Quantized adiabatic quantum pumping due to interference

Recent theoretical calculations, demonstrating that quantized charge transfer due to adiabatically modulated potentials in mesoscopic devices can result purely from the interference of the electron wave functions (without invoking electron-electron interactions) are reviewed: (1) A new formula is derived for the pumped charge Q (per period); It reproduces the Brouwer formula without a bias, and also yields the effect of the modulating potential on the Landauer formula in the presence of a bias. (2) For a turnstile geometry, with time-dependent gate voltages V_L(t) and V_R(t), the magnitude and sign of Q are determined by the relative position and orientation of the closed contour traversed by the system in the {V_L-V_R} plane, relative to the transmission resonances in that plane. Integer values of Q (in units of e) are achieved when a transmission peak falls inside the contour, and are given by the winding number of the contour. (3) When the modulating potential is due to surface acoustic waves, Q exhibits a staircase structure, with integer values, reminiscent of experimental observations.Comment: Invited talk, Localization, Tokyo, August 200

Transmission of two interacting electrons

The transmission of two electrons through a region where they interact is found to be enhanced by a renormalization of the repulsive interaction. For a specific example of the single-particle Hamiltonian, which includes a strongly attractive potential, the renormalized interaction becomes attractive, and the transmission has a pronounced maximum as function of the depth of the single-electron attractive potential. The results apply directly to a simple model of scattering of two interacting electrons by a quantum dot.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Velocity shift of surface acoustic waves due to interaction with composite fermions in a modulated structure

We study the effect of a periodic density modulation on surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagation along a 2D electron gas near Landau level filling $\nu=1/2$. Within the composite fermion theory, the problem is described in terms of fermions subject to a spatially modulated magnetic field and scattered by a random magnetic field. We find that a few percent modulation induces a large peak in the SAW velocity shift, as has been observed recently by Willett et al. As further support of this theory we find the dc resistivity to be in good agreement with recent data of Smet et al.Comment: revised version resubmitted to PRL. Part concerning dc transport corrected and extended. A new figure showing dc resistivity in comparison with experiment of Smet et al include

Acoustoelectric current and pumping in a ballistic quantum point contact

The acoustoelectric current induced by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) in a ballistic quantum point contact is considered using a quantum approach. We find that the current is of the "pumping" type and is not related to drag, i.e. to the momentum transfer from the wave to the electron gas. At gate voltages corresponding to the plateaus of the quantized conductance the current is small. It is peaked at the conductance step voltages. The peak current oscillates and decays with increasing SAW wavenumber for short wavelengths. These results contradict previous calculations, based on the classical Boltzmann equation.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Acoustoelectric pumping through a ballistic point contact in the presence of magnetic fields

The acoustoelectric current, J, induced in a ballistic point contact (PC) by a surface acoustic wave is calculated in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field, B. It is found that the dependence of the current on the Fermi energy in the terminals is strongly correlated with that of the PC conductance: J is small at the conductance plateaus, and is large at the steps. Like the conductance, the acoustoelectric current has the same functional behavior as in the absence of the field, but with renormalized energy scales, which depend on the strength of the magnetic field, | B|.Comment: 7 page

Approximated maximum likelihood estimation in multifractal random walks

We present an approximated maximum likelihood method for the multifractal random walk processes of [E. Bacry et al., Phys. Rev. E 64, 026103 (2001)]. The likelihood is computed using a Laplace approximation and a truncation in the dependency structure for the latent volatility. The procedure is implemented as a package in the R computer language. Its performance is tested on synthetic data and compared to an inference approach based on the generalized method of moments. The method is applied to estimate parameters for various financial stock indices.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Collimation and Radiative Deceleration of Jets in TeV AGNs

We consider some implications of the rapid X-ray and TeV variability observed in M87 and the TeV blazars. We outline a model for jet focusing and demonstrate that modest radiative cooling can lead to recollimation of a relativistic jet in a nozzle having a very small cross-sectional radius. Such a configuration can produce rapid variability at large distances from the central engine and may explain recent observations of the HST-1 knot in M87. Possible applications of this model to TeV blazars are discussed. We also discuss a scenario for the very rapid TeV flares observed with HESS and MAGIC in some blazars, that accommodates the relatively small Doppler factors inferred from radio observations.Comment: 5 pages. Proceedings of "High Energy Phenomena in Relativistic Outflows", held in Dublin, Ireland, September 24-28, 200