Stem-root flow effect on soil–atmosphere interactions and uncertainty assessments

Abstract. Soil water can rapidly enter deeper layers via vertical redistribution of soil water through the stem–root flow mechanism. This study develops the stem–root flow parameterization scheme and coupled this scheme with the Simplified Simple Biosphere model (SSiB) to analyze its effects on land–atmospheric interactions. The SSiB model was tested in a single column mode using the Lien Hua Chih (LHC) measurements conducted in Taiwan and HAPEX-Mobilhy (HAPEX) measurements in France. The results show that stem–root flow generally caused a decrease in the moisture content at the top soil layer and moistened the deeper soil layers. Such soil moisture redistribution results in significant changes in heat flux exchange between land and atmosphere. In the humid environment at LHC, the stem–root flow effect on transpiration was minimal, and the main influence on energy flux was through reduced soil evaporation that led to higher soil temperature and greater sensible heat flux. In the Mediterranean environment of HAPEX, the stem–root flow significantly affected plant transpiration and soil evaporation, as well as associated changes in canopy and soil temperatures. However, the effect on transpiration could either be positive or negative depending on the relative changes in the moisture content of the top soil vs. deeper soil layers due to stem–root flow and soil moisture diffusion processes

Mechanical modulation of single-electron tunneling through molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles

We present a microscopic study of single-electron tunneling in nanomechanical double-barrier tunneling junctions formed using a vibrating scanning nanoprobe and a metallic nanoparticle connected to a metallic substrate through a molecular bridge. We analyze the motion of single electrons on and off the nanoparticle through the tunneling current, the displacement current and the charging-induced electrostatic force on the vibrating nanoprobe. We demonstrate the mechanical single-electron turnstile effect by applying the theory to a gold nanoparticle connected to the gold substrate through alkane dithiol molecular bridge and probed by a vibrating platinum tip.Comment: Accepted by Phys. Rev.

Microscopic theory of single-electron tunneling through molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles

We present a microscopic theory of single-electron tunneling through metallic nanoparticles connected to the electrodes through molecular bridges. It combines the theory of electron transport through molecular junctions with the description of the charging dynamics on the nanoparticles. We apply the theory to study single-electron tunneling through a gold nanoparticle connected to the gold electrodes through two representative benzene-based molecules. We calculate the background charge on the nanoparticle induced by the charge transfer between the nanoparticle and linker molecules, the capacitance and resistance of molecular junction using a first-principles based Non-Equilibrium Green's Function theory. We demonstrate the variety of transport characteristics that can be achieved through ``engineering'' of the metal-molecule interaction.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.

Tunneling through magnetic molecules with arbitrary angle between easy axis and magnetic field

Inelastic tunneling through magnetically anisotropic molecules is studied theoretically in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Since the molecular orientation is not well controlled in tunneling experiments, we consider arbitrary angles between easy axis and field. This destroys all conservation laws except that of charge, leading to a rich fine structure in the differential conductance. Besides single molecules we also study monolayers of molecules with either aligned or random easy axes. We show that detailed information on the molecular transitions and orientations can be obtained from the differential conductance for varying magnetic field. For random easy axes, averaging over orientations leads to van Hove singularities in the differential conductance. Rate equations in the sequential-tunneling approximation are employed. An efficient approximation for their solution for complex molecules is presented. The results are applied to Mn12-based magnetic molecules.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures include

First-principles and model simulation of all-optical spin reversal

All-optical spin switching is a potential trailblazer for information storage and communication at an unprecedented fast rate and free of magnetic fields. However, the current wisdom is largely based on semiempirical models of effective magnetic fields and heat pulses, so it is difficult to provide high-speed design protocols for actual devices. Here, we carry out a massively parallel first-principles and model calculation for thirteen spin systems and magnetic layers, free of any effective field, to establish a simpler and alternative paradigm of laser-induced ultrafast spin reversal and to point out a path to a full-integrated photospintronic device. It is the interplay of the optical selection rule and sublattice spin orderings that underlines seemingly irreconcilable helicity-dependent/independent switchings. Using realistic experimental parameters, we predict that strong ferrimagnets, in particular, Laves phase C15 rare-earth alloys, meet the telecommunication energy requirement of 10 fJ, thus allowing a cost-effective subpicosecond laser to switch spin in the GHz region.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures and one tabl