860 research outputs found
Two distinct topological phases in the mixed valence compound YbB6 and its differences from SmB6
We discuss the evolution of topological states and their orbital textures in
the mixed valence compounds SmB6 and YbB6 within the framework of the
generalized gradient approximation plus onsite Coulomb interaction (GGA+U)
scheme for a wide range of values of U. In SmB6, the topological Kondo
insulator (TKI) gap is found to be insensitive to the value of U, but in sharp
contrast, Kondo physics in isostructural YbB6 displays a surprising sensitivity
to U. In particular, as U is increased in YbB6, the correlated TKI state in the
weak-coupling regime transforms into a d-p-type topological insulator phase
with a band inversion between Yb-5d and B-2p orbitals in the intermediate
coupling range, without closing the insulating energy gap throughout this
process. Our theoretical predictions related to the TKI and non-TKI phases in
SmB6 and YbB6 are in substantial accord with recent angle-resolved
photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.15515
PEDOT:PSS/Graphene Nanocomposite Hole-Injection Layer in Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes
We report on effects of doping graphene in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate), PEDOT:PSS, as a PEDOT:PSS/graphene nanocomposite hole injection layer on the performance enhancement of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). Graphene oxides were first synthesized and then mixed in the PEDOT:PSS solution with specifically various amounts. Graphenes were reduced in the PEDOT:PSS matrix through thermal reduction. PLED devices with hole-injection nanocomposite layer containing particular doping concentration were fabricated, and the influence of doping concentration on device performance was examined by systematically characterizations of various device properties. Through the graphene doping, the resistance in the hole-injection layer and the turn-on voltage could be effectively reduced that benefited the injection and transport of holes and resulted in a higher overall efficiency. The conductivity of the hole-injection layer was monotonically increased with the increase of doping concentration, performance indices from various aspects, however, did not show the same dependence because faster injected holes might alter not only the balance of holes and electrons but also their combination locations in the light-emitting layer. Results show that optimal doping concentration was the case with 0.03 wt% of graphene oxide
Non-Kondo-like Electronic Structure in the Correlated Rare-Earth Hexaboride YbB
We present angle-resolved photoemission studies on the rare-earth hexaboride
YbB, which has recently been predicted to be a topological Kondo insulator.
Our data do not agree with the prediction and instead show that YbB
exhibits a novel topological insulator state in the absence of a Kondo
mechanism. We find that the Fermi level electronic structure of YbB has
three 2D Dirac cone like surface states enclosing the Kramers' points, while
the f-orbital which would be relevant for the Kondo mechanism is eV
below the Fermi level. Our first-principles calculation shows that the
topological state which we observe in YbB is due to an inversion between Yb
and B bands. These experimental and theoretical results provide a new
approach for realizing novel correlated topological insulator states in
rare-earth materials.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Submitted in 2014. Published in 2015, Phys. Rev.
Lett. 114, 01640
Sperm quality and DNA integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess sperm quality and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integrity of coke oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as compared to control subjects. Material and methods: The coke oven workers (N = 52) and administrative staff (N = 35) of a steel plant served as the exposed and control groups, respectively. Exposure to PAHs was assessed by measuring 1-hydroxypyren. Analysis of sperm quality (concentration, motility, vitality, and morphology) was performed simultaneously with sperm DNA integrity analysis, including DNA fragmentation, denaturation, bulky DNA adducts, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo). A questionnaire was conducted to collect demographic and potential confounding data. Results: The coke oven workers had lower percentages of sperm motility, vitality and normal morphology than the control group, but the difference was not significant. For DNA integrity, the coke oven workers had significantly higher concentrations of bulky DNA adducts and 8-oxo-dGuo than the control subjects (p = 0.009 and p = 0.048, respectively). However, DNA fragmentation percentages did not significantly increase as compared to those in the subjects from the control group (p = 0.232). There was no correlation between sperm quality parameters and DNA integrity indicators. Conclusions: Occupational exposure of the coke oven workers to PAHs was associated with decreased sperm DNA integrity. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):915–92
Surface Versus Bulk Dirac States Tuning in a Three-Dimensional Topological Dirac Semimetal
Recently, crystalline-symmetry-protected three-dimensional (3D) bulk Dirac
semimetal phase has been experimentally identified in a stoichiometric
high-mobility compound, Cd3As2. The Dirac state observed in Cd3As2 has been
attributed to originate mostly from the bulk state while calculations show that
the bulk and surface states overlap over the entire Dirac dispersion energy
range. In this study, we unambiguously reveal doping induced evolution of the
ground state of surface and bulk electron dynamics in a 3D Dirac semimetal. We
develop a systematic technique to isolate the surface and bulk states in
Cd3As2, by simultaneously utilizing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy
(ARPES) and in-situ surface deposition. Our experimental results provide a
method for tuning the chemical potential as well as to observe surface states
degenerate with bulk states, which will be useful for future applications of 3D
Dirac semimetal.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
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