Liberating Efimov physics from three dimensions

When two particles attract via a resonant short-range interaction, three particles always form an infinite tower of bound states characterized by a discrete scaling symmetry. It has been considered that this Efimov effect exists only in three dimensions. Here we review how the Efimov physics can be liberated from three dimensions by considering two-body and three-body interactions in mixed dimensions and four-body interaction in one dimension. In such new systems, intriguing phenomena appear, such as confinement-induced Efimov effect, Bose-Fermi crossover in Efimov spectrum, and formation of interlayer Efimov trimers. Some of them are observable in ultracold atom experiments and we believe that this study significantly broadens our horizons of universal Efimov physics.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, contribution to a special issue of Few-Body Systems devoted to Efimov Physic

Unitary Fermi gas, epsilon expansion, and nonrelativistic conformal field theories

We review theoretical aspects of unitary Fermi gas (UFG), which has been realized in ultracold atom experiments. We first introduce the epsilon expansion technique based on a systematic expansion in terms of the dimensionality of space. We apply this technique to compute the thermodynamic quantities, the quasiparticle spectrum, and the critical temperature of UFG. We then discuss consequences of the scale and conformal invariance of UFG. We prove a correspondence between primary operators in nonrelativistic conformal field theories and energy eigenstates in a harmonic potential. We use this correspondence to compute energies of fermions at unitarity in a harmonic potential. The scale and conformal invariance together with the general coordinate invariance constrains the properties of UFG. We show the vanishing bulk viscosities of UFG and derive the low-energy effective Lagrangian for the superfluid UFG. Finally we propose other systems exhibiting the nonrelativistic scaling and conformal symmetries that can be in principle realized in ultracold atom experiments.Comment: 44 pages, 15 figures, contribution to Lecture Notes in Physics "BCS-BEC crossover and the Unitary Fermi Gas" edited by W. Zwerge

Universal four-component Fermi gas in one dimension

A four-component Fermi gas in one dimension with a short-range four-body interaction is shown to exhibit a one-dimensional analog of the BCS-BEC crossover. Its low-energy physics is governed by a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid with three spin gaps. The spin gaps are exponentially small in the weak coupling (BCS) limit where they arise from the charge-density-wave instability, and become large in the strong coupling (BEC) limit because of the formation of tightly-bound tetramers. We investigate the ground-state energy, the sound velocity, and the gap spectrum in the BCS-BEC crossover and discuss exact relationships valid in our system. We also show that a one-dimensional analog of the Efimov effect occurs for five bosons while it is absent for fermions. Our work opens up a very rich new field of universal few-body and many-body physics in one dimension.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures; (v2) Efimov effect for 5 bosons in 1D is discussed; (v3) expanded versio

Single crystal MgB2 with anisotropic superconducting properties

The discovery of superconductor in magnesium diboride MgB2 with high Tc (39 K) has raised some challenging issues; whether this new superconductor resembles a high temperature cuprate superconductor(HTS) or a low temperature metallic superconductor; which superconducting mechanism, a phonon- mediated BCS or a hole superconducting mechanism or other new exotic mechanism may account for this superconductivity; and how about its future for applications. In order to clarify the above questions, experiments using the single crystal sample are urgently required. Here we have first succeeded in obtaining the single crystal of this new MgB2 superconductivity, and performed its electrical resistance and magnetization measurements. Their experiments show that the electronic and magnetic properties depend on the crystallographic direction. Our results indicate that the single crystal MgB2 superconductor shows anisotropic superconducting properties and thus can provide scientific basis for the research of its superconducting mechanism and its applications.Comment: 7 pages pdf fil

Quantizing Majorana Fermions in a Superconductor

A Dirac-type matrix equation governs surface excitations in a topological insulator in contact with an s-wave superconductor. The order parameter can be homogenous or vortex valued. In the homogenous case a winding number can be defined whose non-vanishing value signals topological effects. A vortex leads to a static, isolated, zero energy solution. Its mode function is real, and has been called "Majorana." Here we demonstrate that the reality/Majorana feature is not confined to the zero energy mode, but characterizes the full quantum field. In a four-component description a change of basis for the relevant matrices renders the Hamiltonian imaginary and the full, space-time dependent field is real, as is the case for the relativistic Majorana equation in the Majorana matrix representation. More broadly, we show that the Majorana quantization procedure is generic to superconductors, with or without the Dirac structure, and follows from the constraints of fermionic statistics on the symmetries of Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonians. The Hamiltonian can always be brought to an imaginary form, leading to equations of motion that are real with quantized real field solutions. Also we examine the Fock space realization of the zero mode algebra for the Dirac-type systems. We show that a two-dimensional representation is natural, in which fermion parity is preserved.Comment: 26 pages, no figure

