7,465 research outputs found
Confined magnetic guiding orbit states
We show how snake-orbit states which run along a magnetic edge can be
confined electrically. We consider a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG)
confined into a quantum wire, subjected to a strong perpendicular and steplike
magnetic field . Close to this magnetic step new, spatially confined
bound states arise as a result of the lateral confinement and the magnetic
field step. The number of states, with energy below the first Landau level,
increases as becomes stronger or as the wire width becomes larger. These
bound states can be understood as an interference between two
counter-propagating one-dimensional snake-orbit states.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Landau levels and oscillator strength in a biased bilayer of graphene
We obtain analytical expressions for the eigenstates and the Landau level
spectrum of biased graphene bilayers in a magnetic field. The calculations are
performed in the context of a four-band continuum model and generalize previous
approximate results. Solutions are presented for the spectrum as a function of
interlayer coupling, the potential difference between the layers and the
magnetic field. The explicit expressions allow us to calculate the oscillator
strength and the selection rules for electric dipole transitions between the
Landau states. Some transitions are significantly shifted in energy relative to
those in an unbiased bialyer and exhibit a very different magnetic field
dependence.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.
Tunable quantum dots in bilayer graphene
We demonstrate theoretically that quantum dots in bilayers of graphene can be
realized. A position-dependent doping breaks the equivalence between the upper
and lower layer and lifts the degeneracy of the positive and negative momentum
states of the dot. Numerical results show the simultaneous presence of electron
and hole confined states for certain doping profiles and a remarkable angular
momentum dependence of the quantum dot spectrum which is in sharp contrast with
that for conventional semiconductor quantum dots. We predict that the optical
spectrum will consist of a series of non-equidistant peaks.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in Nano Letter
Living healthier for longer: comparative effects of three heart-healthy behaviors on life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease
Background: Non-smoking, having a normal weight and increased levels of physical activity are perhaps the three key factors for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relative effects of these factors on healthy longevity have not been well described. We aimed to calculate and compare the effects of non-smoking, normal weight and physical activity in middle-aged populations on life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease.
Methods: Using multi-state life tables and data from the Framingham Heart Study (n = 4634) we calculated the effects of three heart healthy behaviours among populations aged 50 years and over on life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease. For the life table calculations, we used hazard ratios for 3 transitions (No CVD to CVD, no CVD to death, and CVD to death) by health behaviour category, and adjusted for age, sex, and potential confounders.
Results: High levels of physical activity, never smoking (men), and normal weight were each associated with 20-40% lower risks of developing CVD as compared to low physical activity, current smoking and obesity, respectively. Never smoking and high levels of physical activity reduced the risks of dying in those with and without a history of CVD, but normal weight did not. Never-smoking was associated with the largest gains in total life expectancy (4.3 years, men, 4.1 years, women) and CVD-free life expectancy (3.8 and 3.4 years, respectively). High levels of physical activity and normal weight were associated with lesser gains in total life expectancy (3.5 years, men and 3.4 years, women, and 1.3 years, men and 1.0 year women, respectively), and slightly lesser gains in CVD-free life expectancy (3.0 years, men and 3.1 years, women, and 3.1 years men and 2.9 years women, respectively). Normal weight was the only behaviour associated with a reduction in the number of years lived with CVD (1.8 years, men and 1.9 years, women).
Conclusions: Achieving high levels of physical activity, normal weight, and never smoking, are effective ways to prevent cardiovascular disease and to extend total life expectancy and the number of years lived free of CVD. Increasing the prevalence of normal weight could further reduce the time spent with CVD in the population
Dynamics of molecular nanomagnets in time-dependent external magnetic fields: Beyond the Landau-Zener-St\"{u}ckelberg model
The time evolution of the magnetization of a magnetic molecular crystal is
obtained in an external time-dependent magnetic field, with sweep rates in the
kT/s range. We present the 'exact numerical' solution of the time dependent
Schr\"{o}dinger equation, and show that the steps in the hysteresis curve can
be described as a sequence of two-level transitions between adiabatic states.
The multilevel nature of the problem causes the transition probabilities to
deviate significantly from the predictions of the Landau-Zener-St\"{u}ckelberg
model. These calculations allow the introduction of an efficient approximation
method that accurately reproduces the exact results. When including phase
relaxation by means of an appropriate master equation, we observe an interplay
between coherent dynamics and decoherence. This decreases the size of the
magnetization steps at the transitions, but does not modify qualitatively the
physical picture obtained without relaxation.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Confined states and direction-dependent transmission in graphene quantum wells
We report the existence of confined massless fermion states in a graphene
quantum well (QW) by means of analytical and numerical calculations. These
states show an unusual quasi-linear dependence on the momentum parallel to the
QW: their number depends on the wavevector and is constrained by electron-hole
conversion in the barrier regions. An essential difference with
non-relativistic electron states is a mixing between free and confined states
at the edges of the free-particle continua, demonstrated by the
direction-dependent resonant transmission across a potential well.Comment: Submitted to PR
Electron scattering on circular symmetric magnetic profiles in a two-dimensional electron gas
The quasi-bound and scattered states in a 2DEG subjected to a circular
symmetric steplike magnetic profile with zero average magnetic field are
studied. We calculate the effect of a random distribution of such identical
profiles on the transport properties of a 2DEG. We show that a nonzero Hall
resistance can be obtained, although , and that in some cases it
can even change sign as function of the Fermi energy or the magnetic field
strength. The Hall and magnetoresistance show pronounced resonances apart from
the Landau states of the inner core, corresponding to the so-called quasi-bound
snake orbit states.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure
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