Domain walls in (Ga,Mn)As diluted magnetic semiconductor

We report experimental and theoretical studies of magnetic domain walls in an in-plane magnetized (Ga,Mn)As dilute moment ferromagnetic semiconductor. Our high-resolution electron holography technique provides direct images of domain wall magnetization profiles. The experiments are interpreted based on microscopic calculations of the micromagnetic parameters and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations. We find that the competition of uniaxial and biaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropies in the film is directly reflected in orientation dependent wall widths, ranging from approximately 40 nm to 120 nm. The domain walls are of the N\'eel type and evolve from near-$90^{\circ}$ walls at low-temperatures to large angle [1$\bar{1}$0]-oriented walls and small angle [110]-oriented walls at higher temperatures.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Intrinsic magnetic refrigeration of a single electron transistor

In this work, we show that aluminium doped with low concentrations of magnetic impurities can be used to fabricate quantum devices with intrinsic cooling capabilities. We fabricate single electron transistors made of aluminium doped with 2% Mn by using a standard multi angle evaporation technique and show that the quantity of metal used to fabricate the devices generates enough cooling power to achieve a drop of 160 mK in the electron temperature at the base temperature of our cryostat (300 mK). The cooling mechanism is based on the magneto-caloric effect from the diluted Mn moments

A video life-world approach to consultation practice: The relevance of a socio-phenomenological approach

This article discusses the [development and] use of a video life-world schema to explore alternative orientations to the shared health consultation. It is anticipated that this schema can be used by practitioners and consumers alike to understand the dynamics of videoed health consultations, the role of the participants within it and the potential to consciously alter the outcome by altering behaviour during the process of interaction. The study examines health consultation participation and develops an interpretative method of analysis that includes image elicitation (via videos), phenomenology (to identify the components of the analytic framework), narrative (to depict the stories of interactions) and a reflexive mode (to develop shared meaning through a conceptual framework for analysis). The analytic framework is derived from a life-world conception of human mutual shared interaction which is presented here as a novel approach to understanding patient-centred care. The video materials used in this study were derived from consultations in a Walk-in Centre (WiC) in East London. The conceptual framework produced through the process of video analysis is comprised of different combinations of movement, knowledge and emotional conversations that are used to classify objective or engaged WiC health care interactions. The videoed interactions organise along an active or passive, facilitative or directive typical situation continuum illustrating different kinds of textual approaches to practice that are in tension or harmony. The schema demonstrates how practitioners and consumers interact to produce these outcomes and indicates the potential for both consumers and practitioners to be educated to develop practice dynamics that support patient-centred care and impact on health outcomes

Multiwavelength Observations of 1ES 1959+650, One Year After the Strong Outburst of 2002

In April-May 2003, the blazar 1ES 1959+650 showed an increased level of X-ray activity. This prompted a multiwavelength observation campaign with the Whipple 10 m gamma-ray telescope, the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, the Bordeaux Optical Observatory, and the University of Michigan Radio Astrophysical Observatory. We present the multiwavelength data taken from May 2, 2003 to June 7, 2003 and compare the source characteristics with those measured during observations taken during the years 2000 and 2002. The X-ray observations gave a data set with high signal-to-noise light curves and energy spectra; however, the gamma-ray observations did not reveal a major TeV gamma-ray flare. Furthermore, we find that the radio and optical fluxes do not show statistically significant deviations from those measured during the 2002 flaring periods. While the X-ray flux and X-ray photon index appear correlated during subsequent observations, the apparent correlation evolved significantly between the years 2000, 2002, and 2003. We discuss the implications of this finding for the mechanism that causes the flaring activity.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Prospects of high temperature ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As semiconductors

We report on a comprehensive combined experimental and theoretical study of Curie temperature trends in (Ga,Mn)As ferromagnetic semiconductors. Broad agreement between theoretical expectations and measured data allows us to conclude that T_c in high-quality metallic samples increases linearly with the number of uncompensated local moments on Mn_Ga acceptors, with no sign of saturation. Room temperature ferromagnetism is expected for a 10% concentration of these local moments. Our magnetotransport and magnetization data are consistnent with the picture in which Mn impurities incorporated during growth at interstitial Mn_I positions act as double-donors and compensate neighboring Mn_Ga local moments because of strong near-neighbor Mn_Ga-Mn_I antiferromagnetic coupling. These defects can be efficiently removed by post-growth annealing. Our analysis suggests that there is no fundamental obstacle to substitutional Mn_Ga doping in high-quality materials beyond our current maximum level of 6.2%, although this achievement will require further advances in growth condition control. Modest charge compensation does not limit the maximum Curie temperature possible in ferromagnetic semiconductors based on (Ga,Mn)As.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Consumer credit information systems: A critical review of the literature. Too little attention paid by lawyers?

This paper reviews the existing literature on consumer credit reporting, the most extensively used instrument to overcome information asymmetry and adverse selection problems in credit markets. Despite the copious literature in economics and some research in regulatory policy, the legal community has paid almost no attention to the legal framework of consumer credit information systems, especially within the context of the European Union. Studies on the topic, however, seem particularly relevant in view of the establishment of a single market for consumer credit. This article ultimately calls for further legal research to address consumer protection concerns and inform future legislation

Theory of ferromagnetic (III,Mn)V semiconductors

The body of research on (III,Mn)V diluted magnetic semiconductors initiated during the 1990's has concentrated on three major fronts: i) the microscopic origins and fundamental physics of the ferromagnetism that occurs in these systems, ii) the materials science of growth and defects and iii) the development of spintronic devices with new functionalities. This article reviews the current status of the field, concentrating on the first two, more mature research directions. From the fundamental point of view, (Ga,Mn)As and several other (III,Mn)V DMSs are now regarded as textbook examples of a rare class of robust ferromagnets with dilute magnetic moments coupled by delocalized charge carriers. Both local moments and itinerant holes are provided by Mn, which makes the systems particularly favorable for realizing this unusual ordered state. Advances in growth and post-growth treatment techniques have played a central role in the field, often pushing the limits of dilute Mn moment densities and the uniformity and purity of materials far beyond those allowed by equilibrium thermodynamics. In (III,Mn)V compounds, material quality and magnetic properties are intimately connected. In the review we focus on the theoretical understanding of the origins of ferromagnetism and basic structural, magnetic, magneto-transport, and magneto-optical characteristics of simple (III,Mn)V epilayers, with the main emphasis on (Ga,Mn)As. The conclusions we arrive at are based on an extensive literature covering results of complementary ab initio and effective Hamiltonian computational techniques, and on comparisons between theory and experiment.Comment: 58 pages, 49 figures Version accepted for publication in Rev. Mod. Phys. Related webpage: http://unix12.fzu.cz/ms