the model system of power grids maintains the standard frequency by feedback control. On the other hand, if the power demand exceeds the critical value, an electric failure occurs via step out (loss of synchronization) or voltage collapse. The two failures are incorporated as two removal rules of generator nodes and load nodes. We perform direct numerical simulation of the phase model on a scale-free network and compare the results with a mean-field approximation.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Exponential improvement in photon storage fidelities using subradiance and "selective radiance" in atomic arrays

A central goal within quantum optics is to realize efficient interactions between photons and atoms. A fundamental limit in nearly all applications based on such systems arises from spontaneous emission, in which photons are absorbed by atoms and then re-scattered into undesired channels. In typical treatments of atomic ensembles, it is assumed that this re-scattering occurs independently, and at a rate given by a single isolated atom, which in turn gives rise to standard limits of fidelity in applications such as quantum memories or quantum gates. However, this assumption can be violated. In particular, spontaneous emission of a collective atomic excitation can be significantly suppressed through strong interference in emission. Thus far the physics underlying the phenomenon of subradiance and techniques to exploit it have not been well-understood. In this work, we provide a comprehensive treatment of this problem. First, we show that in ordered atomic arrays in free space, subradiant states acquire an interpretation in terms of optical modes that are guided by the array, which only emit due to scattering from the ends of the finite chain. We also elucidate the properties of subradiant states in the many-excitation limit. Finally, we introduce the new concept of selective radiance. Whereas subradiant states experience a reduced coupling to all optical modes, selectively radiant states are tailored to simultaneously radiate efficiently into a desired channel while scattering into undesired channels is suppressed, thus enabling an enhanced atom-light interface. We show that these states naturally appear in chains of atoms coupled to nanophotonic structures, and we analyze the performance of photon storage exploiting such states. We find that selectively radiant states allow for a photon storage error that scales exponentially better with number of atoms than previously known bounds.Comment: Fixed minor typos, is now analogous to published versio