Electronic Raman scattering in correlated materials: exact treatment of nonresonant, mixed, and resonant scattering with dynamical mean field theory

We solve for the electronic Raman scattering response functions on an infinite-dimensional hypercubic lattice employing dynamical mean field theory. This contribution extends previous work on the nonresonant response to include the mixed and resonant contributions. We focus our attention on the spinless Falicov-Kimball model, where the problem can be solved exactly, and the system can be tuned to go through a Mott-Hubbard-like metal-insulator transition. Resonant effects vary in different scattering geometries, corresponding to the symmetries of the charge excitations scattered by the light. We do find that the Raman response is large near the double resonance, where the transfered frequency is close to the incident photon frequency. We also find a joint resonance of both the charge-transfer peak and the low-energy peak when the incident photon frequency is on the order of the interaction strength. In general, the resonance effects can create order of magnitude (or more) enhancements of features in the nonresonant response, especially when the incident photon frequency is somewhat larger than the frequency of the nonresonant feature. Finally, we find that the resonant effects also exhibit isosbestic behavior, even in the A1g and B2g sectors, and it is most prominent when the incident photon frequency is on the order of the interaction energy.Comment: (20 pages, 13 figures

MAO-A and the EEG Recognition Memory Signal in Left Parietal Cortex

A key part of episodic memory, or memory for the events of our lives, is recognition memory. Recognition memory is the ability to remember previously encountered stimuli. Studies have linked recognition memory to the old/new effect, an EEG indicator of stimulus familiarity. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is an enzyme that catalyzes monoamines, leading to the depletion of norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. MAO-A is more efficiently transcribed in individuals with a 4 repeating sequence variation (4R) of the MAO-A gene leading to less monoamine availability. As many of these monoamines have been linked to episodic memory, we hypothesized that individuals homozygous for the 4R MAO-A polymorphism would show differences in mean EEG signal amplitudes during recognition memory. EEG data was recorded as participants viewed both new words and words that had been previously presented. Our results show that mean peak amplitudes over the left parietal cortex 500-800 ms post-stimulus presentation for hits were greater than those for correct rejections, indicating the old/new effect. Critically, our results revealed an interaction between mean hit and correct rejection amplitude over the left parietal cortex and MAO-A group. Individuals homozygous for the 4R variation (the High MAO-A group) do not show an old/new effect due to increased correct rejection amplitudes. These results suggest that less monoamine availability leads to new stimuli being identified as old by the left parietal cortex

Raman scattering through a metal-insulator transition

The exact solution for nonresonant A1g and B1g Raman scattering is presented for the simplest model that has a correlated metal-insulator transition--the Falicov-Kimball model, by employing dynamical mean field theory. In the general case, the A1g response includes nonresonant, resonant, and mixed contributions, the B1g response includes nonresonant and resonant contributions (we prove the Shastry-Shraiman relation for the nonresonant B1g response) while the B2g response is purely resonant. Three main features are seen in the nonresonant B1g channel: (i) the rapid appearance of low-energy spectral weight at the expense of higher-energy weight; (b) the frequency range for this low-energy spectral weight is much larger than the onset temperature, where the response first appears; and (iii) the occurrence of an isosbestic point, which is a characteristic frequency where the Raman response is independent of temperature for low temperatures. Vertex corrections renormalize away all of these anomalous features in the nonresonant A1g channel. The calculated results compare favorably to the Raman response of a number of correlated systems on the insulating side of the quantum-critical point (ranging from Kondo insulators, to mixed-valence materials, to underdoped high-temperature superconductors). We also show why the nonresonant B1g Raman response is ``universal'' on the insulating side of the metal-insulator transition.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, ReVTe

Raman scattering studies of spin, charge, and lattice dynamics in Ca_{2-x}Sr_{x}RuO_{4} (0 =< x < 0.2)

We use Raman scattering to study spin, charge, and lattice dynamics in various phases of Ca_{2-x}Sr_{x}RuO_{4}. With increasing substitution of Ca by Sr in the range 0 =< x < 0.2, we observe (1) evidence for an increase of the electron-phonon interaction strength, (2) an increased temperature-dependence of the two-magnon energy and linewidth in the antiferromagnetic insulating phase, and (3) evidence for charge gap development, and hysteresis associated with the structural phase change, both of which are indicative of a first-order metal-insulator transition (T_{MI}) and a coexistence of metallic and insulating components for T < T_{MI}

Lattice dynamics and the electron-phonon interaction in Ca2_2RuO4_4

We present a Raman scattering study of Ca$_2$RuO$_4$, in which we investigate the temperature-dependence of the lattice dynamics and the electron-phonon interaction below the metal-insulator transition temperature ({\it T}$_{\rm MI}$). Raman spectra obtained in a backscattering geometry with light polarized in the ab-plane reveal 9 B$_{1g}$ phonon modes (140, 215, 265, 269, 292, 388, 459, 534, and 683 cm$^{-1}$) and 9 A$_g$ phonon modes (126, 192, 204, 251, 304, 322, 356, 395, and 607 cm$^{-1}$) for the orthorhombic crystal structure (Pbca$-$D$_{2h}^{15}$). With increasing temperature toward {\it T}$_{\rm MI}$, the observed phonon modes shift to lower energies and exhibit reduced spectral weights, reflecting structural changes associated with the elongation of the RuO$_6$ octahedra. Interestingly, the phonons exhibit significant increases in linewidths and asymmetries for {\it T} $>$ {\it T}$_{\rm N}$. These results indicate that there is an increase in the effective number of electrons and the electron-phonon interaction strengths as the temperature is raised through {\it T}$_{\rm N}$, suggesting the presence of orbital fluctuations in the temperature regime {\it T}$_{\rm N}$ $<$ {\it T} $<$ {\it T}$_{\rm MI}$.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

An MBA Capstone Consulting Experience in the Midst of COVID-19

In alignment with Molloy College’s commitment to civic engagement, the MBA program requires prospective graduates to complete its Capstone course, which entails providing consulting services to a not-for-profit organization. The course requires students to apply their cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills to solve real problems for their clients. In one short semester, students must form working relationships with fellow project members, develop an understanding of their client’s mission and objectives, and propose solutions that address their client’s challenging problems. The semester culminates with the delivery of a written proposal, a formal presentation to the client, and a final reflection. This paper describes the consulting problems faced by a class of Spring 2020 MBA students and the additional challenges they encountered due to the COVID-19 epidemic. It also describes the local organization the students worked with (the I’m Not Done Yet Foundation) and the solutions the students designed to increase awareness of the organization, improve its financial position, and streamline its internal operations

Extraction of thermal and electromagnetic properties in 45Ti

The level density and gamma-ray strength function of 45Ti have been determined by use of the Oslo method. The particle-gamma coincidences from the 46Ti(p,d gamma)45Ti pick-up reaction with 32 MeV protons are utilized to obtain gamma-ray spectra as function of excitation energy. The extracted level density and strength function are compared with models, which are found to describe these quantities satisfactorily. The data do not reveal any single-particle energy gaps of the underlying doubly magic 40Ca core, probably due to the strong quadruple deformation