Electromechanics of charge shuttling in dissipative nanostructures

We investigate the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of a model single-electron transistor where mechanical motion, subject to strong dissipation, of a small metallic grain is possible. The system is studied both by using Monte Carlo simulations and by using an analytical approach. We show that electromechanical coupling results in a highly nonlinear IV-curve. For voltages above the Coulomb blockade threshold, two distinct regimes of charge transfer occur: At low voltages the system behave as a static asymmetric double junction and tunneling is the dominating charge transfer mechanism. At higher voltages an abrupt transition to a new shuttle regime appears, where the grain performs an oscillatory motion back and forth between the leads. In this regime the current is mainly mediated by charges that are carried on the grain as it moves from one lead to the other.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, final version to be published in PR

Somatic disorders and antidepressant use in suicides: A population-based study from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy, 2003-2013

Background: Many somatic disorders are complicated by depression and increase the risk of suicide. Little is known about whether antidepressants might reduce the suicidal risk in patients with somatic disorders. Methods: Data on diagnoses and antidepressant prescriptions were derived from the Social and Health Information System of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. Cases were all suicides that occurred in the region during the years 2003\u20132013 and were sex- and age-matched to controls from the general population. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between suicide and somatic disorders. Results: The suicide rate in Friuli Venezia Giulia decreased from 11.3 to 10.7 per 100,000 inhabitants during the years 2003\u20132013, however patients with somatic disorder had a three times increased risk of suicide. Elderly somatic patients' suicide risk was twice as high as younger patients. The risk increased from 2.6 to 9.8 times as the number of comorbid disorders increased from 1 to 4 and over. Although no significant risk of suicide in patients with somatic disorders was found when patients were adherent to antidepressants, only 11.5% of the suicides was adherent in the year prior to death. Conclusions: Medical illnesses and underlying depressive symptoms may have a synergy effect on the risk of suicide, particularly in older patients and in patients with multiple morbidities. Since medically ill subjects adherent to antidepressants did not showa significant risk of suicide, early identification and adequate treatment of depression in somatic patients should be considered in order to prevent suicide

Shot noise of a quantum shuttle

We formulate a theory for shot noise in quantum nanoelectromechanical systems. As a specific example, the theory is applied to a quantum shuttle, and the zero-frequency noise, measured by the Fano factor F, is computed. F reaches very low values (F~0.01) in the shuttling regime even in the quantum limit, confirming that shuttling is universally a low noise phenomenon. In approaching the semiclassical limit, the Fano factor shows a giant enhancement (F~100) at the shuttling threshold, consistent with predictions based on phase-space representations of the density matrix.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; minor formal changes - updated figures and references; final version as published in Phys. Rev. Let

Quantum phase transition to unconventional multi-orbital superfluidity in optical lattices

Orbital physics plays a significant role for a vast number of important phenomena in complex condensed matter systems such as high-T$_c$ superconductivity and unconventional magnetism. In contrast, phenomena in superfluids -- especially in ultracold quantum gases -- are commonly well described by the lowest orbital and a real order parameter. Here, we report on the observation of a novel multi-orbital superfluid phase with a {\it complex} order parameter in binary spin mixtures. In this unconventional superfluid, the local phase angle of the complex order parameter is continuously twisted between neighboring lattice sites. The nature of this twisted superfluid quantum phase is an interaction-induced admixture of the p-orbital favored by the graphene-like band structure of the hexagonal optical lattice used in the experiment. We observe a second-order quantum phase transition between the normal superfluid (NSF) and the twisted superfluid phase (TSF) which is accompanied by a symmetry breaking in momentum space. The experimental results are consistent with calculated phase diagrams and reveal fundamentally new aspects of orbital superfluidity in quantum gas mixtures. Our studies might bridge the gap between conventional superfluidity and complex phenomena of orbital physics.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Topological semimetal in a fermionic optical lattice

