782 research outputs found
The complex superstructure in Mg1-xAlxB2 at x~0.5
Electron diffraction and high resolution microscopy have been performed on
Mg1-xAlxB2 with x~0.5. This composition displays a superstructure with a repeat
period of exactly 2c along the c axis and about 10 nm in the a-b plane. The
superstructure results in ring-shaped superreflections in the diffraction
pattern. Irradiation by a strong electron beam results in a loss of the
superstructure and a decrease of about 1% in the c lattice parameter. In-situ
heating and cooling on the other hand showed that the superstructure is stable
from 100 K to 700 K. Possible origins for the superstructure are proposed
Superconducting Properties of MgCNi3 Films
We report the magnetotransport properties of thin polycrystalline films of
the recently discovered non-oxide perovskite superconductor MgCNi3. CNi3
precursor films were deposited onto sapphire substrates and subsequently
exposed to Mg vapor at 700 C. We report transition temperatures (Tc) and
critical field values (Hc2) of MgCNi3 films ranging in thickness from 7.5 nm to
100 nm. Films thicker than ~40 nm have a Tc ~ 8 K, and an upper critical field
Hc2 ~ 14 T, which are both comparable to that of polycrystalline powders. Hall
measurements in the normal state give a carrier density, n =-4.2 x 10^22 cm^-3,
that is approximately 4 times that reported for bulk samples.Comment: submitted to PR
Equatorial circular orbits in the Kerr-de Sitter spacetimes
Equatorial motion of test particles in the Kerr-de Sitter spacetimes is
considered. Circular orbits are determined, their properties are discussed for
both the black-hole and naked-singularity spacetimes, and their relevance for
thin accretion discs is established.Comment: 24 pages, 19 figures, REVTeX
Influence of Carbon Concentration on the Superconductivity in MgCxNi3
The influence of carbon concentration on the superconductivity (SC) in
MgCNi has been investigated by measuring the low temperature specific
heat combined with first principles electronic structure calculation. It is
found that the specific heat coefficient of the
superconducting sample () in normal state is twice that of the
non-superconducting one (). The comparison of measured
and the calculated electronic density of states (DOS) shows that the
effective mass renormalization changes remarkably as the carbon concentration
changes. The large mass renormalization for the superconducting sample and the
low (7K) indicate that more than one kind of boson mediated
electron-electron interactions exist in MgCNi.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Phonon spectrum and soft-mode behavior of MgCNi_3
Temperature dependent inelastic neutron-scattering measurements of the
generalized phonon density-of-states for superconducting MgCNi_3, T_c=8 K, give
evidence for a soft-mode behavior of low-frequency Ni phonon modes. Results are
compared with ab initio density functional calculations which suggest an
incipient lattice instability of the stoichiometric compound with respect to Ni
vibrations orthogonal to the Ni-C bond direction.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Prelamin A mediates myocardial inflammation in dilated and HIV-associated cardiomyopathies
Cardiomyopathies are complex heart muscle diseases that can be inherited or acquired. Dilated cardiomyopathy can result from mutations in LMNA, encoding the nuclear intermediate filament proteins lamin A/C. Some LMNA mutations lead to accumulation of the lamin A precursor, prelamin A, which is disease causing in a number of tissues, yet its impact upon the heart is unknown. Here, we discovered myocardial prelamin A accumulation occurred in a case of dilated cardiomyopathy, and we show that a potentially novel mouse model of cardiac-specific prelamin A accumulation exhibited a phenotype consistent with inflammatory cardiomyopathy, which we observed to be similar to HIV-associated cardiomyopathy, an acquired disease state. Numerous HIV protease therapies are known to inhibit ZMPSTE24, the enzyme responsible for prelamin A processing, and we confirmed that accumulation of prelamin A occurred in HIV+ patient cardiac biopsies. These findings (a) confirm a unifying pathological role for prelamin A common to genetic and acquired cardiomyopathies; (b) have implications for the management of HIV patients with cardiac disease, suggesting protease inhibitors should be replaced with alternative therapies (i.e., nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors); and (c) suggest that targeting inflammation may be a useful treatment strategy for certain forms of inherited cardiomyopathy
Universal behavior of localization of residue fluctuations in globular proteins
Localization properties of residue fluctuations in globular proteins are
studied theoretically by using the Gaussian network model. Participation ratio
for each residue fluctuation mode is calculated. It is found that the
relationship between participation ratio and frequency is similar for all
globular proteins, indicating a universal behavior in spite of their different
size, shape, and architecture.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Thermopower and thermal conductivity of superconducting perovskite
The thermopower and thermal conductivity of superconducting perovskite
( 8 K) have been studied. The thermopower is negative
from room temperature to 10 K. Combining with the negative Hall coefficient
reported previously, the negative thermopower definetly indicates that the
carrier in is electron-type. The nonlinear temperature dependence of
thermopower below 150 K is explained by the electron-phonon interaction
renormalization effects. The thermal conductivity is of the order for
intermetallics, larger than that of borocarbides and smaller than . In
the normal state, the electronic contribution to the total thermal conductivity
is slightly larger than the lattice contribution. The transverse
magnetoresistance of is also measured. It is found that the classical
Kohler's rule is valid above 50 K. An electronic crossover occures at , resulting in the abnormal behavior of resistivity, thermopower, and
magnetoresistance below 50 K.Comment: Revised on 12 September 2001, Phys. Rev. B in pres
Influence of Cation Substitution on Cycling Stability and Fe-Cation Migration in Li3Fe3–xMxTe2O12 (M = Al, In) Cathode Materials
Li3Fe3Te2O12 adopts a crystal structure, described in space group Pnnm, related to that of LiSbO3, in which Te6+, Fe3+, and Li+ cations reside in a partially ordered configuration within an hcp array of oxide ions. Chemical or electrochemical insertion of lithium is accompanied by a fully reversible migration of some of the Fe cations with an initial capacity of 120 mA h g-1 (2.85 Li per formula unit). Long-term cycling stability is limited by the facile reduction of Te6+ to elemental Te, which leads to cathode decomposition. Partial substitution of Fe by In suppresses Te6+ reduction, such that Li3Fe2InTe2O12 shows no sign of this cathode decomposition pathway, even after 100 cycles. In contrast, Al-for-Fe substitution is chemically limited to Li3Fe2.6Al0.4Te2O12 and appears to have almost no influence on cathode longevity. These features of the Li3Fe3-xMxTe2O12 system are discussed on the basis of a detailed structural analysis performed using neutron and synchrotron X-ray diffraction
A perspective on physical reservoir computing with nanomagnetic devices
Neural networks have revolutionized the area of artificial intelligence and introduced transformative applications to almost every scientific field and industry. However, this success comes at a great price; the energy requirements for training advanced models are unsustainable. One promising way to address this pressing issue is by developing low-energy neuromorphic hardware that directly supports the algorithm's requirements. The intrinsic non-volatility, non-linearity, and memory of spintronic devices make them appealing candidates for neuromorphic devices. Here, we focus on the reservoir computing paradigm, a recurrent network with a simple training algorithm suitable for computation with spintronic devices since they can provide the properties of non-linearity and memory. We review technologies and methods for developing neuromorphic spintronic devices and conclude with critical open issues to address before such devices become widely used
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