Spin-glass-like state in GdCu: role of phase separation and magnetic frustration

We report investigations on the ground state magnetic properties of intermetallic compound GdCu through dc magnetization measurements. GdCu undergoes first order martensitic type structural transition over a wide temperature window of coexisting phases. The high temperature cubic and the low temperature orthorhombic phases have different magnetic character and they show antiferromagnetic and helimagnetic orderings below 145 K and 45 K respectively. We observe clear signature of a glassy magnetic phase below the helimagnetic ordering temperature, which is marked by thermomagnetic irreversibility, aging and memory effects. The glassy magnetic phase in GdCu is found to be rather intriguing with its origin lies in the interfacial frustration due to distinct magnetic character of the coexisting phases.Comment: Physical Review B 83, 134427 (2011

Reentrant spin glass state in Mn doped Ni2MnSn shape memory alloy

The ground state properties of the ferromagnetic shape memory alloy of nominal composition Ni2Mn1.36Sn0.64 have been studied by dc magnetization and ac susceptibility measurements. Like few other Ni-Mn based alloys, this sample exhibits exchange bias phenomenon. The observed exchange bias pinning was found to originate right from the temperature where a step-like anomaly is present in the zero-field-cooled magnetization data. The ac susceptibility study indicates the onset of spin glass freezing near this step-like anomaly with clear frequency shift. The sample can be identified as a reentrant spin glass with both ferromagnetic and glassy phases coexisting together at low temperature at least in the field-cooled state. The result provides us an comprehensive view to identify the magnetic character of various Ni-Mn-based shape memory alloys with competing magnetic interactions.Comment: 5 figure

Structural domain and spin ordering induced glassy magnetic phase in single layered manganite Pr0.22_{0.22}Sr1.78_{1.78}MnO4_4

The single layered manganite Pr$_{0.22}$Sr$_{1.78}$MnO$_4$ undergoes structural transition from high temperature tetragonal phase to low temperature orthorhombic phase below room temperature. The orthorhombic phase was reported to have two structural variants with slightly different lattice parameters and Mn-3$d$ levels show orbital ordering within both the variants, albeit having mutually perpendicular ordering axis. In addition to orbital ordering, the orthorhombic variants also order antiferromagnetically with different N\'eel temperatures. Our magnetic investigation on the polycrystalline sample of Pr$_{0.22}$Sr$_{1.78}$MnO$_4$ shows large thermal hysteresis indicating the first order nature of the tetragonal to orthorhombic transition. We observe magnetic memory, large relaxation, frequency dependent ac susceptbility and aging effects at low temperature, which indicate spin glass like magnetic ground state in the sample. The glassy magnetic state presumably arises from the interfacial frustration of orthorhombic domains with orbital and spin orderings playing crucial role toward the competing magnetic interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Accepted in Europhysics Letter

An inwardly rectifying K+ channel is required for patterning.

Mutations that disrupt function of the human inwardly rectifying potassium channel KIR2.1 are associated with the craniofacial and digital defects of Andersen-Tawil Syndrome, but the contribution of Kir channels to development is undefined. Deletion of mouse Kir2.1 also causes cleft palate and digital defects. These defects are strikingly similar to phenotypes that result from disrupted TGFβ/BMP signaling. We use Drosophila melanogaster to show that a Kir2.1 homolog, Irk2, affects development by disrupting BMP signaling. Phenotypes of irk2 deficient lines, a mutant irk2 allele, irk2 siRNA and expression of a dominant-negative Irk2 subunit (Irk2DN) all demonstrate that Irk2 function is necessary for development of the adult wing. Compromised Irk2 function causes wing-patterning defects similar to those found when signaling through a Drosophila BMP homolog, Decapentaplegic (Dpp), is disrupted. To determine whether Irk2 plays a role in the Dpp pathway, we generated flies in which both Irk2 and Dpp functions are reduced. Irk2DN phenotypes are enhanced by decreased Dpp signaling. In wild-type flies, Dpp signaling can be detected in stripes along the anterior/posterior boundary of the larval imaginal wing disc. Reducing function of Irk2 with siRNA, an irk2 deletion, or expression of Irk2DN reduces the Dpp signal in the wing disc. As Irk channels contribute to Dpp signaling in flies, a similar role for Kir2.1 in BMP signaling may explain the morphological defects of Andersen-Tawil Syndrome and the Kir2.1 knockout mouse

Speeding-up the decision making of a learning agent using an ion trap quantum processor

We report a proof-of-principle experimental demonstration of the quantum speed-up for learning agents utilizing a small-scale quantum information processor based on radiofrequency-driven trapped ions. The decision-making process of a quantum learning agent within the projective simulation paradigm for machine learning is implemented in a system of two qubits. The latter are realized using hyperfine states of two frequency-addressed atomic ions exposed to a static magnetic field gradient. We show that the deliberation time of this quantum learning agent is quadratically improved with respect to comparable classical learning agents. The performance of this quantum-enhanced learning agent highlights the potential of scalable quantum processors taking advantage of machine learning.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Author names now spelled correctly; sections rearranged; changes in the wording of the manuscrip

Effects of Eye-phase in DNA unzipping

The onset of an "eye-phase" and its role during the DNA unzipping is studied when a force is applied to the interior of the chain. The directionality of the hydrogen bond introduced here shows oscillations in force-extension curve similar to a "saw-tooth" kind of oscillations seen in the protein unfolding experiments. The effects of intermediates (hairpins) and stacking energies on the melting profile have also been discussed.Comment: RevTeX v4, 9 pages with 7 eps figure