621 research outputs found
Andreev experiments on superconductor/ferromagnet point contacts
Andreev reflection is a smart tool to investigate the spin polarisation P of
the current through point contacts between a superconductor and a ferromagnet.
We compare different models to extract P from experimental data and investigate
the dependence of P on different contact parameters.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Fizika Nizkikh
Temperatu
Nonmonotonic Decay of Nonequilibrium Polariton Condensate in Direct-Gap Semiconductors
Time evolution of a nonequilibrium polariton condensate has been studied in
the framework of a microscopic approach. It has been shown that due to
polariton-polariton scattering a significant condensate depletion takes place
in a comparatively short time interval. The condensate decay occurs in the form
of multiple echo signals. Distribution-function dynamics of noncondensate
polaritons have been investigated. It has been shown that at the initial stage
of evolution the distribution function has the form of a bell. Then
oscillations arise in the contour of the distribution function, which further
transform into small chaotic ripples. The appearance of a short-wavelength wing
of the distribution function has been demonstrated. We have pointed out the
enhancement and then partial extinction of the sharp extra peak arising within
the time interval characterized by small values of polariton condensate density
and its relatively slow changes.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX 2.09; in press in PR
Local Anisotropy of Fluids using Minkowski Tensors
Statistics of the free volume available to individual particles have
previously been studied for simple and complex fluids, granular matter,
amorphous solids, and structural glasses. Minkowski tensors provide a set of
shape measures that are based on strong mathematical theorems and easily
computed for polygonal and polyhedral bodies such as free volume cells (Voronoi
cells). They characterize the local structure beyond the two-point correlation
function and are suitable to define indices of
local anisotropy. Here, we analyze the statistics of Minkowski tensors for
configurations of simple liquid models, including the ideal gas (Poisson point
process), the hard disks and hard spheres ensemble, and the Lennard-Jones
fluid. We show that Minkowski tensors provide a robust characterization of
local anisotropy, which ranges from for vapor
phases to for ordered solids. We find that for fluids,
local anisotropy decreases monotonously with increasing free volume and
randomness of particle positions. Furthermore, the local anisotropy indices
are sensitive to structural transitions in these simple
fluids, as has been previously shown in granular systems for the transition
from loose to jammed bead packs
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Magnetic-field- and temperature-dependent fermi surface of CeBiPt
The half-Heusler compounds CeBiPt and LaBiPt are semimetals with very low charge-carrier concentrations as evidenced by Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) and Hall-effect measurements. Neutron-scattering results reveal a simple antiferromagnetic structure in CeBiPt below TN = 1.15 K. The band structure of CeBiPt sensitively depends on temperature, magnetic field and stoichiometry. Above a certain, sample-dependent, threshold field (B>25 T), the SdH signal disappears and the Hall coefficient reduces significantly. These effects are absent in the non-4f compound LaBiPt. Electronic-band-structure calculations can well explain the observed behaviour by a 4f-polarization-induced Fermi-surface modification
Recommended from our members
Magnetic-field- and temperature-dependent fermi surface of CeBiPt
The half-Heusler compounds CeBiPt and LaBiPt are semimetals with very low charge-carrier concentrations as evidenced by Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) and Hall-effect measurements. Neutron-scattering results reveal a simple antiferromagnetic structure in CeBiPt below TN = 1.15 K. The band structure of CeBiPt sensitively depends on temperature, magnetic field and stoichiometry. Above a certain, sample-dependent, threshold field (B>25 T), the SdH signal disappears and the Hall coefficient reduces significantly. These effects are absent in the non-4f compound LaBiPt. Electronic-band-structure calculations can well explain the observed behaviour by a 4f-polarization-induced Fermi-surface modification
Global patterns of phosphatase activity in natural soils
Soil phosphatase levels strongly control the biotic pathways of phosphorus (P), an essential element for life, which is often limiting in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated the influence of climatic and soil traits on phosphatase activity in terrestrial systems using metadata analysis from published studies. This is the first analysis of global measurements of phosphatase in natural soils. Our results suggest that organic P (Porg), rather than available P, is the most important P fraction in predicting phosphatase activity. Structural equation modeling using soil total nitrogen (TN), mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, thermal amplitude and total soil carbon as most available predictor variables explained up to 50% of the spatial variance in phosphatase activity. In this analysis, Porg could not be tested and among the rest of available variables, TN was the most important factor explaining the observed spatial gradients in phosphatase activity. On the other hand, phosphatase activity was also found to be associated with climatic conditions and soil type across different biomes worldwide. The close association among different predictors like Porg, TN and precipitation suggest that P recycling is driven by a broad scale pattern of ecosystem productivity capacity
Tunable Multifunctional Topological Insulators in Ternary Heusler Compounds
Recently the Quantum Spin Hall effect (QSH) was theoretically predicted and
experimentally realized in a quantum wells based on binary semiconductor
HgTe[1-3]. QSH state and topological insulators are the new states of quantum
matter interesting both for fundamental condensed matter physics and material
science[1-11]. Many of Heusler compounds with C1b structure are ternary
semiconductors which are structurally and electronically related to the binary
semiconductors. The diversity of Heusler materials opens wide possibilities for
tuning the band gap and setting the desired band inversion by choosing
compounds with appropriate hybridization strength (by lattice parameter) and
the magnitude of spin-orbit coupling (by the atomic charge). Based on the
first-principle calculations we demonstrate that around fifty Heusler compounds
show the band inversion similar to HgTe. The topological state in these
zero-gap semiconductors can be created by applying strain or by designing an
appropriate quantum well structure, similar to the case of HgTe. Many of these
ternary zero-gap semiconductors (LnAuPb, LnPdBi, LnPtSb and LnPtBi) contain the
rare earth element Ln which can realize additional properties ranging from
superconductivity (e. g. LaPtBi[12]) to magnetism (e. g. GdPtBi[13]) and
heavy-fermion behavior (e. g. YbPtBi[14]). These properties can open new
research directions in realizing the quantized anomalous Hall effect and
topological superconductors.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure
Coherence in the Quasi-Particle 'Scattering' by the Vortex Lattice in Pure Type-II Superconductors
The effect of quasi-particle (QP) 'scattering' by the vortex lattice on the
de-Haas van-Alphen oscillations in a pure type-II superconductor is
investigated within mean field,asymptotic perturbation theory. Using a 2D
electron gas model it is shown that, due to a strict phase coherence in the
many-particle correlation functions, the 'scattering' effect in the asymptotic
limit () is much weaker than what is predicted
by the random vortex lattice model proposed by Maki and Stephen, which destroys
this coherence . The coherent many particle configuration is a collinear array
of many particle coordinates, localized within a spatial region with size of
the order of the magnetic length. The amplitude of the magnetization
oscillations is sharply damped just below because of strong
out of phase magnetic oscillations in the superconducting
condensation energy ,which tend to cancel the normal electron oscillations.
Within the ideal 2D model used it is found, however, that because of the
relative smallness of the quartic and higher order terms in the expansion, the
oscillations amplitude at lower fields does not really damp to zero, but only
reverses sign and remains virtually undamped well below . This
conclusion may be changed if disorder in the vortex lattice, or vortex lines
motion will be taken into account. The reduced QP 'scattering' effect may be
responsible for the apparent crossover from a strong damping of the dHvA
oscillations just below to a weaker damping at lower fields observed
experimentally in several 3D superconductors.Comment: 26 pages, Revtex no Figure
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