CoFeB Thickness Dependence of Thermal Stability Factor in CoFeB/MgO Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

Thermal stability factor (delta) of recording layer was studied in perpendicular anisotropy CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) with various CoFeB recording layer thicknesses and junction sizes. In all series of p-MTJs with different thicknesses, delta is virtually independent of the junction sizes of 48-81 nm in diameter. The values of delta increase linearly with increasing the recording layer thickness. The slope of the linear fit is explained well by a model based on nucleation type magnetization reversal.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

High-Q bismuth silicate nonlinear glass microsphere resonators

The fabrication and characterization of a bismuth-silicate glass microsphere resonator has been demonstrated. At wavelengths near 1550 nm, high-modes can be efficiently excited in a 179 µm diameter bismuth-silicate glass microsphere via evanescent coupling using a tapered silica fiber with a waist diameter of circa 2 µm. Resonances with Q-factors as high as were observed. The dependence of the spectral response on variations in the input power level was studied in detail to gain an insight into power-dependent thermal resonance shifts. Because of their high nonlinearity and high- factors, bismuth-silicate glass microspheres offer the potential for robustly assembled fully integrated all-optical switching devices

Organotypic Tissue Culture of Adult Rodent Retina Followed by Particle-Mediated Acute Gene Transfer In Vitro

BACKGROUND: Organotypic tissue culture of adult rodent retina with an acute gene transfer that enables the efficient introduction of variable transgenes would greatly facilitate studies into retinas of adult rodents as animal models. However, it has been a difficult challenge to culture adult rodent retina. The purpose of this present study was to develop organotypic tissue culture of adult rodent retina followed by particle-mediated acute gene transfer in vitro. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We established an interphase organotypic tissue culture for adult rat retinas (>P35 of age) which was optimized from that used for adult rabbit retinas. We implemented three optimizations: a greater volume of Ames' medium (>26 mL) per retina, a higher speed (constant 55 rpm) of agitation by rotary shaker, and a greater concentration (10%) of horse serum in the medium. We also successfully applied this method to adult mouse retina (>P35 of age). The organotypic tissue culture allowed us to keep adult rodent retina morphologically and structurally intact for at least 4 days. However, mouse retinas showed less viability after 4-day culture. Electrophysiologically, ganglion cells in cultured rat retina were able to generate action potentials, but exhibited less reliable light responses. After transfection of EGFP plasmids by particle-mediated acute gene transfer, we observed EGFP-expressing retinal ganglion cells as early as 1 day of culture. We also introduced polarized-targeting fusion proteins such as PSD95-GFP and melanopsin-EYFP (hOPN4-EYFP) into rat retinal ganglion cells. These fusion proteins were successfully transferred into appropriate locations on individual retinal neurons. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This organotypic culture method is largely applicable to rat retinas, but it can be also applied to mouse retinas with a caveat regarding cell viability. This method is quite flexible for use in acute gene transfection in adult rodent retina, replacing molecular biological bioassays that used to be conducted in isolated cultured cells

ESR investigation on the Breather mode and the Spinon-Breather dynamical crossover in Cu Benzoate

A new elementary-excitation, the so called "breather excitation", is observed directly by millimeter-submillimeter wave electron spin resonance (ESR) in the Heisenberg quantum spin-chain Cu benzoate, in which a field-induced gap is found recently by specific heat and neutron scattering measurements. Distinct anomalies were found in line width and in resonance field around the "dynamical crossover" regime between the gap-less spinon-regime and the gapped breather-regime. When the temperature becomes sufficiently lower than the energy gap, a new ESR-line with very narrow line-width is found, which is the manifestation of the breather excitation. The non-linear field dependence of the resonance field agrees well with the theoretical formula of the first breather-excitation proposed by Oshikawa and Affleck. The present work establishes experimentally for the first time that a sine-Gordon model is applicable to explain spin dynamics in a S=1/2 Heisenberg spin chain subjected to staggered field even in high fields.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Absolute photoionization cross section measurements of the Kr I-isoelectronic sequence

Photoionization spectra have been recorded in the 4s, 4p and 3d resonance regions for the Kr Iisoelectronic sequence using both the dual laser produced plasma technique (at DCU) to produce photoabsorption spectra, and the merged ion beam and synchrotron radiation technique (at ASTRID) to measure absolute photoionization cross sections. Profile parameters are compared for the 4s − np resonances of Rb+ and Sr2+. Many new 4p " ns, md transitions are identified with the aid of Hartree-Fock calculations, and consistent quantum defects are observed for the various ns and md Rydberg series. Absolute single and double photoionization cross sections recorded in the 3d region for Rb+ and Sr2+ ions show preferential decay via double photoionization. This is only the second report where both the DLP technique and the merged beam technique have been used simultaneously to record photoionization spectra, and the advantages of both techniques (i.e. better resolution in the case of DLP and values for absolute photoionization cross sections in the case of the merged beam technique) are highlighted

On the Formation of Copper Linear Atomic Suspended Chains

We report high resolution transmission electron microscopy and classical molecular dynamics simulation results of mechanically stretching copper nanowires conducting to linear atomic suspended chains (LACs) formation. In contrast with some previous experimental and theoretical work in literature that stated that the formation of LACs for copper should not exist our results showed the existence of LAC for the [111], [110], and [100] crystallographic directions, being thus the sequence of most probable occurence.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Production and trapping of carbon clusters for absolute mass measurements at ISOLTRAP

Singly-charged carbon clusters C/sub n//sup +/ (n >or= 1) have been produced by laser-induced desorption and fragmentation of C/sub 60/ fullerenes and have been injected into and stored in the Penning trap system of the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer at ISOLDE/CERN. The present study is the first step to extend the until now direct mass measurements at ISOLTRAP to absolute mass measurements by using clusters of /sup 12/C. (10 refs)

Effects of guanidine on synaptic transmission in the spinal cord of the frog

The effects of guanidine on motoneurons of the isolated frog spinal cord were studied by adding the drug to the solution bathing the cord during intracellular recording. Guanidine (5·10–4 M) did not alter the membrane potential of motoneurons. The main effect was a marked increase of the amplitudes and frequencies of small spontaneously occurring inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. The hyperpolarizing component of postsynaptic potentials evoked by stimulation of dorsal roots was also enhanced by guanidine. Higher concentrations of guanidine (5·10–3 M) resulted in a very large and irreversible increase of the small spontaneously occurring inhibitory potentials, which now appeared in a regular, rhythmic pattern. The effects of guanidine could easily be blocked by increasing the magnesium ions (15 mM) in the bath solution. These results indicate that guanidine facilitates the release of an inhibitory transmitter in afferent terminals of the frog spinal cord either by a direct action on these terminals or indirectly by an action on nerve endings impinging on inhibitory interneurons