Optical lattices play a versatile role in advancing our understanding of correlated quantum matter. The recent implementation of orbital degrees of freedom in chequerboard and hexagonal optical lattices opens up a new thrust towards discovering novel quantum states of matter, which have no prior analogs in solid state electronic materials. Here, we demonstrate that an exotic topological semimetal emerges as a parity-protected gapless state in the orbital bands of a two-dimensional fermionic optical lattice. The new quantum state is characterized by a parabolic band-degeneracy point with Berry flux $2\pi$, in sharp contrast to the $\pi$ flux of Dirac points as in graphene. We prove that the appearance of this topological liquid is universal for all lattices with D$_4$ point group symmetry as long as orbitals with opposite parities hybridize strongly with each other and the band degeneracy is protected by odd parity. Turning on inter-particle repulsive interactions, the system undergoes a phase transition to a topological insulator whose experimental signature includes chiral gapless domain-wall modes, reminiscent of quantum Hall edge states.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures and Supplementary Informatio

A transverse current rectification in graphene superlattice

A model for energy spectrum of superlattice on the base of graphene placed on the striped dielectric substrate is proposed. A direct current component which appears in that structure perpendicularly to pulling electric field under the influence of elliptically polarized electromagnetic wave was derived. A transverse current density dependence on pulling field magnitude and on magnitude of component of elliptically polarized wave directed along the axis of a superlattice is analyzed.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Macroscopic superposition states of ultracold bosons in a double-well potential

We present a thorough description of the physical regimes for ultracold bosons in double wells, with special attention paid to macroscopic superpositions (MSs). We use a generalization of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick Hamiltonian of up to eight single particle modes to study these MSs, solving the Hamiltonian with a combination of numerical exact diagonalization and high-order perturbation theory. The MS is between left and right potential wells; the extreme case with all atoms simultaneously located in both wells and in only two modes is the famous NOON state, but our approach encompasses much more general MSs. Use of more single particle modes brings dimensionality into the problem, allows us to set hard limits on the use of the original two-mode LMG model commonly treated in the literature, and also introduces a new mixed Josephson-Fock regime. Higher modes introduce angular degrees of freedom and MS states with different angular properties.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Mini-review prepared for the special issue of Frontiers of Physics "Recent Progresses on Quantum Dynamics of Ultracold Atoms and Future Quantum Technologies", edited by Profs. Lee, Ueda, and Drummon

Association between mortality from suicide in England and antidepressant prescribing: an ecological study

BACKGROUND: Antidepressant prescribing has been increasing in England. Studies in other countries suggest that while this may be associated with reduced suicide rates, it may also be associated with increased fatal poisoning from antidepressant drugs. We therefore conducted an ecological study to assess the association between prescription rates for antidepressants and suicide or fatal antidepressant-related poisoning in England. METHODS: The Office for National Statistics provided information on the number of suicides, antidepressant-related poisoning deaths and populations for England between 1993 and 2002. The Department of Health supplied data on prescriptions for all antidepressants dispensed in England. Associations between prescriptions and deaths were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There were 46,747 suicides, 3,987 deaths involving tricyclic antidepressants and 430 involving selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other antidepressants. Increased antidepressant prescribing was statistically associated with a fall in suicide rates (Spearman's r(s )= -0.73, p = 0.02) and fatal poisoning involving tricyclic antidepressants (r(s )= -0.64, p = 0.05). In contrast, increased prescribing of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other antidepressants was statistically associated with an increase in fatal poisoning involving these drugs (r(s )= 0.99, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased prescribing of antidepressants may indicate improved diagnosis and treatment of depression in primary care. Our analysis suggests that this was accompanied by lower suicide rates. A decrease in poisoning deaths involving tricyclic antidepressants may suggest a change in preference for using serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other antidepressant drugs for high-risk patients. This may also partially explain the increase in deaths involving these drugs. Due to the ecological nature of the design, we cannot say conclusively whether reduced suicide rates are a direct consequence of increased antidepressant prescribing rates. To confirm these associations, individual level data on prescribing and suicide is needed

Can We Really Prevent Suicide?

Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for all ages. Unfortunately, suicide is difficult to prevent, in large part because the prevalence of risk factors is high among the general population. In this review, clinical and psychological risk factors are examined and methods for suicide prevention are discussed. Prevention strategies found to be effective in suicide prevention include means restriction, responsible media coverage, and general public education, as well identification methods such as screening, gatekeeper training, and primary care physician education. Although the treatment for preventing suicide is difficult, follow-up that includes pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, or both may be useful. However, prevention methods cannot be restricted to the individual. Community, social, and policy interventions will also be essentia