The surface states of topological insulators - Dirac fermion in curved two dimensional spaces

The surface of a topological insulator is a closed two dimensional manifold. The surface states are described by the Dirac Hamiltonian in curved two dimensional spaces. For a slab-like sample with a magnetic field perpendicular to its top and bottom surfaces, there are chiral states delocalized on the four side faces. These "chiral sheets" carry both charge and spin currents. In strong magnetic fields the quantized charge Hall effect (\s_{xy}=(2n+1)e^2/h) will coexist with spin Hall effect.Comment: PRL accepted version, new information on thickness dependence adde

Input-output relations at dispersing and absorbing planar multilayers for the quantized electromagnetic field containing evanescent components

By using the Green-function concept of quantization of the electromagnetic field in dispersing and absorbing media, the quantized field in the presence of a dispersing and absorbing dielectric multilayer plate is studied. Three-dimensional input-output relations are derived for both amplitude operators in the ${\bf k}$-space and the field operators in the coordinate space. The conditions are discussed, under which the input-output relations can be expressed in terms of bosonic operators. The theory applies to both (effectively) free fields and fields, created by active atomic sources inside and/or outside the plate, including also evanescent-field components.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur

Improving the tensile strength of carbon nanotube spun yarns using a modified spinning process

A modified process for the dry spinning of carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn is reported. The approach gives an improved structure of CNT bundles in the web drawn from the CNT forest and in the yarn produced from the twisted web leading to improved mechanical properties of the yarn. The process enables many different mechanical and physical treatments to be applied to the individual stages of the pure CNT spinning system, and may allow potential for the development of complex spinning processes such as polymer–CNT-based composite yarns. The tensile strength and yarn/web structure of yarn spun using this approach have been investigated and evaluated using standard tensile testing methods along with scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results show that the tensile properties were significantly improved. The effect of heat treatments and other yarn constructions on the tensile properties are also reported

The Topological Relation Between Bulk Gap Nodes and Surface Bound States : Application to Iron-based Superconductors

In the past few years materials with protected gapless surface (edge) states have risen to the central stage of condensed matter physics. Almost all discussions centered around topological insulators and superconductors, which possess full quasiparticle gaps in the bulk. In this paper we argue systems with topological stable bulk nodes offer another class of materials with robust gapless surface states. Moreover the location of the bulk nodes determines the Miller index of the surfaces that show (or not show) such states. Measuring the spectroscopic signature of these zero modes allows a phase-sensitive determination of the nodal structures of unconventional superconductors when other phase-sensitive techniques are not applicable. We apply this idea to gapless iron based superconductors and show how to distinguish accidental from symmetry dictated nodes. We shall argue the same idea leads to a method for detecting a class of the elusive spin liquids.Comment: updated references, 6 pages, 4 figures, RevTex

Contact theorems for anisotropic fluids near a hard wall.

International audienceIn this paper, from the Born-Green-Yvon (BGY) equation, we formulate a general expression for the contact value of the singlet distribution function for anisotropic fluids near a hard wall. This expression consists of two separate contributions. One is related to the bulk partial pressure for a given orientation of the molecules. The second is related to the anchoring phenomena and is characterized by the direct interaction between the molecules and the wall. Given this relation, we formulate the contact theorems for the density and order parameter profiles. The results are illustrated by the case of a nematic fluid near a hard wall

Checkerboard charge density wave and pseudogap in high-TcT_{c} cuprates

We consider the scenario where a 4-lattice constant, rotationally symmetric charge density wave (CDW) is present in the underdoped cuprates. We prove a theorem that puts strong constraint on the possible form factor of such a CDW. We demonstrate, within mean-field theory, that a particular form factor within the allowed class describes the angle-resolved photoemission and scan tunneling spectroscopy well. We conjecture that the ``large pseudogap'' in cuprates is the consequence of this type of charge density wave.Comment: We add a new section II on the symmetry property of the checkerboard CD

The challenge of ensuring gender equality in Vietnamese and English high schools: espoused and real commitments

Purpose: This research study examines the issue of gender equality in high schools in Vietnam and England. Design: Data gathering consisted of interviews with teachers in two high schools and the staff of a pedagogic university in Vietnam and staff of one high school and of the Initial Teacher Training department of a University in England. Data was analysed using a combination of grounded theory, cross-cultural study, and narrative analysis within a liberal feminist framework. Findings: The main findings from Vietnam include that despite a strong commitment to gender equality by the central government both pedagogy and curriculum in Vietnamese High Schools fail to promote gender equality and that gender equality is, therefore, espoused rather than enacted. Findings from England revealed considerable success had been achieved in gaining equality of both opportunity and outcomes but that a more sophisticated discourse on gender in education needed to emerge

Resonant dipole-dipole interaction in the presence of dispersing and absorbing surroundings

Within the framework of quantization of the macroscopic electromagnetic field, equations of motion and an effective Hamiltonian for treating both the resonant dipole-dipole interaction between two-level atoms and the resonant atom-field interaction are derived, which can suitably be used for studying the influence of arbitrary dispersing and absorbing material surroundings on these interactions. The theory is applied to the study of the transient behavior of two atoms that initially share a single excitation, with special emphasis on the role of the two competing processes of virtual and real photon exchange in the energy transfer between the atoms. In particular, it is shown that for weak atom-field interaction there is a time window, where the energy transfer follows a rate regime of the type obtained by ordinary second-order perturbation theory. Finally, the resonant dipole-dipole interaction is shown to give rise to a doublet spectrum of the emitted light for weak atom-field interaction and a triplet spectrum for strong atom-field interaction.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, RevTE

Fractionalized topological insulators from frustrated spin models in three dimensions

We present a theory of three dimensional fractionalized topological insulators in the form of U(1) spin liquids with gapped fermionic spinons in the bulk and topologically protected gapless spinon surface states. Starting from a spin-1/2 model on a pyrochlore lattice, with frustrated antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic exchange interactions, we show that decomposition of the latter interactions, within slave-fermion representation of the spins, can naturally give rise to an emergent spin-orbit coupling for the spinons. This stabilizes a fractionalized topological insulators which also have bulk bond spin-nematic order. Finally, we describe the low energy properties of these states.Comment: 10 page