Strain sensing with sub-micron sized Al-AlOx-Al tunnel junctions

We demonstrate a local strain sensing method for nanostructures based on metallic Al tunnel junctions with AlOx barriers. The junctions were fabricated on top of a thin silicon nitride membrane, which was actuated with an AFM tip attached to a stiff cantilever. A large relative change in the tunneling resistance in response to the applied strain (gauge factor) was observed, up to a value 37. This facilitates local static strain variation measurements down to ~10^{-7}.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Tunneling spectroscopy of disordered multiwalled carbon nanotubes

The tunneling density of states has been studied on disordered multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The tunneling conductance shows a large zero-bias anomaly, whose temperature and voltage dependence is successfully compared with the non-perturbative theory of electron tunneling into a disordered 1D electrode. The environmental Coulomb blockade is expected to set in at lower energies, where junctions can be considered to be zero-dimensional. In one of the samples, Coulomb blockade behavior is revealed over a wide range of temperatures. In this sample the tunneling is also studied using a superconducting counterelectrode, and the observed reduction of the conductivity is found to be in quantitative agreement with the theory.Peer reviewe

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes as ultrasensitive electrometers

We show that it is possible to construct low-noise single-electron transistors (SETs) using free-standing multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The 1/fα -noise of our devices, 6×10 exp −6 e/√Hz at 45 Hz, is close in the performance to the best metallic SETs of today.Peer reviewe

Single-electron transistor made of two crossing multiwalled carbon nanotubes and its noise properties

A three-terminal nanotube device was fabricated from two multiwalled nanotubes by pushing one on top of the other using an atomic-force microscope. The lower nanotube, with gold contacts at both ends, acted as the central island of a single-electron transistor while the upper one functioned as a gate electrode. Coulomb blockade oscillations were observed on the nanotube at sub-Kelvin temperatures. The voltage noise of the nanotube single-electron transistor (SET) was gain dependent as in conventional SETs. The charge sensitivity at 10 Hz was 6×10 exp −4  e/√Hz.Peer reviewe

Transport in strongly disordered multiwalled carbon nanotubes

We have studied magnetic field and temperature dependence of electron transport in chemical vapor deposition synthesized highly resistive multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The analysis of the weak-localization magnetoresistance according to electron-electron interaction theories leads to very small mean free paths, l<10 nm. At lowest temperatures the sheet resistance is near RK=h/e exp 2. Both of these observations suggest that our samples are close to the strong-localization limit.Peer reviewe

Multiwalled carbon nanotube: Luttinger liquid or not?

We have measured IV-curves of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using end contacts. At low voltages, the tunneling conductance obeys non-Ohmic power law, which is predicted both by the Luttinger liquid and the environment-quantum-fluctuation theories. However, at higher voltages we observe a crossover to Ohm's law with a Coulomb-blockade offset, which agrees with the environment-quantum-fluctuation theory, but cannot be explained by the Luttinger-liquid theory. From the high-voltage tunneling conductance we determine the transmission line parameters of the nanotubes.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 2 EPS-figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Weak Field Magnetoresistance in Quasi-One-Dimensional Systems

Theoretical studies are presented on weak localization effects and magnetoresistance in quasi-one-dimensional systems with open Fermi surfaces. Based on the Wigner representation, the magnetoresistance in the region of weak field has been studied for five possible configurations of current and field with respect to the one-dimensional axis. It has been indicated that the anisotropy and its temperature dependences of the magnetoresistance will give information on the degree of one-dimensionality and the phase relaxation time.Comment: pages 11, LaTeX, 5 figures, uses jpsj.sty. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. (Vol.67(1998) No.4); Added some references and a Note at Feb. 13 199

Positive Magneto-Resistance in Quasi-1D Conductors

We present here a simple qualitative model that interpolates between the high and low temperature properties of quasi-1D conductors. At high temperatures we argue that transport is governed by inelastic scattering whereas at low temperatures the conductance decays exponentially with the electron dephasing length. The crossover between these regimes occurs at the temperature at which the elastic and inelastic scattering times become equal. This model is shown to be in quantitative agreement with the organic conductor $TTT_2I_{3-\delta}$. Within this model, we also show that on the insulating side, the positive magnetoresistance of the form $(H/T)^2$ observed in $TTT_2I_{3-\delta}$ and other quasi-1D conductors can be explained by the role spin-flip scattering plays in the electron dephasing rate.Comment: 4 pages, Latex, no figure

Does α-synuclein have a dual and opposing effect in preclinical vs. clinical Parkinson's disease?

Abstractα-Synuclein gene (SNCA) multiplications cause familial parkinsonism and allele-length polymorphisms within the SNCA dinucleotide repeat REP1 increase the risk for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). Since SNCA multiplications increase SNCA expression, and REP1 genotypes that increase the risk of developing PD show increased SNCA expression in cell-culture systems, animal models, and human blood and brain, PD therapies seek to reduce SNCA expression. We conducted an observational study of 1098 PD cases to test the hypothesis that REP1 genotypes correlated with reduced SNCA expression are associated with better motor and cognitive outcomes. We evaluated the association of REP1 genotypes with survival free of Hoehn and Yahr stages 4 or 5 (motor outcome) and of Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score ≤27 or Alzheimer's Disease Dementia Screening Interview score ≥2 (cognitive outcome). Median disease duration at baseline was 3.3 years and median lag time from baseline to follow-up was 7.8 years. Paradoxically, REP1 genotypes associated with increased risk of developing PD and increased SNCA expression were associated with better motor (HR = 0.87, p = 0.046, covariate-adjusted age-scale analysis; HR = 0.85, p = 0.020, covariate-adjusted time-scale analysis) and cognitive outcomes (HR = 0.90, p = 0.12, covariate-adjusted age-scale analysis; HR = 0.85, p = 0.023, covariate-adjusted time-scale analysis). Our findings raise the possibility that SNCA has a dual, opposing, and time-dependent role. This may have implications for the development of therapies that target SNCA expression