Structural and Electrical Characterization of Bi2Se3 Nanostructures Grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

We characterize nanostructures of Bi2Se3 that are grown via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using the precursors diethyl selenium and trimethyl bismuth. By adjusting growth parameters, we obtain either single-crystalline ribbons up to 10 microns long or thin micron-sized platelets. Four-terminal resistance measurements yield a sample resistivity of 4 mOhm-cm. We observe weak anti-localization and extract a phase coherence length l_phi = 178 nm and spin-orbit length l_so = 93 nm at T = 0.29 K. Our results are consistent with previous measurements on exfoliated samples and samples grown via physical vapor deposition.Comment: Related papers at http://pettagroup.princeton.ed

Dynamics of Income Rank Volatility: Evidence from Germany and the US

This paper presents a methodology for comparing income rank volatility profiles over time and across distributions. While most of the existing measures are affected by changes in marginal distributions, this paper proposes a framework that is based on individuals’ relative positions in the distribution, and is neutral in relation to structural changes that occur in the economy. Applying this approach to investigate rank volatility in Germany and the US over three decades, we show that while poorer individuals within both countries are the most volatile, the volatility trend for the middle class in each of these countries differs

Evaluation of a less invasive cochlear implant surgery in OPA1 mutations provoking deafblindness

Cochlear implantation (CI) for deafblindness may have more impact than for non-syndromic hearing loss. Deafblind patients have a double handicap in a society that is more and more empowered by fast communication. CI is a remedy for deafness, but requires revision surgery every 20 to 25 years, and thus placement should be minimally invasive. Furthermore, failed reimplantation surgery will have more impact on a deafblind person. In this context, we assessed the safety of minimally invasive robotically assisted cochlear implant surgery (RACIS) for the first time in a deafblind patient. Standard pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry were performed in a patient with deafblindness as part of this robotic-assisted CI study before and after surgery. This patient, with an optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) (OMIM#165500) mutation consented to RACIS for the second (contralateral) CI. The applicability and safety of RACIS were evaluated as well as her subjective opinion on her disability. RACIS was uneventful with successful surgical and auditory outcomes in this case of deafblindness due to the OPA1 mutation. RACIS appears to be a safe and beneficial intervention to increase communication skills in the cases of deafblindness due to an OPA1 mutation. The use of RACIS use should be widespread in deafblindness as it minimizes surgical trauma and possible failures

Gender Differences in Parental Well-being After Separation: Does Shared Parenting Matter?

A large body of literature has examined how separation and divorce influence social and economic well-being. One consistent finding of the literature is that women and men are affected differently by divorce and separation. Women, and particularly mothers, are likely to suffer from a loss of income. Fathers frequently suffer from having reduced contact with their children, who usually continue to live with their mother after a union dissolution. This chapter uses 10 years of data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) to examine more closely the gender differences in life satisfaction after separation. In line with previous research, we show that following a separation, satisfaction with family life declines more among fathers than among mothers, and that mothers tend to experience a greater decline in their satisfaction with their financial situation than fathers. We also examine the role of shared parenting (Wechselmodell) in parents’ life satisfaction. Our findings indicate that shared parenting is positively associated with well-being, but also that the association is not stable to the inclusion of socio-economic characteristics that explain the selection into shared parenting. The results are discussed in the context of the current German policy debate on shared parenting