Nonequilibrium stabilization of charge states in double quantum dots

We analyze the decoherence of charge states in double quantum dots due to cotunneling. The system is treated using the Bloch-Redfield generalized master equation for the Schrieffer-Wolff transformed Hamiltonian. We show that the decoherence, characterized through a relaxation $\tau_{r}$ and a dephasing time $\tau_{\phi}$, can be controlled through the external voltage and that the optimum point, where these times are maximum, is not necessarily in equilibrium. We outline the mechanism of this nonequilibrium-induced enhancement of lifetime and coherence. We discuss the relevance of our results for recent charge qubit experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Nonlinear cotunneling through an artificial molecule

We study electron transport through a system of two lateral quantum dots coupled in series. We consider the case of weak coupling to the leads and a bias point in the Coulomb blockade. After a generalized Schrieffer-Wolf transformation, cotunneling through this system is described using methods from lowest-order perturbation theory. We study the system for arbitrary bias voltages below the Coulomb energy. We observe a rich, non-monotonic behavior of the stationary current depending on the internal degrees of freedom. In particular, it turns out that at fixed transport voltage, the current through the system is largest at weak-to-intermediate inter-dot coupling.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Crystal and magnetic structure of LaTiO3 : evidence for non-degenerate t2gt_{2g}-orbitals

The crystal and magnetic structure of LaTiO3 ~ has been studied by x-ray and neutron diffraction techniques using nearly stoichiometric samples. We find a strong structural anomaly near the antiferromagnetic ordering, T$_N$=146 K. In addition, the octahedra in LaTiO3 exhibit an intrinsic distortion which implies a splitting of the t2g-levels. Our results indicate that LaTiO3 should be considered as a Jahn-Teller system where the structural distortion and the resulting level splitting are enhanced by the magnetic ordering.Comment: 4 pages 5 figure

Tunneling with dissipation and decoherence for a large spin

We present rigorous solution of problems of tunneling with dissipation and decoherence for a spin of an atom or a molecule in an isotropic solid matrix. Our approach is based upon switching to a rotating coordinate system coupled to the local crystal field. We show that the spin of a molecule can be used in a qubit only if the molecule is strongly coupled with its atomic environment. This condition is a consequence of the conservation of the total angular momentum (spin + matrix), that has been largely ignored in previous studies of spin tunneling.Comment: 4 page

Spectral Properties of Quasiparticle Excitations Induced by Magnetic Moments in Superconductors

The consequences of localized, classical magnetic moments in superconductors are explored and their effect on the spectral properties of the intragap bound states is studied. Above a critical moment, a localized quasiparticle excitation in an s-wave superconductor is spontaneously created near a magnetic impurity, inducing a zero-temperature quantum transition. In this transition, the spin quantum number of the ground state changes from zero to 1/2, while the total charge remains the same. In contrast, the spin-unpolarized ground state of a d-wave superconductor is found to be stable for any value of the magnetic moment when the normal-state energy spectrum possesses particle-hole symmetry. The effect of impurity scattering on the quasiparticle states is interpreted in the spirit of relevant symmetries of the clean superconductor. The results obtained by the non-self-consistent (T matrix) and the self-consistent mean-field approximations are compared and qualitative agreement between the two schemes is found in the regime where the coherence length is longer than the Fermi length.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. B55, May 1st (1997

Dislocation-induced spin tunneling in Mn-12 acetate

Comprehensive theory of quantum spin relaxation in Mn-12 acetate crystals is developed, that takes into account imperfections of the crystal structure and is based upon the generalization of the Landau-Zener effect for incoherent tunneling from excited energy levels. It is shown that linear dislocations at plausible concentrations provide the transverse anisotropy which is the main source of tunneling in Mn-12. Local rotations of the easy axis due to dislocations result in a transverse magnetic field generated by the field applied along the c-axis of the crystal, which explains the presence of odd tunneling resonances. Long-range deformations due to dislocations produce a broad distribution of tunnel splittings. The theory predicts that at subkelvin temperatures the relaxation curves for different tunneling resonances can be scaled onto a single master curve. The magnetic relaxation in the thermally activated regime follows the stretched-exponential law with the exponent depending on the field, temperature, and concentration of defects.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, submitted to PR

Auxiliary particle theory of threshold singularities in photoemission and X-ray absorption spectra: Test of a conserving T-matrix approximation

We calculate the exponents of the threshold singularities in the photoemission spectrum of a deep core hole and its X-ray absorption spectrum in the framework of a systematic many-body theory of slave bosons and pseudofermions (for the empty and occupied core level). In this representation, photoemission and X-ray absorption can be understood on the same footing; no distinction between orthogonality catastrophe and excitonic effects is necessary. We apply the conserving slave particle T-matrix approximation (CTMA), recently developed to describe both Fermi and non-Fermi liquid behavior systems with strong local correlations, to the X-ray problem as a test case. The numerical results for both photoemission and X-ray absorption are found to be in agreement with the exact infrared powerlaw behavior in the weak as well as in the strong coupling regions. We point out a close relation of the CTMA with the parquet equation approach of Nozi{\`e}res et al.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, published versio

Pregnancy-related fibroid reduction

We tested the hypothesis that the protective effect of parity on fibroids is due to direct pregnancy-related effects by following women from early pregnancy to postpartum period with ultrasound. Of 171 women with one initial fibroid, 36% had no identifiable fibroid at the time of postpartum ultrasound, and 79% of the remaining fibroids decreased in size

Isotope effects and the charge gap formation in the charge ordered phase of colossal magnetoresistance manganites

Giant oxygen isotope effects observed in colossal magnetoresistance manganites are investigated by employing the combined model of the double exchange and interacting lattice polaron mechanism. We have shown that the isotope effects on $T_C$ in the metallic phase and $T_{CO}$ in the charge ordered phase of manganites can be explained well in terms of the double exchange and polaron narrowing factors with reasonable physical parameters.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure