Electronic spin-triplet nematic with a twist

We analyze a model of itinerant electrons interacting through a quadrupole density-density repulsion in three dimensions. At the mean field level, the interaction drives a continuous Pomeranchuk instability towards $d$-wave, spin-triplet nematic order, which simultaneously breaks the SU(2) spin-rotation and spatial rotational symmetries. This order results in spin antisymmetric, elliptical deformations of the Fermi surfaces of up and down spins. We show that the effects of quantum fluctuations are similar to those in metallic ferromagnets, rendering the nematic transition first-order at low temperatures. Using the fermionic quantum order-by-disorder approach to self-consistently calculate fluctuations around possible modulated states, we show that the first-order transition is pre-empted by the formation of a nematic state that is intertwined with a helical modulation in spin space. Such a state is closely related to $d$-wave bond density wave order in square-lattice systems. Moreover, we show that it may coexist with a modulated, $p$-wave superconducting state.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

The role of fluctuations near antiferromagnetic and spin-triplet nematic quantum critical points

The formation of exotic orders in the vicinity of magnetic quantum critical points is a promising research field. Particularly motivating is the discovery of high temperature superconductors with novel ordering symmetries. In this thesis we extend the fermionic quantum order by disorder approach to analyse phase formation in the vicinity of antiferromagnetic and spin-triplet nematic quantum critical points. We first investigate a fundamental model for itinerant antiferromagnetism. Already at mean field level this model exhibits exciting behaviour. Nesting and van-Hove physics drive incommensurate order and a discontinuous transition to the antiferromagnetic phase. These phenomena can be related to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state of superconductivity. Additional phenomena are driven by fluctuations. Applying the fermionic order by disorder approach we discover a multitude of phases. In addition to the antiferromagnetic order we consider d-wave superconductivity and d-wave bond density wave order. Finally, we analyse mode-mode coupling between all pairs of these three orders. The resulting phase diagram is in qualitative agreement with experimental findings in cuprate superconductors and offers an alternative perspective to the standard theoretical approaches. In the absence of an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point we instead consider superconducting order driven by ferromagnetic spin fluctuations. We analyse a model for spin-triplet nematic order and investigate its susceptibility to the formation of spatially modulated nematic order, fluctuation driven p-wave superconductivity and composite pair density wave order. Here, the presence of spin-triplet nematic order enhances the superconducting transition temperature dramatically

Mikrosimulationen zur Abschätzung von Entwicklungen von Bildungsabschlüssen. Der Versuch eines Plädoyers.

Die Soziologie ist nicht nur eine multiparadigmatisch angelegte Wissenschaft, sie hat in ihrer Genese auch zahlreiche methodische Ansätze hervorgebracht. Nicht nur die Unterscheidung zwischen qualitativer und quantitativer Methode ist hierbei entscheidend. Innerhalb des jeweiligen Forschungsparadigmas haben sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten wiederum die methodischen Herangehensweisen derart ausdifferenziert, dass ein umfassendes Lehrbuch, welches beiden empirischen Methoden halbwegs gerecht werden will, weit mehr als tausend Seiten umfassen muss. Hinzu kommt, dass durch den technischen Fortschritt immer größere Daten erfasst und ausgewertet werden können. Für den Bereich der quantitativen Methode gilt, dass noch nie so viele Datensätze, mit einer zum größten Teil hohen Datenqualität, zur Verfügung standen, die mit den verschiedensten und noch so komplexen (auch mehrstufigen) Auswertungsverfahren bearbeitet werden können. Die Zeit für den Einsatz von Mikrosimulationen könnte folglich besser kaum sein. Interessanterweise findet eine Anwendung von Mikrosimulationen, zumindest in der deutschsprachigen Soziologie, mit wenigen Ausnahmen nicht statt. Mikrosimulationen werden zwar tatsächlich immer häufiger angewendet, allerdings geschieht dies fast ausschließlich innerhalb großer Forschungsinstitute im Rahmen der Politikberatung als Folgeabschätzung politischer Reformen.Im Beitrag wird genau das thematisiert. Neben einer methodologischen Einordnung der Mikrosimulation, der Skizze der wichtigsten Prinzipien und der Präsentation ausgewählter Ergebnisse über die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Bildungsexpansion und demographischem Wandel aus einem abgeschlossenen Dissertationsvorhaben, soll auch das Fehlen dieser Methode im Köcher der soziologischen Forschungsmethoden diskutiert werden.

Photoelectrochemical Conditioning of MOVPE p-InP Films for Light-Induced Hydrogen Evolution: Chemical, Electronic and Optical Properties

Homoepitaxial p-InP(100) thin films prepared by MOVPE (metallorganic vapor phase epitaxy) were transformed into an InP/oxide-phosphate/Rh heterostructure by photoelectrochemical conditioning. Surface sensitive synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy indicates the formation of a mixed oxide constituted by In(PO_3)_3, InPO_4 and In_(2)O_3 as nominal components during photo-electrochemical activation. The operation of these films as hydrogen evolving photocathode proved a light-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency of 14.5%. Surface activation arises from a shift of the semiconductor electron affinity by 0.44 eV by formation of In-Cl interfacial dipoles with a density of about 10^(12) cm^(−2). Predominant local In2O3-like structures in the oxide introduce resonance states near the semiconductor conduction band edge imparting electron conductivity to the phosphate matrix. Surface reflectance investigations indicate an enhanced light-coupling in the layered architecture

Time resolved in situ spectroscopy during formation of the GaP Si 100 heterointerface

