Guided plasmons in graphene p-n junctions

Spatial separation of electrons and holes in graphene gives rise to existence of plasmon waves confined to the boundary region. Theory of such guided plasmon modes within hydrodynamics of electron-hole liquid is developed. For plasmon wavelengths smaller than the size of charged domains plasmon dispersion is found to be \omega ~ q^(1/4). Frequency, velocity and direction of propagation of guided plasmon modes can be easily controlled by external electric field. In the presence of magnetic field spectrum of additional gapless magnetoplasmon excitations is obtained. Our findings indicate that graphene is a promising material for nanoplasmonics.Comment: 4+ pages, 1 figure; published version, numerical estimates adde

Globular Structures of a Helix-Coil Copolymer: Self-Consistent Treatment

A self-consistent field theory was developed in the grand-canonical ensemble formulation to study transitions in a helix-coil multiblock globule. Helical and coil parts are treated as stiff rods and self-avoiding walks of variable lengths correspondingly. The resulting field-theory takes, in addition to the conventional Zimm-Bragg (B.H. Zimm, I.K. Bragg, J. Chem. Phys. 31, 526 (1959)) parameters, also three-dimensional interaction terms into account. The appropriate differential equations which determine the self-consistent fields were solved numerically with finite element method. Three different phase states are found: open chain, amorphous globule and nematic liquid-crystalline (LC) globule. The LC-globule formation is driven by the interplay between the hydrophobic helical segments attraction and the anisotropic globule surface energy of an entropic nature. The full phase diagram of the helix-coil copolymer was calculated and thoroughly discussed. The suggested theory shows a clear interplay between secondary and tertiary structures in globular homopolypeptides.Comment: 26 pages, 30 figures, corrected some typo

Phase behavior of the Confined Lebwohl-Lasher Model

The phase behavior of confined nematogens is studied using the Lebwohl-Lasher model. For three dimensional systems the model is known to exhibit a discontinuous nematic-isotropic phase transition, whereas the corresponding two dimensional systems apparently show a continuous Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless like transition. In this paper we study the phase transitions of the Lebwohl-Lasher model when confined between planar slits of different widths in order to establish the behavior of intermediate situations between the pure planar model and the three-dimensional system, and compare with previous estimates for the critical thickness, i.e. the slit width at which the transition switches from continuous to discontinuous.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review

Precise Charm- and Bottom-Quark Masses: Theoretical and Experimental Uncertainties

Recent theoretical and experimental improvements in the determination of charm and bottom quark masses are discussed. A new and improved evaluation of the contribution from the gluon condensate $$ to the charm mass determination and a detailed study of potential uncertainties in the continuum cross section for $b\bar b$ production is presented, together with a study of the parametric uncertainty from the $\alpha_s$-dependence of our results. The final results, $m_c(3 \text{GeV})=986(13)$MeV and $m_b(m_b)=4163(16)$MeV, represent, together with a closely related lattice determination $m_c(3\;{\rm GeV})=986(6)$MeV, the presently most precise determinations of these two fundamental Standard Model parameters. A critical analysis of the theoretical and experimental uncertainties is presented.Comment: 12 pages, presented at Quarks~2010, 16th International Seminar of High Energy Physics, Kolomna, Russia, June 6-12, 2010; v2: references adde

Plasmons and Coulomb drag in Dirac/Schroedinger hybrid electron systems

We show that the plasmon spectrum of an ordinary two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) hosted in a GaAs heterostructure is significantly modified when a graphene sheet is placed on the surface of the semiconductor in close proximity to the 2DEG. Long-range Coulomb interactions between massive electrons and massless Dirac fermions lead to a new set of optical and acoustic intra-subband plasmons. Here we compute the dispersion of these coupled modes within the Random Phase Approximation, providing analytical expressions in the long-wavelength limit that shed light on their dependence on the Dirac velocity and Dirac-fermion density. We also evaluate the resistivity in a Coulomb-drag transport setup. These Dirac/Schroedinger hybrid electron systems are experimentally feasible and open new research opportunities for fundamental studies of electron-electron interaction effects in two spatial dimensions.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Cluster Dynamical Mean Field Theories

Cluster Dynamical Mean Field Theories are analyzed in terms of their semiclassical limit and their causality properties, and a translation invariant formulation of the cellular dynamical mean field theory, PCDMFT, is presented. The semiclassical limit of the cluster methods is analyzed by applying them to the Falikov-Kimball model in the limit of infinite Hubbard interaction U where they map to different classical cluster schemes for the Ising model. Furthermore the Cutkosky-t'Hooft-Veltman cutting equations are generalized and derived for non translation invariant systems using the Schwinger-Keldysh formalism. This provides a general setting to discuss causality properties of cluster methods. To illustrate the method, we prove that PCDMFT is causal while the nested cluster schemes (NCS) in general and the pair scheme in particular are not. Constraints on further extension of these schemes are discussed.Comment: 26 page

The effect of hydrogen on strain hardening and fracture mechanism of high-nitrogen austenitic steel

High-nitrogen austenitic steels are perspective materials for an electron-beam welding and for producing of wear-resistant coatings, which can be used for application in aggressive atmospheres. The tensile behavior and fracture mechanism of high-nitrogen austenitic steel Fe-20Cr-22Mn-1.5V-0.2C-0.6N (in wt.%) after electrochemical hydrogen charging for 2, 10 and 40 hours have been investigated. Hydrogenation of steel provides a loss of yield strength, uniform elongation and tensile strength. The degradation of tensile properties becomes stronger with increase in charging duration - it occurs more intensive in specimens hydrogenated for 40 hours as compared to ones charged for 2-10 hours. Fracture analysis reveals a hydrogen-induced formation of brittle surface layers up to 6 [mu]m thick after 40 hours of saturation. Hydrogenation changes fracture mode of steel from mixed intergranular-transgranular to mainly transgranular one

Engineering of Low-Loss Metal for Nanoplasmonic and Metamaterials Applications

We have shown that alloying a noble metal (gold) with another metal (cadmium), which can contribute two electrons per atom to a free electron gas, can significantly improve the metals optical properties in certain wavelength ranges and make them worse in the other parts of the spectrum. In particular, in the gold-cadmium alloy we have demonstrated a significant expansion of the spectral range of metallic reflectance to shorter wavelengths. The experimental results and the predictions of the first principles theory demonstrate an opportunity for the improvement and optimization of low-loss metals for nanoplasmonic and metamaterials applications.Comment: 14 Pages, 4 figure