106 research outputs found
Superconducting and normal-state properties of the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re6Zr
We systematically investigate the normal and superconducting properties of
non-centrosymmetric ReZr using magnetization, heat capacity, and
electrical resistivity measurements. Resistivity measurements indicate
ReZr has poor metallic behavior and is dominated by disorder. ReZr
undergoes a superconducting transition at K. Magnetization measurements give a lower critical
field, mT. The
Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg model is used to approximate the upper critical
field T which is close to
the Pauli limiting field of 12.35 T and which could indicate singlet-triplet
mixing. However, low-temperature specific-heat data suggest that ReZr is
an isotropic, fully gapped s-wave superconductor with enhanced electron-phonon
coupling. Unusual flux pinning resulting in a peak effect is observed in the
magnetization data, indicating an unconventional vortex state.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 2 table
Reversal of glucocorticoid resistance in paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is dependent on restoring BIM expression.
BackgroundAcute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common paediatric malignancy. Glucocorticoids form a critical component of chemotherapy regimens and resistance to glucocorticoid therapy is predictive of poor outcome. We have previously shown that glucocorticoid resistance is associated with upregulation of the oncogene C-MYC and failure to induce the proapoptotic gene BIM.MethodsA high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign was carried out to identify glucocorticoid sensitisers against an ALL xenograft derived from a glucocorticoid-resistant paediatric patient. Gene expression analysis was carried out using Illumina microarrays. Efficacy, messenger RNA and protein analysis were carried out by Resazurin assay, reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting, respectively.ResultsA novel glucocorticoid sensitiser, 2-((4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)thio)-N-isopropyl-N-phenylacetamide (GCS-3), was identified from the HTS campaign. The sensitising effect was specific to glucocorticoids and synergy was observed in a range of dexamethasone-resistant and dexamethasone-sensitive xenografts representative of B-ALL, T-ALL and Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL. GCS-3 in combination with dexamethasone downregulated C-MYC and significantly upregulated BIM expression in a glucocorticoid-resistant ALL xenograft. The GCS-3/dexamethasone combination significantly increased binding of the glucocorticoid receptor to a novel BIM enhancer, which is associated with glucocorticoid sensitivity.ConclusionsThis study describes the potential of the novel glucocorticoid sensitiser, GCS-3, as a biological tool to interrogate glucocorticoid action and resistance
Feedback-enhanced algorithm for aberration correction of holographic atom traps
We show that a phase-only spatial light modulator can be used to generate
non-trivial light distributions suitable for trapping ultracold atoms, when the
hologram calculation is included within a simple and robust feedback loop that
corrects for imperfect device response and optical aberrations. This correction
reduces the discrepancy between target and experimental light distribution to
the level of a few percent (RMS error). We prove the generality of this
algorithm by applying it to a variety of target light distributions of
relevance for cold atomic physics.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Superconductivity and the upper critical field in the chiral noncentrosymmetric superconductor NbRh2B2
NbRh2B2 crystallises in a chiral noncentrosymmetric structure and exhibits bulk type-II superconductivity below 7.46(5) K. Here we show that the temperature dependence of the upper critical field deviates from the behaviour expected for both Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg and the Ginzburg-Landau models and that μ0Hc2 (0) ~ 18 T exceeds the Pauli paramagnetic limit, μ0HP = 13.9 T. We explore the reasons for this enhancement. Transverse-field muon spectroscopy measurements suggest that the superconducting gap is either s-wave or (s + s)-wave, a the pressure dependence of Tc reveals the superconducting gap is primarily s- wave in character. The magnetic penetration depth lambda(0) = 595(5) nm. Heat capacity measurements reveal the presence of a multigap (s + s)-wave superconducting order parameter and moderate electron-phonon coupling
Shape-resonant superconductivity in nanofilms: from weak to strong coupling
Ultrathin superconductors of different materials are becoming a powerful
platform to find mechanisms for enhancement of superconductivity, exploiting
shape resonances in different superconducting properties. Here we evaluate the
superconducting gap and its spatial profile, the multiple gap components, and
the chemical potential, of generic superconducting nanofilms, considering the
pairing attraction and its energy scale as tunable parameters, from weak to
strong coupling, at fixed electron density. Superconducting properties are
evaluated at mean field level as a function of the thickness of the nanofilm,
in order to characterize the shape resonances in the superconducting gap. We
find that the most pronounced shape resonances are generated for weakly coupled
superconductors, while approaching the strong coupling regime the shape
resonances are rounded by a mixing of the subbands due to the large energy gaps
extending over large energy scales. Finally, we find that the spatial profile,
transverse to the nanofilm, of the superconducting gap acquires a flat behavior
in the shape resonance region, indicating that a robust and uniform multigap
superconducting state can arise at resonance.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to the Proceedings of the Superstripes
2016 conferenc
Evidence for the coexistence of time-reversal symmetry breaking and Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-like superconductivity in La7Pd3
Time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) with a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) -like superconductivity occurs in a small, but growing number of noncentrosymmetric (NCS) materials, although the mechanism is poorly understood. We present heat capacity, magnetization, resistivity, and muon spin resonance/relaxation (μSR) measurements on polycrystalline samples of NCS La7Pd3. Transverse-field μSR and heat capacity data show La7Pd3 is a type-II superconductor with a BCS-like gap structure, while zero-field μSR results provide evidence of TRSB. We discuss the implications of these results for both the La7X3 (where X = Ni, Pd, Rh, Ir) group of superconductors and other CS and NCS superconductors for which TRSB has been observed
Dynamics of Nonequilibrium Dicke Models
Motivated by experiments observing self-organization of cold atoms in optical
cavities we investigate the collective dynamics of the associated
nonequilibrium Dicke model. The model displays a rich semiclassical phase
diagram of long time attractors including distinct superradiant fixed points,
bistable and multistable coexistence phases and regimes of persistent
oscillations. We explore the intrinsic timescales for reaching these asymptotic
states and discuss the implications for finite duration experiments. On the
basis of a semiclassical analysis of the effective Dicke model we find that
sweep measurements over 200ms may be required in order to access the asymptotic
regime. We briefly comment on the corrections that may arise due to quantum
fluctuations and states outside of the effective two-level Dicke model
description.Comment: 27 pages, 20 figure
Anisotropic superconductivity and unusually robust electronic critical field in single crystal La7Ir3
Polycrystalline LaIr is reported to show superconductivity
breaking time-reversal symmetry while also having an isotropic -wave gap.
Single crystals of this noncentrosymmetric superconductor are highly desirable
to understand the nature of the electron pairing mechanism in this system. Here
we report the growth of high-quality single crystals of LaIr by the
Czochralski method. The structural and superconducting properties of these
large crystals have been investigated using x-rays, magnetization, resistivity
and heat capacity measurements. We observe a clear anisotropy in the lower and
upper critical fields for magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to
the hexagonal axis. We also report the presence of a robust electronic
critical field, that diverges from the upper critical field derived from heat
capacity, which is the hallmark of surface superconductivity.Comment: 20 + 5 pages, 6 + 4 figures, 1 + 1 tables. Accepted for publication
into Physical Review Material
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