Though III V Si 100 heterointerfaces are essential for future epitaxial high performance devices, their atomic structure is an open historical question. Benchmarking of transient optical in situ spectroscopy during chemical vapor deposition to chemical analysis by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy enables us to distinguish between formation of surfaces and of the heterointerface. A terrace related optical anisotropy signal evolves during pulsed GaP nucleation on single domain Si 100 surfaces. This dielectric anisotropy agrees well with the one calculated for buried GaP Si 100 interfaces from differently thick GaP epilayers. X ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a chemically shifted contribution of the P and Si emission lines, which quantitatively corresponds to one monolayer and establishes simultaneously with the nucleation related optical in situ signal. We attribute that contribution to the existence of Si P bonds at the buried heterointerface. During further pulsing and annealing in phosphorus ambient, dielectric anisotropies known from atomically well ordered GaP 100 surfaces super impose the nucleation related optical in situ spectra. Figure Presente

β-thymosins and interstitial lung disease: study of a scleroderma cohort with a one-year follow-up

Background: beta-thymosins play roles in cytoskeleton rearrangement, angiogenesis, fibrosis and reparative process, thus suggesting a possible involvement in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of thymosins beta(4), beta(4) sulfoxide, and beta(10) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of scleroderma patients with interstitial lung disease and the relation of these factors with pulmonary functional and radiological parameters. Methods: beta-thymosins concentrations were determined by Reverse Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray-Mass Spectrometry in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of 46 scleroderma patients with lung involvement and of 15 controls. Results: Thymosin beta(4), beta(4) sulfoxide, and beta(10) were detectable in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients and controls. Thymosin beta(4) levels were significantly higher in scleroderma patients than in controls. In addition, analyzing the progression of scleroderma lung disease at one-year follow-up, we have found that higher thymosin beta(4) levels seem to have a protective role against lung tissue damage. Thymosin beta(4) sulfoxide levels were higher in the smokers and in the scleroderma patients with alveolitis. Conclusions: We describe for the first time beta-thymosins in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of scleroderma lung disease. Thymosin beta(4) seems to have a protective role against lung tissue damage, while its oxidation product mirrors an alveolar inflammatory statu

Resonant Lifetime of Core-Excited Organic Adsorbates from First Principles

We investigate by first-principles simulations the resonant electron-transfer lifetime from the excited state of an organic adsorbate to a semiconductor surface, namely isonicotinic acid on rutile TiO$_2$(110). The molecule-substrate interaction is described using density functional theory, while the effect of a truly semi-infinite substrate is taken into account by Green's function techniques. Excitonic effects due to the presence of core-excited atoms in the molecule are shown to be instrumental to understand the electron-transfer times measured using the so-called core-hole-clock technique. In particular, for the isonicotinic acid on TiO$_2$(110), we find that the charge injection from the LUMO is quenched since this state lies within the substrate band gap. We compute the resonant charge-transfer times from LUMO+1 and LUMO+2, and systematically investigate the dependence of the elastic lifetimes of these states on the alignment among adsorbate and substrate states.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Journal of Physical Chemistry

The {\eta}'-carbon potential at low meson momenta

The production of $\eta^\prime$ mesons in coincidence with forward-going protons has been studied in photon-induced reactions on $^{12}$C and on a liquid hydrogen (LH$_2$) target for incoming photon energies of 1.3-2.6 GeV at the electron accelerator ELSA. The $\eta^\prime$ mesons have been identified via the $\eta^\prime\rightarrow \pi^0 \pi^0\eta \rightarrow 6 \gamma$ decay registered with the CBELSA/TAPS detector system. Coincident protons have been identified in the MiniTAPS BaF$_2$ array at polar angles of $2^{\circ} \le \theta _{p} \le 11^{\circ}$. Under these kinematic constraints the $\eta^\prime$ mesons are produced with relatively low kinetic energy ($\approx$ 150 MeV) since the coincident protons take over most of the momentum of the incident-photon beam. For the C-target this allows the determination of the real part of the $\eta^\prime$-carbon potential at low meson momenta by comparing with collision model calculations of the $\eta^\prime$ kinetic energy distribution and excitation function. Fitting the latter data for $\eta^\prime$ mesons going backwards in the center-of-mass system yields a potential depth of V = $-$(44 $\pm$ 16(stat)$\pm$15(syst)) MeV, consistent with earlier determinations of the potential depth in inclusive measurements for average $\eta^\prime$ momenta of $\approx$ 1.1 GeV/$c$. Within the experimental uncertainties, there is no indication of a momentum dependence of the $\eta^\prime$-carbon potential. The LH$_2$ data, taken as a reference to check the data analysis and the model calculations, provide differential and integral cross sections in good agreement with previous results for $\eta^\prime$ photoproduction off the free proton.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1608.0607

Measurement of polarisation observables in Ks0Σ+K^0_s\Sigma^+ photoproduction off the proton

The reaction $\gamma \, p \rightarrow K^0_S\,\Sigma^+$ is studied in the photon energy range from threshold. Linearly polarised photon beams from coherent bremsstrahlung enabled the first measurement of photon beam asymmetries in this reaction up to $E_\gamma = 2250$ MeV. In addition, the recoil hyperon polarisation was determined through the asymmetry in the weak decay $\Sigma^+ \rightarrow p \pi^0$ up to $E_\gamma = 1650$ MeV. The data are compared to partial wave analyses, and the possible impact on the interpretation of a recently observed cusp-like structure near the $K^*$ thresholds is discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. References [8,9,10,11] which were not on the original submission are now include