163 research outputs found
Transport on randomly evolving trees
The time process of transport on randomly evolving trees is investigated. By
introducing the notions of living and dead nodes a model of random tree
evolution is constructed which describes the spreading in time of objects
corresponding to nodes. By using the method of the age-dependent branching
processes we derive the joint distribution function of the number of living and
dead nodes, and determine the correlation between these node numbers as a
function of time. Also analyzed are the stochastic properties of the end-nodes;
and the correlation between the numbers of living and dead end-nodes is shown
to change its character suddenly at the very beginning of the evolution
process. The survival probability of random trees is investigated and
expressions are derived for this probability.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, published in Phys. Rev. E 72, 051101 (2005
Nanosegregation in Na2C60
There is continuous interest in the nature of alkali metal fullerides containing C(4)(60) and C(2)(60),
because these compounds are believed to be nonmagnetic Mott–Jahn–Teller insulators. This idea
could be verified in the case of A(4)C(60), but Na(2)C(60) is more controversial. By comparing the results
of infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, we found that Na(2)C(60) is segregated into 3-10 nm
large regions. The two main phases of the material are insulating C(60) and metallic Na(3)C(60). We
found by neutron scattering that the diffusion of sodium ions becomes faster on heating. Above
470 K Na(2)C(60) is homogeneous and we show IR spectroscopic evidence of a Jahn–Teller distorted
C(2)(60) anion
Magnetic resonance in the antiferromagnetic and normal state of NH_3K_3C_60
We report on the magnetic resonance of NH_3K_3C_60 powders in the frequency
range of 9 to 225 GHz. The observation of an antiferromagnetic resonance below
the phase transition at 40 K is evidence for an antiferromagnetically ordered
ground state. In the normal state, above 40 K, the temperature dependence of
the spin-susceptibilty measured by ESR agrees with previous static measurements
and is too weak to be explained by interacting localized spins in an insulator.
The magnetic resonance line width has an unusual magnetic-field dependence
which is large and temperature independent in the magnetically ordered state
and decreases rapidly above the transition. These observations agree with the
suggestion that NH_3K_3C_60 is a metal in the normal state and undergoes a
Mott-Hubbard metal to insulator transition at 40 K.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Spin excitations in the antiferromagnet NaNiO2
In NaNiO2, Ni3+ ions form a quasi two dimensional triangular lattice of S =
1=2 spins. The magnetic order observed below 20K has been described as an A
type antiferromagnet with ferro- magnetic layers weakly coupled
antiferromagnetically. We studied the magnetic excitations with the electron
spin resonance for frequencies 1-20 cm-1, in magnetic fields up to 14 T. The
bulk of the results are interpreted in terms of a phenomenological model
involving bi-axial anisotropy for the spins: a strong easy-plane term, and a
weaker anisotropy within the plane. The direction of the easy plane is
constrained by the collective Jahn-Teller distortion occurring in this material
at 480 K
Structure and properties of the stable two-dimensional conducting polymer Mg5C60
We present a study on the structural, spectroscopic, conducting,
and
magnetic properties of Mg5C60, which is a two-dimensional (2D)
fulleride polymer. The polymer phase is stable up to the
exceptionally
high temperature of 823 K. The infrared and Raman studies
suggest the
formation of single bonds between the fulleride ions and
possibly
Mg-C-60 covalent bonds. Mg5C60 is a metal at ambient
temperature, as
shown by electron spin resonance and microwave conductivity
measurements. The smooth transition from a metallic to a
paramagnetic
insulator state below 200 K is attributed to Anderson
localization
driven by structural disorder
Antiferromagnetic domain walls in lightly doped layered cuprates
Recent ESR data shows rotation of the antiferromagnetic (AF) easy axis in
lightly doped layered cuprates upon lowering the temperature. We account for
the ESR data and show that it has significant implications on spin and charge
ordering according to the following scenario: In the high temperature phase AF
domain walls coincide with (110) twin boundaries of an orthorhombic phase. A
magnetic field leads to annihilation of neighboring domain walls resulting in
antiphase boundaries. The latter are spin carriers, form ferromagnetic lines
and may become charged in the doped system. However, hole ordering at low
temperatures favors the (100) orientation, inducing a pi/4 rotation in the AF
easy axis. The latter phase has twin boundaries and AF domain walls in (100)
planes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (1 eps). v2: no change in content, Tex shadow
problem cleare
Spin-stretching modes in anisotropic magnets: spin-wave excitations in the multiferroic Ba2CoGe2O7
We studied spin excitations of the multiferroic Ba2CoGe2O7 in high magnetic
fields up to 33 T. In the electron spin resonance and far infrared absorption
spectra we found several spin excitations beyond the two conventional magnon
modes expected for such a two-sublattice antiferromagnet. We show that a
multi-boson spin-wave theory can capture these unconventional modes, that
include spin-stretching modes associated with an oscillating magnetic dipole
(or only quadrupole) moment. The lack of the inversion symmetry allows these
modes to become electric dipole active. We expect that the spin-stretching
modes can be generally observed in inelastic neutron scattering and light
absorption experiments in a broad class of ordered S > 1/2 spin systems with
strong single-ion anisotropy and/or non-centrosymmetric lattice structure.Comment: 5+4 pages, 3 figures, supplement added, manuscript revise
Light-induced rotation of dye-doped liquid crystal droplets
We investigate both theoretically and experimentally the rotational dynamics
of micrometric droplets of dye-doped and pure liquid crystal induced by
circularly and elliptically polarized laser light. The droplets are dispersed
in water and trapped in the focus of the laser beam. Since the optical torque
acting on the molecular director is known to be strongly enhanced in
light-absorbing dye-doped materials, the question arises whether a similar
enhancement takes place also for the overall optical torque acting on the whole
droplets. We searched for such enhancement by measuring and comparing the
rotation speed of dye-doped droplets induced by a laser beam having a
wavelength either inside or outside the dye absorption band, and also comparing
it with the rotation of pure liquid crystal droplets. No enhancement was found,
confirming that photoinduced dye effects are only associated with an internal
exchange of angular momentum between orientational and translational degrees of
freedom of matter. Our result provides also the first direct experimental proof
of the existence of a photoinduced stress tensor in the illuminated dye-doped
liquid crystal. Finally, peculiar photoinduced dynamical effects are predicted
to occur in droplets in which the molecular director is not rigidly locked to
the flow, but so far they could not be observed
Fluctuating-friction molecular motors
We show that the correlated stochastic fluctuation of the friction
coefficient can give rise to long-range directional motion of a particle
undergoing Brownian random walk in a constant periodic energy potential
landscape. The occurrence of this motion requires the presence of two
additional independent bodies interacting with the particle via friction and
via the energy potential, respectively, which can move relative to each other.
Such three-body system generalizes the classical Brownian ratchet mechanism,
which requires only two interacting bodies. In particular, we describe a simple
two-level model of fluctuating-friction molecular motor that can be solved
analytically. In our previous work [M.K., L.M and D.P. 2000 J. Nonlinear Opt.
Phys. Mater. vol. 9, 157] this model has been first applied to understanding
the fundamental mechanism of the photoinduced reorientation of dye-doped liquid
crystals. Applications of the same idea to other fields such as molecular
biology and nanotechnology can however be envisioned. As an example, in this
paper we work out a model of the actomyosin system based on the
fluctuating-friction mechanism.Comment: to be published in J. Physics Condensed Matter
(http://www.iop.org/Journals/JPhysCM
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