Electro-Mechanical Simulation of Switching Characteristics for Nanoelectromechanical Memory

The static switching properties and readout characteristics of proposed high-speed and nonvolatile nanoelectromechanical (NEM) memory devices are investigated By conducting a three-dimensional finite element mechanical simulation combined with an electrostatic analysis, we analyze the electromechanical switching operation of a mechanically bistable NEM floating gate by applying gate voltage. We show that switching voltage can be reduced to less than 10V by reducing the zero-bias displacement of the floating gate and optimizing the cavity structure to improve mechanical symmetry. We also analyze the electrical readout property of the NEM memory devices by combining the electromechanical simulation with a drift-diffusion analysis We demonstrate that the mechanically bistable states of the floating gate can be detected via the changes in drain current with an ON/OFF current ratio of about 3 x 10 (C) 2009 The Japan Society of Applied Physic

Rolling Tachyon Solution in Vacuum String Field Theory

We construct a time-dependent solution in vacuum string field theory and investigate whether the solution can be regarded as a rolling tachyon solution. First, compactifying one space direction on a circle of radius R, we construct a space-dependent solution given as an infinite number of *-products of a string field with center-of-mass momentum dependence of the form e^{-b p^2/4}. Our time-dependent solution is obtained by an inverse Wick rotation of the compactified space direction. We focus on one particular component field of the solution, which takes the form of the partition function of a Coulomb system on a circle with temperature R^2. Analyzing this component field both analytically and numerically using Monte Carlo simulation, we find that the parameter b in the solution must be set equal to zero for the solution to approach a finite value in the large time limit x^0\to\infty. We also explore the possibility that the self-dual radius R=\sqrt{\alpha'} is a phase transition point of our Coulomb system.Comment: 39 pages, 17 figures, v3: references adde

On the origin of thermal string gas

We investigate decaying D-branes as the origin of the thermal string gas of string gas cosmology. We consider initial configurations of low-dimensional branes and argue that they can time evolve to thermal string gas. We find that there is a range in the weak string coupling and fast brane decay time regimes, where the initial configuration could drive the evolution of the dilaton to values, where exactly three spacelike directions grow large.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, v2: references adde

Note on D-Brane Effective Action in the Linear Dilaton Background

In this short note we will study effective action for unstable D-brane in linear dilaton background. We will solve the equation of motion for large T and we will calculate the stress energy tensor. Then we compare our results with the calculations performed using exact conformal field theory description of the open string worldsheet theory.Comment: 12 page

Micro-optics for ultra-intense lasers

金沢大学先端科学・社会共創推進機構Table-top, femtosecond lasers provide the highest light intensities capable of extreme excitation of matter. A key challenge, however, is the efficient coupling of light to matter, a goal addressed by target structuring and laser pulse-shaping. Nanostructured surfaces enhance coupling but require “high contrast” (e.g., for modern ultrahigh intensity lasers, the peak to picosecond pedestal intensity ratio >1012) pulses to preserve target integrity. Here, we demonstrate a foam target that can efficiently absorb a common, low contrast 105 (in picosecond) laser at an intensity of 5 × 1018 W/cm2, giving ∼20 times enhanced relativistic hot electron flux. In addition, such foam target induced “micro-optic” function is analogous to the miniature plasma-parabolic mirror. The simplicity of the target—basically a structure with voids having a diameter of the order of a light wavelength—and the efficacy of these micro-sized voids under low contrast illumination can boost the scope of high intensity lasers for basic science and for table-top sources of high energy particles and ignition of laser fusion targets

Direct Observation of Defects and Increased Ion Permeability of a Membrane Induced by Structurally Disordered Cu/Zn-Superoxide Dismutase Aggregates

Interactions between protein aggregates and a cellular membrane have been strongly implicated in many protein conformational diseases. However, such interactions for the case of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) protein, which is related to fatal neurodegenerative disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), have not been explored yet. For the first time, we report the direct observation of defect formation and increased ion permeability of a membrane induced by SOD1 aggregates using a supported lipid bilayer and membrane patches of human embryonic kidney cells as model membranes. We observed that aggregated SOD1 significantly induced the formation of defects within lipid membranes and caused the perturbation of membrane permeability, based on surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and electrophysiology. In the case of apo SOD1 with an unfolded structure, we found that it bound to the lipid membrane surface and slightly perturbed membrane permeability, compared to other folded proteins (holo SOD1 and bovine serum albumin). The changes in membrane integrity and permeability were found to be strongly dependent on the type of proteins and the amount of aggregates present. We expect that the findings presented herein will advance our understanding of the pathway by which structurally disordered SOD1 aggregates exert toxicity in vivo