Periodically driven topological non-interacting and interacting quantum lattice systems

Periodically driven quantum lattice systems are nowadays reachable in the laboratory. Those systems, which can host exotic non-equilibrium phases and phenomena, attract intensive theoretical studies. In this thesis, we use field theoretical Keldysh-Floquet methods to study periodically driven topological lattice systems, especially the non-interacting and interacting Rice-Mele models that can support topological transports. With the theoretical understanding of the periodically driven topological phases, we found dissipative stabilized quantized non-adiabatic charge pumps in a non-interacting lattice model. This dissipative charge pump is observed in the wave-guide experiments. Further, we studied the strongly correlated driven topological lattice systems through the non-equilibrium Floquet-Keldysh dynamical mean-field theory. In our studies, we covered the adiabatic to high-frequency regimes and weakly interacting to strongly interacting regimes for the interacting systems. This may give us a qualitative picture of the strongly correlated quantum phases in periodically driven topological lattice models

Duality

My inspiration for this project comes from a Chinese novel named from 1947 titled Fortress Besieged that refers to marriage as like a city: those who are outside want to get in, and those who are inside want to get out. There are two sides to every marriage—and obviously not only marriage, but everything in the world has more than one face. While this duality is indispensable to humanity, it also brings us serious problems. My work was completed and my thoughts were expressed through sharply contrasting colors and materials. It is said in Tagore’s book Stray Birds that “God’s right hand is gentle, but terrible is his left hand.” Nothing is stationary in the world and everything has two sides, satisfactory and barely acceptable. Leo Tolstoy said “All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.” I agree with him, because shadow is not a necessity for brightness, but you must go through it to understand the brightness. Light and shadow, success and failure, joy and pain, brilliant with dark, peak and trough... There are always two sides to everything. I want to use opposing colors and materials to create my jewelry and to help me express that everything has two opposite sides. I want to create jewelry that is a combination of metal wire and fabric. I want to use the elements of fashion design to create jewelry. Jewelry is not only for luxury but can be for a part of your body. There are three reasons that I chose fabric with which to create my jewelry. First, the properties of metal and fabric are opposites, with one being hard and the other being soft, and in combination they express the duality present throughout our world. Second, I want to evoke strong reactions from viewers when they realize that jewelry is not only a kind of metal decoration. Third, I want to use elements of fashion design to create my jewelry. Also, I have two reasons for using metal wire. The first is that I would like to make some simple jewelry. While “simple” doesn’t mean easy here, it is a kind of a succinct style. Second, the metal wire is not very expensive and I hope my jewelry can be wearable for many people. I hope through my jewelry people will have a feeling that everything has two sides

The cultural construction of Chinese universities based on the perspective of Confucian cultural practice

Culture is a source of national cohesion and creativity. In the context of China's national political orientation and higher education development, it has become increasingly important to address the formation of university campus culture, as both a link to cultural tradition and a basis for educating people in the present. The development of Chinese universities has been influenced on the one hand by Chinese culture, especially Confucian culture, and on the other hand by Western universities. However, the integration of Chinese culture and education in universities has not been ideal. Almost all Chinese universities have transplanted higher education systems from the Western English-speaking world, and most of them have not yet formed their own characteristics in development and governance. Hence the role and nature of traditional practices, and their relationship with Western practices, is a subject of great significance in the evolution of Chinese higher education. This dissertation investigates the practice of Confucian culture in universities in China and reviews the cultural origin, construction and improvement of Chinese universities. This study starts with the concepts of Confucian culture and Chinese university campus culture. It then sets down the methodology, which rests on an interpretive epistemology and constructivist approach. The study combines literature-based research and archival research methods, with qualitative interviews in two universities where understanding of Confucian ideas is relatively advanced: Peking University and Qufu Normal University. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with eight staff from these two institutions. Three levels of coding and text analysis were carried out in relation to the primary data. The study finds that both Chinese and Western practices emphasized similar functions of university education in the development of Chinese universities. However there was also a collision between Confucian family-based working structures and academic independence, and a conflict between Confucian values of moderation and Western ideas of competition and innovation. The study goes on to summarize the role of Confucian cultural practices in Chinese universities, in relation to teaching and learning, the campus environment, and organization and management. Looking at the specific practices of Peking University and Qufu Normal University, it identifies beneficial attempts to integrate Confucian culture into Chinese universities, including the establishment of Confucian research institutes (see Appendix H and I), and the integration of Confucian culture into classes and practical activities. At the same time, it also reflects on a series of problems that have arisen. Some college students have little sense of identity with Confucian culture, and the connection between Confucian culture and the curriculum is not always well established. Finally, based on the above findings, this study discusses how to improve the contribution of Confucian cultural practice in Chinese universities