Role of Sulfur as a Reducing Agent for the Transition Metals Incorporated into Lithium Silicate Glass

Li2O·0.25Fe2O3·0.25NiO·1.5SiO2 glass was prepared with and without 5 wt % sulfur (S) while melting the mixture of the starting materials at 1350 °C for 1 h in air. A part of the as-prepared glass was heat treated for 1 h near its crystallization temperature (Tc) as determined from differential thermal analysis. Each glass was also investigated by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and DC conductivity. The Mössbauer spectra showed ionic Fe2+ and Fe3+ species in the glass as well as in the precipitated phase obtained after heat treatment. XRD patterns demonstrated the glassy phase formation in the as-quenched samples irrespective of the presence of sulfur. The heat treated samples showed different precipitated phases containing iron particles of nanometer size. The electric conductivity measurements showed that sulfur-doped samples had high values of (σ) probably because of small polaron hopping between Fe2+ and Fe3+

Innovative policy practices to advance building energy efficiency and retrofitting: Approaches, impacts and challenges in ten C40 cities

This study examines ten programmes to advance energy efficiency and retrofitting of existing, private sector buildings in C40 cities in Asia-Pacific and USA. We set out to identify differing policy approaches, together with potential impacts and implementation challenges for each. Findings unearthed six policy models – both mandatory and voluntary – with unique impacts and challenges. We demonstrate that innovation occurs without new policy inventions and largely by necessity, as new features are added and generic models are adapted to local circumstances. Our sample demonstrated experimentation with benchmarking in the USA, comprehensive regulation in Asia, and voluntary approaches in Australia. Overall, environmental impacts are particularly slow to emerge and plagued with attribution challenges. We found limited evidence of benchmarking programme effectiveness in reducing energy consumption in the short-term, but some indication of mid-term outcomes. Driven by unique local circumstances, the cap-and-trade model stood out by fostering large, sustained and attributable GHG emission reductions and retrofitting. Market and social impacts are highly significant across all programmes, highlighting needs to consider non-environmental impacts in policy evaluation. We emphasise the complementary potential of voluntary and regulatory approaches to advancing energy efficiency and climate resilience. We also underscore the potential for reporting or benchmarking programmes to later transition to models mandating performance improvements, such as cap-and-trade

Epsilon expansion for a Fermi gas at infinite scattering length

We show that there exists a systematic expansion around four spatial dimensions for Fermi gas in the unitarity regime. We perform the calculations to leading and next-to-leading orders in the expansion over epsilon=4-d, where d is the dimensionality of space. We find the ratio of chemical potential and Fermi energy to be mu/eF=1/2 epsilon^3/2 + 1/16 epsilon^5/2 ln epsilon -0.0246 epsilon^5/2 and the ratio of the gap in the fermion quasiparticle spectrum and the chemical potential to be Delta/mu=2/epsilon-0.691. The minimum of the fermion dispersion curve is located at |p|=(2m epsilon_0)^1/2 where epsilon_0/mu=2+O(epsilon). Extrapolation to d=3 gives results consistent with Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex4; version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Inhomogeneity of the intrinsic magnetic field in superconducting YBa2Cu3OX compounds as revealed by rare-earth EPR-probe

X-band electron paramagnetic resonance on doped Er3+ and Yb3+ ions in Y0.99(Yb,Er)0.01Ba2Cu3OX compounds with different oxygen contents in the wide temperature range (4-120)K have been made. In the superconducting species, the strong dependencies of the linewidth and resonance line position from the sweep direction of the applied magnetic field are revealed at the temperatures significantly below TC. The possible origins of the observed hysteresis are analyzed. Applicability of the presented EPR approach to extract information about the dynamics of the flux-line lattice and critical state parameters (critical current density, magnetic penetration depth, and characteristic spatial scale of the inhomogeneity) is discussedComment: 17 pages, 5 Figures. Renewed versio

THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF THERMOSYPHON FOR DIFFERENT WORKING FLUIDS

In this paper, an experimental investigation was performed of the thermal performance of different working fluids in thermosyphons that can be used in thermal control of electronic equipment. The working fluids were considered acetone, water, ethanol, and methanol. The thermosyphon are manufactured of copper with an outer diameter of 9.45 mm, an inner diameter of 7.75 mm, a total length of 200 mm, whereas an evaporator of 80 mm length, an adiabatic region of 20 mm in length and a condenser of 100 mm in length. They were loaded with 1.39 ml of the working fluid, corresponding to a filling ratio of 40% of the evaporator volume. Experimental tests were performed in a vertical position considering thermal loads between 5W and 25W. The thermosyphons operated satisfactorily in all the tests. The operating temperature distribution as a function of time and the heat resistance behavior as a function of power dissipation have been presented for each analyzed working fluid. These results indicated that acetone is the working fluid that has the best thermal performance