Vacuum polarization for neutral particles in 2+1 dimensions

In 2+1 dimensions there exists a duality between a charged Dirac particle coupled minimally to a background vector potential and a neutral one coupled nonminimally to a background electromagnetic field strength. A constant uniform background electric current induces in the vacuum of the neutral particle a fermion current which is proportional to the background one. A background electromagnetic plane wave induces no current in the vacuum. For constant but nonuniform background electric charge, known results for charged particles can be translated to give the induced fermion number. Some new examples with infinite background electric charge are presented. The induced spin and total angular momentum are also discussed.Comment: REVTeX, 7 pages, no figur

MEMS flow sensors for nano-fluidic applications

This paper presents micromachined thermal sensors for measuring liquid flow rates in the nanoliter-per-minute range. The sensors use a boron-doped polysilicon thinfilm heater that is embedded in the silicon nitride wall of a microchannel. The boron doping is chosen to increase the heater’s temperature coefficient of resistance within tolerable noise limits, and the microchannel is suspended from the substrate to improve thermal isolation. The sensors have demonstrated a flow rate resolution below 10 nL/min, as well as the capability for detecting micro bubbles in the liquid. Heat transfer simulation has also been performed to explain the sensor operation and yielded good agreement with experimental data

Block-block entanglement and quantum phase transitions in one-dimensional extended Hubbard model

In this paper, we study block-block entanglement in the ground state of one-dimensional extended Hubbard model. Our results show that the phase diagram derived from the block-block entanglement manifests richer structure than that of the local (single site) entanglement because it comprises nonlocal correlation. Besides phases characterized by the charge-density-wave, the spin-density-wave, and phase-separation, which can be sketched out by the local entanglement, singlet superconductivity phase could be identified on the contour map of the block-block entanglement. Scaling analysis shows that ${\rm log}_2(l)$ behavior of the block-block entanglement may exist in both non-critical and the critical regions, while some local extremum are induced by the finite-size effect. We also study the block-block entanglement defined in the momentum space and discuss its relation to the phase transition from singlet superconducting state to the charge-density-wave state.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Multiband effects on the conductivity for a multiband Hubbard model

The newly discovered iron-based superconductors have attracted lots of interests, and the corresponding theoretical studies suggest that the system should have six bands. In this paper, we study the multiband effects on the conductivity based on the exact solutions of one-dimensional two-band Hubbard model. We find that the orbital degree of freedom might enhance the critical value $U_c$ of on-site interaction of the transition from a metal to an insulator. This observation is helpful to understand why undoped High-$T_c$ superconductors are usually insulators, while recently discovered iron-based superconductors are metal. Our results imply that the orbital degree of freedom in the latter cases might play an essential role.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Hawking Radiation of an Arbitrarily Accelerating Kinnersley Black Hole: Spin-Acceleration Coupling Effect

The Hawking radiation of Weyl neutrinos in an arbitrarily accelerating Kinnersley black hole is investigated by using a method of the generalized tortoise coordinate transformation. Both the location and temperature of the event horizon depend on the time and on the angles. They coincide with previous results, but the thermal radiation spectrum of massless spinor particles displays a kind of spin-acceleration coupling effect.Comment: 8 pages, no figure, revtex 4.0, revisted version with typesetting errors and misprint correcte

Entanglement and quantum phase transition in the extended Hubbard model

We study quantum entanglement in one-dimensional correlated fermionic system. Our results show, for the first time, that entanglement can be used to identify quantum phase transitions in fermionic systems.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Gamma-Ray Bursts are Produced Predominately in the Early Universe

It is known that some observed gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced at cosmological distances and that the GRB production rate may follow the star formation rate. We model the BATSE-detected intensity distribution of long GRBs in order to determine their space density distribution and opening angle distribution. Our main results are: the lower and upper distance limits to the GRB production are z 0.24 and >10, respectively; the GRB opening angle follows an exponential distribution and the mean opening angle is about 0.03 radians; and the peak luminosity appears to be a better standard candle than the total energy of a GRB.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figur