Synthesis, Characterisation and Transition Metal Ion Complexation Studies of “Pocket-Like” Imine and Amide Derivatives

New families of [1+2] and [1+3] acyclic Schiff-base (imine) ligands using both di- or tri-aldehyde compounds and a variety of primary amines as precursors were prepared and fully characterised. These acyclic ligands have several extra functional groups attached, such as an OH or pyridine or imidazole rings. The imine ligands were prepared by using anhydrous magnesium sulphate and DCM/CHCl3 solution in order to prevent potential hydrolysis from occurring. Four imine ligands, due to the presence of four different primary amines (2-, 3- or 4-aminomethylpyridine and 3-aminopropylimidazole (APIM)), were formed from the various aldehydes in each of the sections in this thesis. The aldehydes chosen for this study included 4-tert-2,6-benzenedicarboxyaldehyde, 2,5-diformyl-1,4-dihydroxybenzene, 5,5'-methylene-bis-salicylaldehyde and 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol as well as pyridine-2,6-dicarboxaldhyde. These ligands were reacted with various MX2 salts (M = Cu, Ni, Zn, Co and Hg, and X = chloride, acetate and perchlorate). The metal complexation reactions were carried out in MeOH solution with stirring for about 2 hours. In the case of most complexation reactions, highly coloured precipitates were formed immediately. All ligands were characterised by a combination of NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy and either mass spectrometry or elemental analyses. The metal complexes were analysed by NMR spectroscopy (where appropriate), IR spectroscopy, magnetic moments and elemental analyses. Despite all our efforts, no crystals, suitable for an X-ray crystallographic study, were obtained. In several cases, the formation of polymeric materials was obtained which made the determination of structures of those complexes difficult

Exploring Chinese international students\u27 understanding of quality education in China and a constructivist approach in Canada.

This study explores 15 Chinese international students\u27 perceptions and concerns regarding Chinese traditional education, Canadian education, and the Quality Education reform in China conducted by means of an ethnographic research method. Data was collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Students\u27 learning experiences in both China and Canada and knowledge of the Quality Education reform program in China help us to understand this large-scale and ongoing educational reform and indicate some issues with and lend some suggestions to the implementation of the reform from a unique perspective. These findings reveal that the difference between Chinese education and Canadian education as experienced by the Chinese international students is mainly due to the contrast between the traditional or transmission model and the constructivist model. The constructivist approach in Canada has some links to the Quality Education reform in China and can serve as a guiding ideology to orient the reform and solve some problems with its implementation as suggested by the Chinese international students. It is suggested that the Chinese government should refer to the constructivist philosophy to conduct fundamental changes on the current educational evaluation system and exam system. The student-centeredness of constructivist philosophy should be introduced to guide the shifting of the traditional educational philosophy. This study helps Chinese international students to become more aware of different teaching styles in China and Canada, and provides a possible way to promote the Quality Education reform. As well, it informs Canadian professors about traditional thoughts held by Chinese international students and the current significant educational reform in China. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, page: 1092. Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005

Synthesis, Characterisation and Transition Metal Ion Complexation Studies of “Pocket-Like” Imine and Amide Derivatives

New families of [1+2] and [1+3] acyclic Schiff-base (imine) ligands using both di- or tri-aldehyde compounds and a variety of primary amines as precursors were prepared and fully characterised. These acyclic ligands have several extra functional groups attached, such as an OH or pyridine or imidazole rings. The imine ligands were prepared by using anhydrous magnesium sulphate and DCM/CHCl3 solution in order to prevent potential hydrolysis from occurring. Four imine ligands, due to the presence of four different primary amines (2-, 3- or 4-aminomethylpyridine and 3-aminopropylimidazole (APIM)), were formed from the various aldehydes in each of the sections in this thesis. The aldehydes chosen for this study included 4-tert-2,6-benzenedicarboxyaldehyde, 2,5-diformyl-1,4-dihydroxybenzene, 5,5'-methylene-bis-salicylaldehyde and 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol as well as pyridine-2,6-dicarboxaldhyde. These ligands were reacted with various MX2 salts (M = Cu, Ni, Zn, Co and Hg, and X = chloride, acetate and perchlorate). The metal complexation reactions were carried out in MeOH solution with stirring for about 2 hours. In the case of most complexation reactions, highly coloured precipitates were formed immediately. All ligands were characterised by a combination of NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy and either mass spectrometry or elemental analyses. The metal complexes were analysed by NMR spectroscopy (where appropriate), IR spectroscopy, magnetic moments and elemental analyses. Despite all our efforts, no crystals, suitable for an X-ray crystallographic study, were obtained. In several cases, the formation of polymeric materials was obtained which made the determination of structures of those complexes difficult