205 research outputs found
Optical response of ferromagnetic YTiO_3 studied by spectral ellipsometry
We have studied the temperature dependence of spectroscopic ellipsometry
spectra of an electrically insulating, nearly stoichiometric YTiO_3 single
crystal with ferromagnetic Curie temperature T_C = 30 K. The optical response
exhibits a weak but noticeable anisotropy. Using a classical dispersion
analysis, we identify three low-energy optical bands at 2.0, 2.9, and 3.7 eV.
Although the optical conductivity spectra are only weakly temperature dependent
below 300 K, we are able to distinguish high- and low-temperature regimes with
a distinct crossover point around 100 K. The low-temperature regime in the
optical response coincides with the temperature range in which significant
deviations from Curie-Weiss mean field behavior are observed in the
magnetization. Using an analysis based on a simple superexchange model, the
spectral weight rearrangement can be attributed to intersite d_i^1d_j^1
\longrightarrow d_i^2d_j^0 optical transitions. In particular, Kramers-Kronig
consistent changes in optical spectra around 2.9 eV can be associated with the
high-spin-state (^3T_1) optical transition. This indicates that other
mechanisms, such as weakly dipole-allowed p-d transitions and/or
exciton-polaron excitations, can contribute significantly to the optical band
at 2 eV. The recorded optical spectral weight gain of 2.9 eV optical band is
significantly suppressed and anisotropic, which we associate with complex
spin-orbit-lattice phenomena near ferromagnetic ordering temperature in YTiO_3
Complex Analysis of a Piece of Toda Lattice
We study a small piece of two dimensional Toda lattice as a complex dynamical
system. In particular the Julia set, which appears when the piece is deformed,
is shown analytically how it disappears as the system approaches to the
integrable limit.Comment: 17 pages, LaTe
Rare earth magnetism in CeFeAsO: A single crystal study
Single crystals of CeFeAsO, large enough to study the anisotropy of the
magnetic properties, were grown by an optimized Sn-flux technique. The high
quality of our single crystals is apparent from the highest residual
resistivity ratio, RRR = 12, reported among undoped RFeAsO compounds (R=rare
earth) as well as sharp anomalies in resistivity, specific heat, C(T), and
thermal expansion at the different phase transitions. The magnetic
susceptibility chi(T) presents a large easy-plane anisotropy consistent with
the lowest crystal electric field doublet having a dominant Gamma_6 character.
Curie-Weiss like susceptibilities for magnetic field parallel and perpendicular
to the crystallographic c-axis do not reveal an influence of a staggered field
on the Ce site induced by magnetic ordering of the Fe. Furthermore, the
standard signatures for antiferromagnetic order of Ce at T_N = 3.7 K observed
in chi(T) and C(T) are incompatible with a Zeeman splitting Delta = 10 K of the
CEF ground state doublet at low temperature due to the Fe-magnetic order as
previously proposed. Our results can be reconciled with the earlier observation
by assuming a comparatively stronger effect of the Ce-Ce exchange leading to a
reduction of this Zeeman splitting below 15 K.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, added section on magn. susceptibilit
Iron pnictides: Single crystal growth and effect of doping on structural, transport and magnetic properties
We demonstrate the preparation of large, free standing iron pnictide single
crystals with a size up to 20 x 10 x 1 mm3 using solvents in zirconia crucibles
under argon atmosphere. Transport and magnetic properties are investigated to
study the effect of potassium doping on the structural and superconducting
property of the compounds. The spin density wave (SDW) anomaly at Ts ~138 K in
BaFe2As2 single crystals from self-flux shifts to Ts ~85 K due to Sn solvent
growth. We show direct evidence for an incorporation of Sn on the Fe site. The
electrical resistivity data show a sharp superconducting transition temperature
Tc~38.5 K for the single crystal of Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2. A nearly 100% shielding
fraction and bulk nature of the superconductivity for the single crystal were
confirmed by magnetic susceptibility data. A sharp transition Tc~25 K occurred
for the single crystal of Sr0.85K0.15Fe2As2. There is direct evidence for a
coexistence of the SDW and superconductivity in the low doping regime of
Sr1-xKxFe2As2 single crystals. Structural implications of the doping effects as
well as the coexistence of the two order parameters are discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure
Ecological implications of a flower size/number trade-off in tropical forest trees
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Bmi1 Confers Resistance to Oxidative Stress on Hematopoietic Stem Cells
The polycomb-group (PcG) proteins function as general regulators of stem cells. We previously reported that retrovirus-mediated overexpression of Bmi1, a gene encoding a core component of polycomb repressive complex (PRC) 1, maintained self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during long-term culture. However, the effects of overexpression of Bmi1 on HSCs in vivo remained to be precisely addressed.In this study, we generated a mouse line where Bmi1 can be conditionally overexpressed under the control of the endogenous Rosa26 promoter in a hematopoietic cell-specific fashion (Tie2-Cre;R26Stop(FL)Bmi1). Although overexpression of Bmi1 did not significantly affect steady state hematopoiesis, it promoted expansion of functional HSCs during ex vivo culture and efficiently protected HSCs against loss of self-renewal capacity during serial transplantation. Overexpression of Bmi1 had no effect on DNA damage response triggered by ionizing radiation. In contrast, Tie2-Cre;R26Stop(FL)Bmi1 HSCs under oxidative stress maintained a multipotent state and generally tolerated oxidative stress better than the control. Unexpectedly, overexpression of Bmi1 had no impact on the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS).Our findings demonstrate that overexpression of Bmi1 confers resistance to stresses, particularly oxidative stress, onto HSCs. This thereby enhances their regenerative capacity and suggests that Bmi1 is located downstream of ROS signaling and negatively regulated by it
High-power laser experiment forming a supercritical collisionless shock in a magnetized uniform plasma at rest
We present a new experimental method to generate quasi-perpendicular supercritical magnetized collisionless shocks. In our experiment, ambient nitrogen (N) plasma is at rest and well-magnetized, and it has uniform mass density. The plasma is pushed by laser-driven ablation aluminum (Al) plasma. Streaked optical pyrometry and spatially resolved laser collective Thomson scattering clarify structures of plasma density and temperatures, which are compared with one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is indicated that just after the laser irradiation, the Al plasma is magnetized by a self-generated Biermann battery field, and the plasma slaps the incident N plasma. The compressed external field in the N plasma reflects N ions, leading to counter-streaming magnetized N flows. Namely we identify the edge of the reflected N ions. Such interacting plasmas form a magnetized collisionless shock
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