Quantum effects in a superconducting glass model

We study disordered Josephson junctions arrays with long-range interaction and charging effects. The model consists of two orthogonal sets of positionally disordered $N$ parallel filaments (or wires) Josephson coupled at each crossing and in the presence of a homogeneous and transverse magnetic field. The large charging energy (resulting from small self-capacitance of the ultrathin wires) introduces important quantum fluctuations of the superconducting phase within each filament. Positional disorder and magnetic field frustration induce spin-glass like ground state, characterized by not having long-range order of the phases. The stability of this phase is destroyed for sufficiently large charging energy. We have evaluated the temperature vs charging energy phase diagram by extending the methods developed in the theory of infinite-range spin glasses, in the limit of large magnetic field. The phase diagram in the different temperature regimes is evaluated by using variety of methods, to wit: semiclassical WKB and variational methods, Rayleigh-Schr\"{o}dinger perturbation theory and pseudospin effective Hamiltonians. Possible experimental consequences of these results are briefly discussed.Comment: 17 pages REVTEX. Two Postscript figures can be obtained from the authors. To appear in PR

Quantum rotor description of the Mott-insulator transition in the Bose-Hubbard model

We present the novel approach to the Bose-Hubbard model using the $\mathrm{U}(1)$ quantum rotor description. The effective action formalism allows us to formulate a problem in the phase only action and obtain an analytical formulas for the critical lines. We show that the nontrivial $\mathrm{U}(1)$ phase field configurations have an impact on the phase diagrams. The topological character of the quantum field is governed by terms of the integer charges - winding numbers. The comparison presented results to recently obtained quantum Monte Carlo numerical calculations suggests that the competition between quantum effects in strongly interacting boson systems is correctly captured by our model.Comment: accepted to PR

3D IC optimal layout design. A parallel and distributed topological approach

The task of 3D ICs layout design involves the assembly of millions of components taking into account many different requirements and constraints such as topological, wiring or manufacturability ones. It is a NP-hard problem that requires new non-deterministic and heuristic algorithms. Considering the time complexity, the commonly applied Fiduccia-Mattheyses partitioning algorithm is superior to any other local search method. Nevertheless, it can often miss to reach a quasi-optimal solution in 3D spaces. The presented approach uses an original 3D layout graph partitioning heuristics implemented with use of the extremal optimization method. The goal is to minimize the total wire-length in the chip. In order to improve the time complexity a parallel and distributed Java implementation is applied. Inside one Java Virtual Machine separate optimization algorithms are executed by independent threads. The work may also be shared among different machines by means of The Java Remote Method Invocation system.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figure

Local dissipation effects in two-dimensional quantum Josephson junction arrays with magnetic field

We study the quantum phase transitions in two-dimensional arrays of Josephson-couples junctions with short range Josephson couplings (given by the Josephson energy) and the charging energy. We map the problem onto the solvable quantum generalization of the spherical model that improves over the mean-field theory method. The arrays are placed on the top of a two-dimensional electron gas separated by an insulator. We include effects of the local dissipation in the presence of an external magnetic flux f in square lattice for several rational fluxes f=0,1/2,1/3,1/4 and 1/6. We also have examined the T=0 superconducting-insulator phase boundary as function of a dissipation alpha for two different geometry of the lattice: square and triangular. We have found critical value of the dissipation parameter independent on geometry of the lattice and presence magnetic field.Comment: accepted to PR

Neel Order and Electron Spectral Functions in the Two-Dimensional Hubbard Model: a Spin-Charge Rotating Frame Approach

Using recently developed quantum SU(2)xU(1) rotor approach, that provides a self-consistent treatment of the antiferromagnetic state we have performed electronic spectral function calculations for the Hubbard model on the square lattice. The collective variables for charge and spin are isolated in the form of the space-time fluctuating U(1) phase field and rotating spin quantization axis governed by the SU(2) symmetry, respectively. As a result interacting electrons appear as composite objects consisting of bare fermions with attached U(1) and SU(2) gauge fields. This allows us to write the fermion Green's function in the space-time domain as the product CP^1 propagator resulting from the SU(2) gauge fields, U(1) phase propagator and the pseudo-fermion correlation function. As a result the problem of calculating the spectral line shapes now becomes one of performing the convolution of spin, charge and pseudo-fermion Green's functions. The collective spin and charge fluctuations are governed by the effective actions that are derived from the Hubbard model for any value of the Coulomb interaction. The emergence of a sharp peak in the electron spectral function in the antiferromagnetic state indicates the decay of the electron into separate spin and charge carrying particle excitations.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

A generalized spherical version of the Blume-Emery-Griffits model with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions

