Theory of Disordered Itinerant Ferromagnets I: Metallic Phase

A comprehensive theory for electronic transport in itinerant ferromagnets is developed. We first show that the Q-field theory used previously to describe a disordered Fermi liquid also has a saddle-point solution that describes a ferromagnet in a disordered Stoner approximation. We calculate transport coefficients and thermodynamic susceptibilities by expanding about the saddle point to Gaussian order. At this level, the theory generalizes previous RPA-type theories by including quenched disorder. We then study soft-mode effects in the ferromagnetic state in a one-loop approximation. In three-dimensions, we find that the spin waves induce a square-root frequency dependence of the conductivity, but not of the density of states, that is qualitatively the same as the usual weak-localization effect induced by the diffusive soft modes. In contrast to the weak-localization anomaly, this effect persists also at nonzero temperatures. In two-dimensions, however, the spin waves do not lead to a logarithmic frequency dependence. This explains experimental observations in thin ferromagnetic films, and it provides a basis for the construction of a simple effective field theory for the transition from a ferromagnetic metal to a ferromagnetic insulator.Comment: 15pp., REVTeX, 2 eps figs, final version as publishe

Effect of farnesol on Candida dubliniensis morphogenesis

Cell–cell signalling in Candida albicans is a known phenomenon and farnesol was identified as a quorum sensing molecule determining the yeast morphology. The aim of this work was to verify if farnesol had a similar effect on Candida dubliniensis, highlighting the effect of farnesol on Candida spp. morphogenesis. Methods and Results: Two different strains of C. dubliniensis and one of C. albicans were grown both in RPMI 1640 and in serum in the presence of absence of farnesol. At 150 μmol l -1 farnesol the growth rate of both Candida species was not affected. On the contrary, farnesol inhibited hyphae and pseudohyphae formation in C. dubliniensis. Conclusion: Farnesol seems to mediate cell morphology in both Candida species. Significance and Impact of the Study: The effect of farnesol on C. dubliniensis morphology was not reported previously.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Conductivity in quasi two-dimensional systems

The conductivity in quasi two-dimensional systems is calculated using the quantum kinetic equation. Linearizing the Lenard-Balescu collision integral with the extension to include external field dependences allows one to calculate the conductivity with diagrams beyond the GW approximation including maximally crossed lines. Consequently the weak localization correction as an interference effect appears here from the field dependence of the collision integral (the latter dependence sometimes called intra-collisional field effect). It is shown that this weak localization correction has the same origin as the Debye-Onsager relaxation effect in plasma physics. The approximation is applied to a system of quasi two-dimensional electrons in hetero-junctions which interact with charged and neutral impurities and the low temperature correction to the conductivity is calculated analytically. It turns out that the dynamical screening due to charged impurities leads to a linear temperature dependence, while the scattering from neutral impurities leads to the usual Fermi-liquid behavior. By considering an appropriate mass action law to determine the ratio of charged to neutral impurities we can describe the experimental metal-insulator transition at low temperatures as a Mott-Hubbard transition.Comment: 7 pages 7 pages appendix 11 figure