NMR relaxation and resistivity from rattling phonons in pyrochlore superconductors

We calculate the temperature dependence of NMR relaxation rate and electrical resistivity for coupling to a local, strongly anharmonic phonon mode. We argue that the two-phonon Raman process is dominating NMR relaxation. Due to the strong anharmonicity of the phonon an unusual temperature dependence is found having a low temperature peak and becoming constant towards higher temperatures. The electrical resistivity is found to vary like T^2 at low temperatures and following a sqrt{T} behavior at high temperatures. Both results are in qualitative agreement with recent observations on beta-pyrochlore oxide superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; new version with some minor additional clarifications; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Theoretical study of NMR relaxation due to rattling phonons

We calculate the NMR relaxation rate due to quadrupolar coupling of the nucleus to a local, strongly anharmonic phonon mode. As a model potential for a rattling motion we consider a square-well potential. We calculate the free phonon Green's function analytically and derive the low and high temperature limits of the NMR relaxation rate. It is shown that the temperature dependence of the NMR relaxation rate possesses a peak in contrast to harmonic phonons but in qualitative agreement with a recent NMR study on KOs2O6. We discuss the influence of phonon renormalization due to electron-phonon interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, SNS2007 (Sendai, Japan) conference proceedings, accepted for publicatio

¹⁴C dating of modern marine and estuarine shellfish

We measured the ¹⁴C content of 36 living marine molluscs from Tairua Harbour and the rocky coast on the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand. We identified species suitable for radiocarbon dating and show that the open marine intertidal zone is enriched in ¹⁴C compared to the open marine subtidal zone or estuary. We also found a uniform ¹⁴C distribution in the Tairua Harbour, by analyzing samples of the estuarine bivalveAustrovenus stutchburyi collected up to 5 km from the harbor entrance

Dynamics of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in the vicinity of a superconductor

We study the dynamics of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate, like for example a $^{52}$Cr or $^{164}$Dy condensate, interacting with a superconducting surface. The magnetic dipole moments of the atoms in the Bose-Einstein condensate induce eddy currents in the superconductor. The magnetic field generated by eddy currents modifies the trapping potential such that the center-of-mass oscillation frequency is shifted. We numerically solve the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for this system and compare the results with analytical approximations. We present an approximation that gives excellent agreement with the numerical results. The eddy currents give rise to anharmonic terms, which leads to the excitation of shape fluctuations of the condensate. We discuss how the strength of the excitation of such modes can be increased by exploiting resonances, and we examine the strength of the resonances as a function of the center-of-mass oscillation amplitude of the condensate. Finally, we study different orientations of the magnetic dipoles and discuss favorable conditions for the experimental observation of the eddy current effect.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figure

Quasi-particle interference probe of the self-energy

Dahm T, Scalapino DJ. Quasi-particle interference probe of the self-energy. New Journal of Physics. 2014;16(2): 23003.Quasi-particle interference (QPI) measurements have provided a powerful tool for determining the momentum dependence of the gap of unconventional superconductors. Here we examine the possibility of using such measurements to probe the frequency and momentum dependence of the electron self-energy. For illustration, we calculate the QPI response function for a cuprate-like Fermi surface with an electron self-energy from a random phase approximation. Then we try to re-extract the self-energy from the dispersion of the peaks in the QPI response function using different approaches. We show that in principle it is possible to extract the self-energy from the QPI response for certain nested momentum directions. We discuss some of the limitations that one faces

Many-Body Localization in Translational Invariant Diamond Ladders with Flat Bands

The presence of flat bands is a source of localization in lattice systems. While flat bands are often unstable with respect to interactions between the particles, they can persist in certain cases. We consider a diamond ladder with transverse hopping that possesses such stable flat bands and show that many-body localization appears in the presence of interactions. We demonstrate that the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis is violated and verify localization by time evolution of local observables, revival probabilities, and participation ratios. Thus, this system appears to be an example for many-body localization without disorder.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figur

The Renoprotective Actions of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors Agonists in Diabetes

Pharmaceutical agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are widely used in the management of type 2 diabetes, chiefly as lipid-lowering agents and oral hypoglycaemic agents. Although most of the focus has been placed on their cardiovascular effects, both positive and negative, these agents also have significant renoprotective actions in the diabetic kidney. Over and above action on metabolic control and effects on blood pressure, PPAR agonists also appear to have independent effects on a number of critical pathways that are implicated in the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease, including oxidative stress, inflammation, hypertrophy, and podocyte function. This review will examine these direct and indirect actions of PPAR agonists in the diabetic kidney and explore recent findings of clinical trials of PPAR agonists in patients with diabetes