We have investigated analitycally the phase diagram of a generalized spherical version of the Blume-Emery-Griffiths model that includes ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic spin interactions as well as quadrupole interactions in zero and nonzero magnetic field. We show that in three dimensions and zero magnetic field a regular paramagnetic-ferromagnetic (PM-FM) or a paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic (PM-AFM) phase transition occurs whenever the magnetic spin interactions dominate over the quadrupole interactions. However, when spin and quadrupole interactions are important, there appears a reentrant FM-PM or AFM-PM phase transition at low temperatures, in addition to the regular PM-FM or PM-AFM phase transitions. On the other hand, in a nonzero homogeneous external magnetic field $H$, we find no evidence of a transition to the state with spontaneous magnetization for FM interactions in three dimensions. Nonethelesss, for AFM interactions we do get a scenario similar to that described above for zero external magnetic field, except that the critical temperatures are now functions of $H$. We also find two critical field values, $H_{c1}$, at which the reentrance phenomenon dissapears and $H_{c2}$ ($H_{c1}\approx 0.5H_{c2}$), above which the PM-AFM transition temperature vanishes.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figs. Title changed, abstract and introduction as well as section IV were rewritten relaxing the emphasis on spin S=1 and Figs. 5 an 6 were improved in presentation. However, all the results remain valid. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

SO(5) superconductor in a Zeeman magnetic field: Phase diagram and thermodynamic properties

In this paper we present calculations of the SO(5) quantum rotor theory of high-T$_{c}$ superconductivity in Zeeman magnetic field. We use the spherical approach for five-component quantum rotors in three-dimensional lattice to obtain formulas for critical lines, free energy, entropy and specific heat and present temperature dependences of these quantities for different values of magnetic field. Our results are in qualitative agreement with relevant experiments on high-T$_{c}$ cuprates.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. B, see http://prb.aps.or

Finite-temperature effects on the superfluid Bose-Einstein condensation of confined ultracold atoms in three-dimensional optical lattices

We discuss the finite-temperature phase diagram in the three-dimensional Bose-Hubbard (BH) model in the strong correlation regime, relevant for Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices, by employing a quantum rotor approach. In systems with strong on site repulsive interactions, the rotor U(1) phase variable dual to the local boson density emerges as an important collective field. After establishing the connection between the rotor construction and the the on--site interaction in the BH model the robust effective action formalism is developed which allows us to study the superfluid phase transition in various temperature--interaction regimes

Optimization and regeneration kinetics of lymphatic-specific photodynamic therapy in the mouse dermis.

Lymphatic vessels transport fluid, antigens, and immune cells to the lymph nodes to orchestrate adaptive immunity and maintain peripheral tolerance. Lymphangiogenesis has been associated with inflammation, cancer metastasis, autoimmunity, tolerance and transplant rejection, and thus, targeted lymphatic ablation is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating or preventing such events. Here we define conditions that lead to specific and local closure of the lymphatic vasculature using photodynamic therapy (PDT). Lymphatic-specific PDT was performed by irradiation of the photosensitizer verteporfin that effectively accumulates within collecting lymphatic vessels after local intradermal injection. We found that anti-lymphatic PDT induced necrosis of endothelial cells and pericytes, which preceded the functional occlusion of lymphatic collectors. This was specific to lymphatic vessels at low verteporfin dose, while higher doses also affected local blood vessels. In contrast, light dose (fluence) did not affect blood vessel perfusion, but did affect regeneration time of occluded lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels eventually regenerated by recanalization of blocked collectors, with a characteristic hyperplasia of peri-lymphatic smooth muscle cells. The restoration of lymphatic function occurred with minimal remodeling of non-lymphatic tissue. Thus, anti-lymphatic PDT allows control of lymphatic ablation and regeneration by alteration of light fluence and photosensitizer dose

Doświadczenia własne w zastosowaniu tocilizumabu w leczeniu chorych na reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów

Wstęp: Praca stanowi podsumowanie doświadczeń w leczeniu tocilizumabem chorych na reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów, pacjentów Katedry i Kliniki Chorób Wewnętrznych, Reumatologii i Immunologii Klinicznej Śląskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Katowicach w latach 2012–2019.Materiał i metody: Ogółem leczeniem tym lekiem objęto około 70 chorych, z czego obecnie ponad 50 jest leczonych aktywnie. Większość pacjentów otrzymuje tocilizumab w tak zwanej drugiej linii leczenia po niepowodzeniu inhibitorów TNF-alfa.Wyniki: U wszystkich chorych uzyskano dobrą odpowiedź na leczenie po pierwszych 90 dniach stosowania leku. Niska aktywność choroby bądź remisja utrzymywały się przez cały okres leczenia niezależnie od stosowania leku łącznie z metotrekastem czy stosowania go w monoterapii. Leczenie przebiega z małą liczbą przypadków działań niepożądanych.Wnioski: Doświadczenia własne uzyskane z badania stosunkowo małej liczby chorych, ale odzwierciedlające praktykę lekarską (tzw. real world data) są zgodne z wynikami badań klinicznych i potwierdzają, że tocilizumab, rekombinowane humanizowaneprzeciwciało monoklonalne skierowane przeciwko receptorowi interleukiny 6 jest lekiem o udokumentowanej skuteczności i bezpieczeństwie leczenia u chorych na reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów. Forum Reumatol. 2019, tom 5, nr 1: 8–1