Green's Function Method for Line Defects and Gapless Modes in Topological Insulators : Beyond Semiclassical Approach

Defects which appear in heterostructure junctions involving topological insulators are sources of gapless modes governing the low energy properties of the systems, as recently elucidated by Teo and Kane [Physical Review B82, 115120 (2010)]. A standard approach for the calculation of topological invariants associated with defects is to deal with the spatial inhomogeneity raised by defects within a semiclassical approximation. In this paper, we propose a full quantum formulation for the topological invariants characterizing line defects in three-dimensional insulators with no symmetry by using the Green's function method. On the basis of the full quantum treatment, we demonstrate the existence of a nontrivial topological invariant in the topological insulator-ferromagnet tri-junction systems, for which a semiclassical approximation fails to describe the topological phase. Also, our approach enables us to study effects of electron-electron interactions and impurity scattering on topological insulators with spatial inhomogeneity which gives rise to the Axion electrodynamics responses.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Comment on `Equilibrium crystal shape of the Potts model at the first-order transition point'

We comment on the article by Fujimoto (1997 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen., Vol. 30, 3779), where the exact equilibrium crystal shape (ECS) in the critical Q-state Potts model on the square lattice was calculated, and its equivalence with ECS in the Ising model was established. We confirm these results, giving their alternative derivation applying the transformation properties of the one-particle dispersion relation in the six-vertex model. It is shown, that this dispersion relation is identical with that in the Ising model on the square lattice.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX2

Carbon burning in intermediate mass primordial stars

The evolution of a zero metallicity 9 M_s star is computed, analyzed and compared with that of a solar metallicity star of identical ZAMS mass. Our computations range from the main sequence until the formation of a massive oxygen-neon white dwarf. Special attention has been payed to carbon burning in conditions of partial degeneracy as well as to the subsequent thermally pulsing Super-AGB phase. The latter develops in a fashion very similar to that of a solar metallicity 9 M_s star, as a consequence of the significant enrichment in metals of the stellar envelope that ensues due to the so-called third dredge-up episode. The abundances in mass of the main isotopes in the final ONe core resulting from the evolution are X(^{16}O) approx 0.59, X(^{20}Ne) approx 0.28 and X(^{24}Mg) approx 0.05. This core is surrounded by a 0.05 M_s buffer mainly composed of carbon and oxygen, and on top of it a He envelope of mass 10^{-4} M_sComment: 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Unambiguous probe of parity-mixing of Cooper pairs in noncentrosymmetric superconductors

We propose an experimental scheme to detect unambiguously parity-mxing of Cooper pairs in noncentrosymmetric superconductors, which utilizes crossed Andreev reflection processes between two oppositely spin-polarized normal metal leads and a noncentrosymmetric superconductor. It is demonstrated that a non-local conductance exhibits a clear signature of parity breaking of Cooper pairs, and thus, can be a direct probe for the parity-mixing.Comment: 4 pages, 2figure

Numerical Evaluation of Feynman Integrals by a Direct Computation Method

A purely numerical method, Direct ComputationMethod is applied to evaluate Feynman integrals. This method is based on the combination of an efficient numerical integration and an efficient extrapolation. In addition, high-precision arithmetic and parallelization technique can be used in this method if required. We present the recent progress in development of this method and show results such as one-loop 5-point and two-loop 3-point integrals.Comment: 5 pages,9 figures, LaTeX, PoS style; ACAT2008, XII International Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research, Erice, Sicily, Italy November 3-7, 200

XMM-Newton observation of the ULIRG NGC 6240: The physical nature of the complex Fe K line emission

We report on an XMM-Newton observation of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy NGC 6240. The 0.3-10 keV spectrum can be successfully modelled with: (i) three collisionally ionized plasma components with temperatures of about 0.7, 1.4, and 5.5 keV; (ii) a highly absorbed direct power-law component; and (iii) a neutral Fe K_alpha and K_beta line. We detect a significant neutral column density gradient which is correlated with the temperature of the three plasma components. Combining the XMM-Newton spectral model with the high spatial resolution Chandra image we find that the temperatures and the column densities increase towards the center. With high significance, the Fe K line complex is resolved into three distinct narrow lines: (i) the neutral Fe K_alpha line at 6.4 keV; (ii) an ionized line at about 6.7 keV; and (iii) a higher ionized line at 7.0 keV (a blend of the Fe XXVI and the Fe K_beta line). While the neutral Fe K line is most probably due to reflection from optically thick material, the Fe XXV and Fe XXVI emission arises from the highest temperature ionized plasma component. We have compared the plasma parameters of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy NGC 6240 with those found in the local starburst galaxy NGC 253. We find a striking similarity in the plasma temperatures and column density gradients, suggesting a similar underlying physical process at work in both galaxies.Comment: 8 pages including 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Transport Properties of the One Dimensional Ferromagnetic Kondo Lattice Model : A Qualitative Approach to Oxide Manganites

The transport properties of the ferromagnetic Kondo lattice model in one dimension are studied via bosonization methods. The antiferromagnetic fluctuations, which normally appear because of the RKKY interactions, are explicitly taken into account as a direct exchange between the ``core'' spins. It is shown that in the paramagnetic regime with the local antiferromagnetic fluctuations, the resistivity decays exponentially as the temperature increases while in the ferromagnetic regime the system is an almost perfect conductor. %A non-perturbative description of localized spin polarons %in the paramagnetic region is obtained. The effect of a weak applied field is discussed to be reduced to the case of the ferromagnetic state leading to band splitting. The qualitative relevance of the results for the problem of the Oxide Manganites is emphasized.Comment: 4 pages, REVTe